If you’re one of those gentle-hearted souls not touched by sound economic arguments against this or that subsidy or tax break for the arts, and you need more nudging to accept the claim that the state shouldn’t be cutting welfare checks to Michael Bay, then this is the article for you. With state governments across the country subsidizing the cost of film production into ten figures, they’re beginning to take an interest in the (sometimes objectionable) content of those films. From The New York Times:

When Andrew van den Houten got a letter two weeks ago rejecting his request for Michigan public money to help finance his latest horror movie, “The Woman,” it came with an admonition about the state?s good name.

 

?This film is unlikely to promote tourism in Michigan or to present or reflect Michigan in a positive light,? wrote Janet Lockwood, Michigan?s film commissioner. Ms. Lockwood particularly objected to ?this extreme horror film?s subject matter, namely realistic cannibalism; the gruesome and graphically violent depictions described in the screenplay; and the explicit nature of the script.?

 

The easy money is not quite so easy any more.

It’s a stretch to call this censorship, because no one is forcing these filmmakers to dip into the public coffers. They implicitly accept public content control by accepting public money. That said, creating a culture of dependence on state subsidies is an excellent first step toward ensuring that in the future films will not be made about things that the state doesn’t like. How boring! And dangerous.
 
 
Hat tip to Joe Henchman at the Tax Foundation.