Last night I downloaded an online radio program called Benjamin Walker’s Theory of Everything. I started with episode number 2, which was about the CIA’s involvement in American culture. It’s difficult to know at first glance how much of this is “true” as I haven’t researched any of it independently - so let that just stand as a disclaimer.

The first half of the show deals with the Abstract Expressionist art movement in America in the 1950’s. They claim that the CIA latched onto and promoted the movement, funding international touring exhibitions in order to win over European intellectuals to the side of America in the Cold War. The idea being that Abstract Expressionism functioned as the perfect vessel to show the freedom and tolerance of American culture - over the restriction and violence of the Stalinist regime.

As far as I remember, the book they were referencing was called the Cultural Cold War by Frances Stonor Saunders, and I believe it was her they had speaking about it. Here’s an article about the book.

A review on Pitchfork Media provides a description of the second half of the show:

In one episode, Walker interviewed the author of a book that claims the Cold War-era CIA funded the Abstract Expressionist and other cultural movements in the States. Then, in the second half, Walker uncovered a new plot: The CIA is funding a program called “Operation Real World” that’s trying to put liberal actors out of business by promoting reality TV shows. Walker even describes how John Ritter was ready to blow the lid off the plan, before his death. Of course, Operation Real World sounds ludicrous, and he gives you a wink afterwards to tip you off that it’s fiction– but after hearing that the CIA funded Jackson Pollock, can you dismiss it? If you didn’t believe the Pollock story, is it because you trust the government? And does your doubt get you thinking, or just leave you frustrated?

Actually, if it wasn’t for one particular interview in that “Real World” piece, I would have probably bought the whole thing hook, line and sinker - just on presentation alone. That is, until I looked up the references online and came up completely empty-handed. That review linked above also has more info on Walker and his penchant for mixing fact with fiction to present you with new possibilities. All around, it’s some pretty interesting stuff.