Some of the biggest TV networks in Hollywood and the larger entertainment industry have partnered to promote a gun-control initiative being financed by billionaire former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The effort, called “Wear Orange,” was started by Everytown for Gun Safety, a Bloomberg-backed gun-control group. The organization has been urging President Joe Biden to enact strict gun-control measures and formerly employed David Chipman, Biden’s pick for director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Wear Orange encouraged people to wear the color orange from June 4 to June 6 for both National Gun Violence Awareness Day and Wear Orange Weekend.
WarnerMedia, the multinational conglomerate owned by AT&T, partnered with Everytown in order to “help end gun violence and build safer communities across America.” While virtue-signaling about gun control, the studio has pumped out continuous gun violence scenes in its financed productions, such as in the movie “Joker” or television series “The Sopranos.”
This Gun Violence Awareness Day, we are partnering with @Everytown to help end gun violence and build safer communities across America. Join us and find a #WearOrange event near you by texting ORANGE to 644-33 or going to https://t.co/K6zLOi4T8f. pic.twitter.com/FN3TOdJHcF
— WarnerMedia (@WarnerMedia) June 4, 2021
Bad Robot Productions, a company run by Star Wars director J.J. Abrams, is also leaning in on the gun-control initiative. While it purports to care so deeply about ending violence, Abrams’ studio is the brains behind the series “Alias” and the “Mission: Impossible” movies, which include a significant amount of gun violence.
Today is #WearOrange, when Americans come together virtually to show our support for victims and survivors of gun violence. Join us in advocating for common-sense gun safety and find an event in your state by texting ORANGE to 644-33! pic.twitter.com/6yXxpnxyKW
— Bad Robot (@bad_robot) June 4, 2021
ViacomCBS affiliates Comedy Central and CMT partnered as well. Viacom owns Paramount Pictures, which recently released the film “Without Remorse,” which includes gun violence in a military setting.
.@jordanklepper heads into a country in turmoil, because he lives there. Watch Jordan Klepper Solves Guns on our YouTube channel: https://t.co/rkIMEZhKt6
To learn more, head to https://t.co/2nCYHeb5af. #WearOrange pic.twitter.com/4DuzDNW6eA
— comedycentral (@ComedyCentral) June 4, 2021
MTV and VH1, two other channels involved, continuously put out hip-hop and rap music videos romanticizing illegal guns and killings. Rapper Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” took home MTV honors in 2004, with the song notably declaring, “But ain’t nothin’ sweet ’bout how I hold my gun.”
Despite the already-strict gun restrictions in California, murders have spiked 95 percent in Los Angeles County compared to a year prior. The state has the most gun-control laws in the nation, such as red-flag laws, universal background checks, a ban against K-12 schools letting teachers carry, and a 10-day waiting period.
“Usually people that are going out and killing on the streets are obviously not responsible gun owners,” Julie Haff, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Republican Party, told The Federalist. “Having strict gun control is not going to stop people from going out and killing people on the streets,” Haff continued. “Look at places like Chicago, that’s a good example of strict gun control and they have shootings and killings pretty much every weekend.”