Can Hollywood heal America's political wounds? A new podcast explores how movies and TV could bridge deep divides
As the United States marked its 250th birthday this July 4th, the country finds itself not only celebrating a milestone but also grappling with profound divisions over democracy, rights, power, and national identity. In a political climate where outrage and contempt often drown out dialogue, a growing chorus of voices is looking beyond traditional politics for answers—toward Hollywood.
Steven Olikara, a social entrepreneur and former U.S. Senate candidate, has spent the past 15 years working to bridge political divides. Now, as founder and CEO of the nonprofit Bridge Entertainment Labs, he is bringing his mission directly to the entertainment industry. In the latest episode of USA TODAY's podcast The Excerpt, Olikara makes a compelling case that movies and television can achieve what politics often cannot: rehumanizing those on the other side of the aisle.
“Culture is upstream from politics,” Olikara tells host Dana Taylor. “Democracy is not just a system; it’s a relationship. Storytelling can cut through the noise and help us see our neighbors, not our enemies.”
The timing is critical. Polls consistently show that Americans perceive those in the opposite party not merely as wrong, but as immoral or threatening. This “toxic polarization,” as Olikara calls it, is fueled by what he describes as a “division industrial complex” that profits from keeping people angry at one another. Entertainment, he argues, has a unique power to pierce that cycle by transporting audiences into lived experiences different from their own.
Bridge Entertainment Labs has developed a set of storytelling principles it calls the “4 C’s”: curiosity, complexity, contact, and good conflict. The goal is not to eliminate tension from stories—after all, conflict drives narrative—but to avoid “dead-end conflict” where characters are irredeemable villains and reconciliation is impossible. Instead, the organization encourages nuanced portrayals that invite audiences to understand even antagonistic characters' backstories.
A recent project, the romantic comedy The Elephant in the Room, written and directed by Erik Bork, directly tackles a relationship across political lines. Olikara notes that even well-intentioned filmmakers can fall into the trap of painting caricatures. “As much as you might have the intention of wanting to tell a story that bridges divides, the execution is very hard,” he says. “We all have our own biases and echo chambers.”
But does changing hearts mean changing minds? Olikara draws a careful distinction. His organization does not aim to convert anyone politically. Instead, it fosters “shared humanity” through authentic curiosity. He points to the example of Daryl Davis, an African-American blues musician who built relationships with KKK members and, without aiming to convert them, saw many leave the organization. “Unexpected positive things can happen when you engage in that process,” Olikara says.
The entertainment industry, of course, operates on ratings and box office returns. Stories that stoke outrage often perform well. Yet Olikara insists that humanizing narratives can also be commercially viable. He cites Forrest Gump as a classic example and looks forward to the upcoming Spider-Man film directed by Destin Cretton, a member of Bridge Entertainment Labs. “It’s a game of addition,” Olikara argues. “You want to add up as many audience members as you can. If you’re not alienating Americans but speaking to their lived experiences, you invite a much larger audience.”
When asked what new “story of us” America needs, Olikara offers a metaphor: jazz. “Jazz is a quintessential American art form,” he says. “It requires listening first, then improvising together, and it’s a call and response. Our political discourse has become a call and shut down. We need to embody the values of being fully present, of listening, of engaging in true call and response.”
As the nation enters its next 250 years, Olikara believes Hollywood has a responsibility—and an opportunity—to help write a more inclusive, more nuanced American narrative. Whether audiences will embrace it remains to be seen, but the podcast episode makes a provocative case that the silver screen might just be the most powerful tool for healing the republic.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can movies and TV heal America’s political divide? | The Excerpt