The Running Man’s Sick Cultural Messaging

Hollywood has long leaned left, often embracing values and narratives that diverge from mainstream America. During my brief time as an actor during the mid-1990s, I noticed a striking norm in the industry: even back then, gay men were prevalent not only among performers but also in many behind-the-scenes roles. As a Christian, I believe homosexuality is an immoral behavior. As a constitutionalist, I also believe that individuals have the right to make personal choices, so long as those choices do not infringe upon the rights of others.

That’s the line. The Constitution protects liberty, not moral conformity. Therefore, any attempt to use the law to either promote or suppress the homosexual or transgender agenda would be unconstitutional. The real battleground isn’t legal, as a result. It’s cultural. And Christians must engage that battlefield with clarity and conviction. Why should we cede the cultural arena when the left uses it so effectively? Movies and music have shaped public sentiment for decades, and frankly, we’ve been losing badly on the cultural battlefield of late.

Which brings me to a disturbing example.

In the recent film The Running Man, progressive messaging saturates the storyline. But one detail stood out as especially sickening. Throughout the movie, a fictional children’s cereal called “Fun Twinks” appears repeatedly as a product in the future world that character Ben Richards lives in. At first glance, it might seem like a quirky, futuristic brand. But the term “twink” carries a darker meaning. In general parlance, it refers to a youthful, petite gay male. Within the homosexual subculture, however, it can denote something far more troubling: an underage boy used for sexual pleasure by an adult man.

I don’t make this claim lightly. My father, whose sexuality led to my parents’ divorce when I was an infant, lived a lifestyle I witnessed firsthand during visits. I know what the term means in that world.

So when The Running Man pairs “twink” with “fun” and markets it as a cereal children crave, it’s not just tone-deaf, it’s depraved. This isn’t innocent branding. It’s subliminal messaging. It’s grooming. It’s a cultural signal that associates children with sexualized gay imagery, cloaked in humor and fantasy. And it appalled me.

Hollywood thought this film would be a blockbuster. Instead, it revealed just how far the industry is willing to go to normalize what should never be normalized. Christians must not remain silent. We must speak truth, engage culture, and expose the sickness when we see it.

And this is exactly why Hollywood is in trouble. They are losing money, and from this writer’s observation post, it is of no surprise.

Douglas V. Gibbs of Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary, has been featured on “Hannity” and “Fox and Friends” on Fox News Channel, and other television shows and networks.  Doug is a Radio Host on KMET 1490-AM on Saturdays with his Constitution Radio program, as well as a longtime podcaster, conservative political activist, writer and commentator.  Doug can be reached at douglasvgibbs [at] yahoo.com or constitutionspeaker [at] yahoo.com.