Indoctrinate U
Encyclopedia
Indoctrinate U is a 2007 American
feature-length documentary film
written by, directed by and starring Evan Coyne Maloney
, on ideological conformism and political correctness
in American
higher education. Among other things, the film examines the use of institutional mechanisms such as speech code
s, which are used to punish students who express political views that are unpopular within academia.
The film covers anti-military protests at UC Santa Cruz
and San Francisco State University
, treatment of conservative students at Cal Poly
and the University of Tennessee
, racial and ethnic politics at the University of Michigan
and Yale
, teaching at Duke
and Columbia
, among other subjects. It also includes interviews with David French and Greg Lukianoff
, (then respectively president and director of legal and public advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
), Glenn Reynolds
, Daniel Pipes
and others.
Maloney spent two and a half years making the documentary by conducting interviews on various college campuses and with various thinkers. The film was preceded by two shorter versions, Brainwashing 101 and Brainwashing 201: The Second Semester. The two shorts led the 2004 American Film Renaissance
festival to select Indoctrinate U as its "most anticipated documentary."
In March 2007, Maloney appeared on Hannity's America
to discuss the film. On April 19 of the same year, he appeared on C-SPAN's Washington Journal where they showed clips from the film and took calls.
Indoctrinate U was produced by On the Fence Films with the support of the Moving Picture Institute
, and Stuart Browning, Blaine Greenberg, and Thor Halvorssen. The film's executive producers are Stuart Browning and Blaine Greenberg. Its associate producer is Frayda Levy. It was edited by Chandler Tuttle.
said, "The documentary combines relatively shocking footage (one professor excitedly tells the camera "whiteness is a form of racial oppression . . . treason to whiteness is loyalty to humanity") with snappy editing to create a documentary that bounces quickly from subject to subject."
Examples of "intellectual thuggery" in the film are nothing more than "the tip of a disgusting iceberg", laments Walter E. Williams
, noting that "Several university officials refused to be interviewed for the documentary. They wanted to keep their campus policies under wraps, not only from reporters but parents as well."
"A Must see film for Republicans and Democrat concerned with Free Speech, Intelligent Diversity and Tolerance. It is difficult to watch if you are intolerant to other political views. However, any movie which does not support political interest of the Far Right or Left will always be attacked. It is import to remember those who wants to prevent you from watching, are the ones which want to control what you believe."
claimed there was a similarity between the university's logo and that of the film's. The Indoctrinate U logo was changed and the website resumed operation.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
feature-length documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
written by, directed by and starring Evan Coyne Maloney
Evan Coyne Maloney
Evan Coyne Maloney , is an American documentary filmmaker, the editor of the website Brain Terminal and a video blogger. He graduated from Bucknell University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration....
, on ideological conformism and political correctness
Political correctness
Political correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...
in American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
higher education. Among other things, the film examines the use of institutional mechanisms such as speech code
Speech code
A speech code is any rule or regulation that limits, restricts, or bans speech beyond the strict legal limitations upon freedom of speech or press found in the legal definitions of harassment, slander, libel, and fighting words. Such codes are common in the workplace, in universities, and in...
s, which are used to punish students who express political views that are unpopular within academia.
The film covers anti-military protests at UC Santa Cruz
University of California, Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz, also known as UC Santa Cruz or UCSC, is a public, collegiate university; one of ten campuses in the University of California...
and San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
, treatment of conservative students at Cal Poly
California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University, or Cal Poly, is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, United States. The university is one of two polytechnic campuses in the 23-member California State University system....
and the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, racial and ethnic politics at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, teaching at Duke
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
and Columbia
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, among other subjects. It also includes interviews with David French and Greg Lukianoff
Greg Lukianoff
Greg Lukianoff is the President of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education . He previously served as FIRE's first Director of Legal and Public Advocacy until he was appointed President in 2006...
, (then respectively president and director of legal and public advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education is a non-profit group founded in 1999 and focused on civil liberties in academia in the United States...
