Topline
“Sound of Freedom,” the controversial film accused of having ties to the QAnon conspiracy theory, and country songs championed by the right-wing dominated Google’s end-of-year top trending searches lists released Monday.
Key Facts
“Sound of Freedom,” a box office success promoted by right-wing pundits and politicians including former President Donald Trump, despite apparent ties to conspiracy theories, was the third most-searched film on Google in 2023, just behind the pop culture phenomena “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.”
Jason Aldean also ranked as the most-searched musician of the year, while newcomer Oliver Anthony ranked third, both of whom achieved viral success thanks to songs that sparked controversy and were championed by right-wing audiences.
“Try That in a Small Town,” Aldean’s song that some critics accused of promoting vigilantism and gun violence against outsiders, was the most-searched song of 2023, according to Google.
“Rich Men North of Richmond,” Anthony’s chart-topper that faced criticism for lyrics criticizing welfare recipients—but was heralded by right-wing audiences for its anti-Washington elite message—was the second most-searched song on Google this year.
Key Background
“Sound of Freedom” came under fire during its theatrical run this summer for its star Jim Caviezel’s alleged ties to the QAnon conspiracy theory. Caviezel has reportedly spoken at several QAnon events where he promoted the movement’s unfounded theories, like the idea that child traffickers drain victims’ blood to develop adrenochrome, a chemical QAnon believers say Hollywood elites inject to stay young. In the film, Caviezel portrayed former government agent and founder of an anti-sex trafficking organization Tim Ballard, who has also previously suggested support for conspiracy theories, including the debunked theory that the retailer Wayfair was selling children. Ballard’s organization, Operation Underground Railroad, was also the subject of a Vice investigation that cited multiple law enforcement organizations who stated their partnerships with OUR had been “insubstantial,” among other revelations. Fans of the film promoted other false theories, such as one viral claim that AMC intentionally sabotaged screenings of the film. The film’s distributor, Angel Studios, denied all connections to conspiracy theories. Despite the controversies, “Sound of Freedom” grossed nearly $250 million and was the tenth highest-grossing film at the domestic box office this year.
Tangent
Anthony and Aldean’s controversial songs both topped the Billboard Hot 100 in what was a blockbuster year for country music. When “Try That in a Small Town” led the Hot 100 in August, country songs held the top three spots on the chart for the first time. The feat was repeated three weeks later when Anthony’s song debuted atop the Hot 100. “Try That in a Small Town” and “Rich Men North of Richmond” ranked No. 66 and No. 78, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart, though neither charted on Apple Music or Spotify’s year-end streaming charts.
Contra
Though Anthony’s song has been closely associated with the right wing—Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) called it an “anthem of the forgotten Americans who truly support this nation”—Anthony has denied that the song was intended to be a conservative anthem. He said in a video posted shortly after his song went viral that he is politically “dead center” and has disagreements with both conservatives and liberals. After the song was played at a Republican presidential debate in August, Anthony said he “wrote that song about those people.”
Surprising Fact
Some of the most successful artists on the charts this year—including Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen and SZA—weren’t listed in the top 10 most searched artists on Google this year. Other artists included in Google’s most-searched list were Ice Spice, Peso Pluma, Joe Jonas and Matty Healy—whose history of controversial comments garnered attention after he briefly dated Swift earlier this year.
Further Reading
Country Music's Having A Moment — Understanding The Hits, Controversies, And Records Broken (Forbes)
"sound" - Google News
December 12, 2023 at 04:48AM
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'Sound Of Freedom,' Jason Aldean And Other Right-Wing Pop Culture Controversies Dominate 2023 Google Searches - Forbes
"sound" - Google News
https://ift.tt/wmCpJ6X
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