Oldfag here. No, it was not always so obvious. There was manipulation of public opinion, for sure. Norman Lear's 'All in the Family' was the first and most obvious attempt to humiliate and thus shame and ostracize white working class folks in the late 60's/early70's. Meathead (picrel) on the left always tried to make his father-in-law, Archie, on the right look stupid. This show was the first salvo by the left. The next show that blatantly attacked American values was Married With Children, which you may be familiar with. But, yes, now Hollywood is BLATANT. Before they were subtle.