The Art of America

Following the Vietnam War and Iran-Contra affair, patriotism wasn't even popular. But in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, it was a natural reaction.

The new pride in the wounded nation seeped into Americans' lives -- into their art, their tastes and even onto their cars. Patriotism became synonymous with pop culture.

And a full year later, not much has changed -- the jingoistic effects of Sept. 11 can still be seen and felt.

With its crowded slate of releases, the film industry was forced to adjust most quickly after the attacks. Films about terrorists, like "Collateral Damage" and "Big Trouble," saw release dates pushed back. Images of the World Trade Center's twin towers were digitally removed from New York films, as in the case of "Zoolander."

But Hollywood couldn't waste an opportunity to capitalize on the new patriotism. Patriotic sentiment was edited to the forefront of last October's "The Last Castle," and November's chest-pounder "Behind Enemy Lines" was released earlier than planned to feed the public's pro-America desires.

"I think it has everything to do with timing," said Bill Arnold, the director of the North Carolina Film Commission. "9/11 stirred a new patriotism in people and a considerable anger, which I think is reflected in some of these films."

Patriotic elements weren't reserved for just war films, though red-blooded American military movies like "When We Were Soldiers" and "Black Hawk Down" also grabbed a hold of the public. "Hawk" even took heat for ignoring the opponent's view in favor of an overly American slant.

Other films got in on the patriotic act, including summer blockbuster "Spider-Man." Not quite the poster boy for the American way that Superman is, Spider-Man is nevertheless seen swinging around a grand U.S. flag in the film's final shot.

"They're blatantly, unashamedly patriotic," Arnold said of the recent trend in films. "They're taking positions that really have not been very acceptable in Hollywood since the Vietnam War."

Not only was the Vietnam War a great factor in the turning of Americans' pride and trust in their country, it was also the last major event with emotional and political effect on the United States. Jean Picker Firstenberg, CEO and director of the American Film Institute, believes Sept. 11 might become the next.

"It took many years before we had films about the Vietnam War because that was such an emotional subject for so many people," she said. "But then there were a lot of movies that powerfully dealt with the topic -- it all comes with time."

More transitory is the effect of the new patriotism in the music industry, where a surge in the production of music about Sept. 11 has occurred. Soon after the attacks, however, the effects on music came from the buyers, not from the artists.

A number of artists saw some of their work released prior to the attacks being redefined in Sept. 11's patriotic aftermath. Americana-rocker Ryan Adams unwittingly found his breakthrough when single "New York, New York" found new listeners eager for a loving portrait of the battered city. U2's songs "Walk On" and "Peace On Earth" leapt onto the radio waves, the result of a desire for more reassuring pop music.

That people would turn to music for support is no surprise to Lawrence Grossberg, professor of communication studies at UNC.

"Music is a very important part of people's lives," he said. "Music is what they use to kind of live out their emotional lives, and 9/11 has been a traumatic experience for so many people."

But it didn't take long for artists to catch up to their audiences. Country musician Toby Keith saw his July album, Unleashed, debut at No. 1 on the Billboard charts on the strength of his unmistakably American single "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)."

The July album from American rock icon Bruce Springsteen, The Rising, sat atop the charts for two weeks and is still in the top 10. The album deals with the grief and confusion of a post-Sept. 11 world, assuming the voices of survivors and victims.

"It is what Springsteen's fans expect him to do," Grossberg said. "They expect him to mediate the turmoil in their lives in his music -- it's what he does best."

But Grossberg is quick to point out that the albums have yet to enjoy long-term success and that the ultimate effect of their patriotic slants on their sales is unknown.

"Obviously more artists have included more patriotic songs in their work right now," he said. "But this is not a revolution in the music industry."

Something like a rebellion occurred in the world of pop fashion, however. In a rush to meet the public demand following Sept. 11, clothes with the American flag on them were prevalent in many stores.

"We had a bunch of different shirts on sale by October 1 -- from 'Remember Our Heroes' to 'United We Stand' T-shirts," said Piper Honigmann, manager of Franklin Street knick-knack boutique Lucky Stars.

Flagsoncars.com, a fund-raising Web site offering everything from flags, pins and car magnets to neckties, visors and skull caps with stars and stripes, was inundated with orders as the anniversary of the attacks approached.

"We've seen a 300 percent increase," said Lorraine Real, Flagsoncars.com vice president. "We have nothing to compare it to."

But Real is practical when considering the future of her enterprise."I do, realistically, think we'll taper off eventually," she said. "But I hope we'll continue."

There's little question that the newly popular patriotism will fade away sooner or later. The events of Sept. 11 will move into history and drift out of people's daily register. Pop culture has to, and will, move on.

But as long as there are crises, art will play its role.

"Art is the only way we can think through these times," Firstenberg said. "Art can show us the way."

Staff Writer Brook Corwin contributed to this story.
The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.