When Life Imitates Art: Films That Had a Huge Impact on Real Life Situations
I don't know about you, but it seems like I can't quite seem to remember how the centuries-old saying goes: Is it feed a cold and starve a fever, or feed a fever and starve a cold? And what about another idiom, is it life that imitates art or the other way around? Some sources say it goes both ways and in this case, we'll use the earlier example.
When you really think about it, art imitating life has been plentiful in movies that were based on actual events for decades. There are so many titles from Apollo 13 to Hidden Figures and this duo of excellent films is only about the NASA space program. Back to the topic at hand, here are some truly interesting ways that life imitated art when films had a direct impact on certain real-life situations after they were released.
Top Gun Lands a High-Flying Interest in Joining the Navy
As we all know, Tom Cruise starred alongside a hot cast of Hollywood hunks who hit the skies in the original Top Gun movie released in 1986 and it was a smashing success. This high-flying action adventure, drama, trauma, and underlying romance really hit the target with audiences. It was so popular, the United States military saw a tremendous increase in young men (and women) looking to enlist. Recruiters reported some startling statistics with sources saying 90% of these enrollees had seen the movie.
BONUS: Speaking of Mr. Cruise, the Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses he wore in Top Gun became popular with consumers. The same can be said for a similar style and the same brand of shades he sported in one of his earliest performances in the movie Risky Business.
101 Dalmatians Releases Were Depressing Times For Dogs
From the original animated Disney movie released in 1961 to more modern live-action remakes, these "tails" of an abundance of endangered dogs have been capturing audience interest for several decades. However, every time one of these flicks hit the screen, there was a tremendous increase in the purchase and adoption of these canines. Unfortunately, many new owners of these dogs either didn't realize or research the tremendous energy and intelligence this breed demands from family members, especially as puppies.
Perhaps unbeknownst to them as future owners of a four-legged friend, dalmatians require an intense amount of attention, training, and exercise in order to become a "good boy" (or girl). Because of this, along with an increase of these dogs given as gifts, too many of them were later taken to shelters leading to a bigger problem. Similar to the villain in 101 Dalmatians (aka Cruella deVil) these actions were responsible for the possible demise of many of these lovable canines landing in already overcrowded animal facilities.
Toy and Candy Skyrocket Following Certain Flicks
After the first Walt Disney Toy Story animated classic tale unfolded on theatrical screens, it was difficult for adults (or kids) to find the antiquated Etch-A-Sketch on shelves for the holidays (or birthdays). Much earlier, in the cinematic universe, the release of these movies created quite a stir in sales of:
BABY RUTH (Ruth, Ruth, Ruth, Baby Ruth) CANDY BARS: After the character of 'Chunk' accidentally nails 'Sloth' in the head with a Baby Ruth bar when they were both hungry and held captive, it was often difficult for consumers or find these favorites that were reportedly named after the famous slugger.
REESE'S PIECES Rocks the Universe After Landing: After E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial launched the careers of many actors, it also blasted a relatively new candy known as Reese's Pieces into popularity in the shadow of their peanut butter cups.
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