Navigating narratives: from the ‘Brat Pack’ to today’s misinformation

The ‘Brat Pack’ were a group of young American actors who defined the cinema of my early teenage years.  It was a play on the 1950s/60s group of Hollywood actors and entertainers known as ‘the Rat Pack’.

Films like The Outsiders, St Elmo’s Fire and The Breakfast Club portrayed the struggles of young people in a more sympathetic way than films before. They catapulted actors like Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald, Demi Moore and Andrew McCarthy into stardom.

Instant labelling

The term ‘Brat Pack’ was first coined by a 1985 New York magazine to sum up this group and it proved to be incredibly effective ‘narrative device’ in instantly labelling and categorising these actors. But the label was bitterly resented by those who felt tarnished and disrespected by it.

Whilst Rob Lowe and Demi Moore navigated new identities and Emilio Estevez turned to directing, Andrew McCarthy believes that his career was derailed by the term.  He said that as soon as the article was published he ‘lost control of the narrative of my own career’.

And the impact of the ‘Brat Pack’ label is a the core theme of Brats a documentary that McCarthy has produced where he seeks to talk with each of his fellow actors, most of whom he has not seen in 30 years. 

Facing pain

It’s a fascinating study of human insecurity, as rampant among the famous as anyone, and  the power of narratives to define, categorise and box people. Social scientist Malcolm Gladwell speaks insightfully about narratives having power because they contain key elements of truth. And Demi Moore is particularly wise about the power of words which touch on our insecurities and managing criticism.

Most helpfully, Brats is a story of how we can all face the pain of the past, process it and find reconciliation. Like many, Andrew McCarthy carries bitterness about how he has been treated and the process of facing this pain helps him find hope. He finds grace in the truth of what happened.

Misinformation

We live in an age where the power of narrative is more obvious than ever.  The internet has not led to greater balance and nuance in how people engage with public issues. Rather, it has  exacerbated the power and speed of narratives which often label people unfairly and inaccurately. We see this in two of the big stories at the moment. 

Firstly, misinformation shared on social media that the horrific murders in Southport were carried out by an Islamic asylum seeker fitted a pre-existing narrative that many hold about refugees. This meant they spread like wildfire, sparking violence all over the country by crowds chanting the narrative devices peddled by politicians like ‘Stop the Boats’.  But the fact that suspected attacker was born in Wales and is actually from a church-going Christian background is left trailing in the background.

And secondly, we see it in the situation of Olympic Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. Despite being born female, lived her whole life as a female, boxed as a female, and having a female passport, we have those with incredible global influence like J.K. Rowling and Donald Trump simply claiming she is ‘a man’. This is not because of evidence but because they want to fit Khelif within the narrative they want to push related to debates about trans people.

Mark Twain’s comment is more true than ever:

“A lie can be halfway around the world before truth has got its boots on”

Our influence

We can never completely avoid narrative – we will always need to group, label and categorise people and concepts to an extent. But we need to be aware of how these narratives shape our view of what is true and take responsibility for how we use our influence.

The journalist who coined the term ‘Brat Pack’ admits that he viewed the upset he caused to the actors’ careers simply as ‘collateral damage’ in his purpose of writing a successful article.

And the current challenges of racism, violence and hatred are far more serious than the careers of Hollywood actors. We must all remember the collateral damage that we can cause through what we say and share on social media.

It shows why more than ever we need to live out a narrative defined by love: not something soft or sentimental, but a robust form of love which is committed to engaging with the world with both grace and truth.