Hollywood betrays team America: Our view
If trailers are any indication, Sony Pictures' The Interview is like much that comes out of Hollywood these days: banal, superficial and unrealistic.
The plot centers on a CIA plan to have a celebrity talk show host assassinate the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, who is portrayed in the film as a doltish fan of the show.
But as insignificant as the movie may be, Sony's decision to cancel its release — in the wake of a cyber attack on its computers, release of embarrassing information and terror threats linked to North Korea — is anything but. The film's fate raises serious issues about Hollywood's spineless behavior and about America's vulnerability to cyber threats.
Some commentators have suggested that Kim has a right to be offended, or that Sony deserved to be hacked for making an offensive movie. Some have even joked that Kim did Americans a favor by killing off The Interview.
All of this is rubbish. That a dictator like Kim can get a $44 million film canceled is a deeply troubling assault on free speech. With this as a precedent, he and others will undoubtedly be emboldened to go after other targets.
Indeed, without any prompting, another studio, New Regency, has pulled the plug on a psychological thriller on North Korea that was set to begin filming in March. And Paramount Pictures forbade theaters from showing Team America: World Police, a 2004 spoof that used plastic action figures, including a hilarious one of Kim Jong Il, Kim's late father.
What's next, a ban on M*A*S*H reruns?
Sony seems to be taking its lead from Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister who, as part of his policy of appeasing Adolf Hitler, announced he would ban Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator.
For a better model of how to deal with bullies, Hollywood should look to a pair of California bookstores. In 1989, the stores were firebombed for selling The Satanic Verses, a controversial novel that some Muslims considered blasphemous. After the two incidents, both stores made repairs and continued selling the books.
One thing that Sony could have done, once cinema chains balked at showing The Interview, was to have released it immediately on pay-per-view or streaming video. Then today's news would not be that the studio buckled, but that millions of Americans watchedit as an exercise of their rights.
Ultimately, however, this incident is about more than Sony and artistic expression. It underscores the rising threat posed by state-sponsored cyberterrorism.
Dealing with the threat is not easy. The Internet is a platform, not a fortress. But a forceful response, perhaps including interference with North Korean broadcasts and computer networks, is necessary. Otherwise, North Korea and others will feel empowered to be not only censors but also extortionists, and possibly attack vital systems such as power grids and financial institutions.
Yes, there's a lot to be concerned about. It starts with a lame comedy and Sony's craven behavior. But it goes way beyond. There's nothing funny about it.
USA TODAY's editorial opinions are decided by its Editorial Board, separate from the news staff. Most editorials are coupled with an opposing view — a unique USA TODAY feature.
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