), Glenn Reynolds
Glenn Reynolds
Glenn Harlan Reynolds is Beauchamp Brogan Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Tennessee, and is best known for his weblog, Instapundit, one of the most widely read American political weblogs...
, Daniel Pipes
Daniel Pipes
Daniel Pipes is an American historian, writer, and political commentator. He is the founder and director of the Middle East Forum and its Campus Watch project, and editor of its Middle East Quarterly journal...
and others.
Maloney spent two and a half years making the documentary by conducting interviews on various college campuses and with various thinkers. The film was preceded by two shorter versions, Brainwashing 101 and Brainwashing 201: The Second Semester. The two shorts led the 2004 American Film Renaissance
American Film Renaissance
American Film Renaissance is a non-profit film institute best known for its conservative film festivals, held annually in a different location.-Mission:...
festival to select Indoctrinate U as its "most anticipated documentary."
In March 2007, Maloney appeared on Hannity's America
Hannity's America
Hannity's America was a weekly American talk show on the Fox News Channel hosted by Sean Hannity. It was replaced in January 2009 with Hannity.-Overview:...
to discuss the film. On April 19 of the same year, he appeared on C-SPAN's Washington Journal where they showed clips from the film and took calls.
Indoctrinate U was produced by On the Fence Films with the support of the Moving Picture Institute
Moving Picture Institute
The Moving Picture Institute is an American non-profit organization and film production company founded in 2005 by human rights advocate Thor Halvorssen. Its current executive director is Rob Pfaltzgraff, and its creative council includes June Arunga and David Zucker.MPI produces and collaborates...
, and Stuart Browning, Blaine Greenberg, and Thor Halvorssen. The film's executive producers are Stuart Browning and Blaine Greenberg. Its associate producer is Frayda Levy. It was edited by Chandler Tuttle.
Reviews
A review in The Weekly StandardThe Weekly Standard
The Weekly Standard is an American neoconservative opinion magazine published 48 times per year. Its founding publisher, News Corporation, debuted the title September 18, 1995. Currently edited by founder William Kristol and Fred Barnes, the Standard has been described as a "redoubt of...
said, "The documentary combines relatively shocking footage (one professor excitedly tells the camera "whiteness is a form of racial oppression . . . treason to whiteness is loyalty to humanity") with snappy editing to create a documentary that bounces quickly from subject to subject."
Examples of "intellectual thuggery" in the film are nothing more than "the tip of a disgusting iceberg", laments Walter E. Williams
Walter E. Williams
Walter E. Williams, is an American economist, commentator, and academic. He is the John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University, as well as a syndicated columnist and author known for his libertarian views.- Early life and education :Williams family during childhood...
, noting that "Several university officials refused to be interviewed for the documentary. They wanted to keep their campus policies under wraps, not only from reporters but parents as well."
"A Must see film for Republicans and Democrat concerned with Free Speech, Intelligent Diversity and Tolerance. It is difficult to watch if you are intolerant to other political views. However, any movie which does not support political interest of the Far Right or Left will always be attacked. It is import to remember those who wants to prevent you from watching, are the ones which want to control what you believe."
Lawsuit and website closure
On November 13, 2007, the official website was taken down and replaced with a notice that read: "Due to threatened legal action from a major taxpayer-funded university, we've temporarily taken down the Indoctrinate U homepage while we assess our options." The website was back up by December 4. Maloney explained in a statement that Indiana UniversityIndiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
claimed there was a similarity between the university's logo and that of the film's. The Indoctrinate U logo was changed and the website resumed operation.
External links
- Indoctrinate U official website
- On the Fence Films
- Moving Picture Institute
- "Yet Once More: Political Correctness on Campus" by Stanley FishStanley FishStanley Eugene Fish is an American literary theorist and legal scholar. He was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island...
blogging at The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
website, October 14, 2007; Maloney's response