American Cinema of the 1960s: How Hollywood Sold Rebellion

Crisis in Perception · Jun 3, 2026 · 41m

Welcome to Crisis in Perception, where we examine the systems shaping our world.

This episode explores American Cinema of the 1960s, edited by Barry Keith Grant, as a systems-level analysis of Hollywood’s industrial collapse and reinvention during a decade of cultural upheaval.

The discussion examines how television, censorship, corporate ownership, audience fragmentation, civil rights, Vietnam, youth rebellion, and the ratings system reshaped American cinema. The deeper question is not simply whether 1960s films became more rebellious. It is how rebellion itself became legible, profitable…