The Brainwashing of My Dad
| The Brainwashing of My Dad | |
|---|---|
 Promotional release poster | |
| Directed by | Jen Senko |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Narrated by | Matthew Modine |
| Edited by | Kala Mandrake |
Production company | Cinco Dedos Películas |
Release dates |
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Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Brainwashing of My Dad is a 2015 American documentary film directed by Jen Senko. Through the lens of her father’s radicalization by right-wing media, Senko explores the forces behind its rise, the deliberate strategies that fueled its influence, its impact on families including her own and its role in deepening political divisions across the nation.[1][2]
Synopsis
[edit]As Senko tries to understand how her once easygoing, apolitical father became an angry right-wing fanatic, she uncovers the powerful forces that not only transformed him and millions of others but also divided the nation. The film traces a deliberate, decades-long campaign to reshape American media, beginning with Roger Ailes’ plan under President Richard Nixon to create a Republican propaganda machine. It explores the 1971 Powell Memo’s call for corporate influence over public institutions, the 1987 repeal of the Fairness Doctrine under President Ronald Reagan, and the 1996 Telecommunications Act under President Bill Clinton, which enabled media consolidation.[3]
What starts as a daughter's personal journey becomes an exposé of a far-reaching phenomenon: a right-wing media ecosystem—backed by libertarian billionaires, conservative think tanks, and political operatives—designed to manipulate public opinion, deepen polarization, and shift the political landscape to the far right. Through historical analysis and intimate storytelling, the documentary reveals the hidden mechanisms behind this radicalization and raises urgent questions: Who controls the media? What rights do audiences have? And what responsibility does the government bear in ensuring a fair and truthful media landscape?
Content
[edit]Senko's father, Frank, was originally a mild-mannered "nonpolitical Kennedy Democrat" who began changing into a combative far-right Republican in the late 1980s and 1990s[4] when on a new lengthy commute to his job, he began listening to conservative talk radio. In particular, he listened Rush Limbaugh and watched Fox News. Towards the end of his life, Frank's views mostly changed back to being somewhere in the middle due to his wife exposing him to less biased media. He died in January 2016 at the age of 93.[4]
Production
[edit]The film gained 947 backers on Kickstarter. People who noticed the campaign and had similar stories wrote to Senko. She followed up by Skype to interview them about their stories, which were included in the film.[5] One Kickstarter backer, Ryan Smith, became an executive producer and provided the remaining funding needed. Other executive producers were: Danny Goldberg and Jennifer Schultz. Matthew Modine and Adam Rackoff of Cinco Dedos Peliculas production company came on as producers. Mr. Modine also co-narrated the film along with Jen. Archivist Richard Kroll was hired to search for photographs and video material. A work in progress version of the film showed at the Traverse City Film Festival in August of 2015.[6] The theatrical and streaming version was released in March 2016.
Reception
[edit]Critical response
[edit]On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 58% based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 7.20/10.[7] Christine N. Ziemba of Paste wrote "Through anecdotal and social science research, Senko's film also provides much-needed insight as to why Donald Trump's caustic discourse and demagoguery is catnip for so many people."[8] Carole Di Tosti of Blogcritics wrote a positive review, saying that "The documentary is well edited and tells a fascinating story of propagandists, stealth and wealth. Senko exposes how the conservative media network seeded anti-democratic values by changing the issues to 'morality and family values' [...] diverting the focus from economic equality."[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Review: 'The Brainwashing of My Dad' Explores the Human Impact of Right-Wing Media". forbes.com. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
- ^ "The Brainwashing of My Dad: How Rightwing Agitprop Creates Zombies". progressive.org. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
- ^ "Filmmaker: How right-wing media brainwashed my dad". streetroots.org. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
- ^ a b Genzlingler, Neil (March 17, 2016). "Review: 'The Brainwashing of My Dad' Examines the influence of right-wing news media". The New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
- ^ Kramer, Gary M. (March 20, 2016). "Fox News "brainwashed" so many dads: "People are being bamboozled on a massive scale"". Salon. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
- ^ "The Brainwashing of My Dad". secure.traversecityfilmfest.org. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
- ^ "The Brainwashing of My Dad". rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
- ^ "The Brainwashing of My Dad". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
- ^ Di Tosti, Carole (March 19, 2016). "Movie Review: 'The Brainwashing of my Dad' with Narration by Matthew Modine". Blogcritics. Retrieved February 8, 2018.