Once upon a time, anti-war/pro-peace messages in mainstream media were a little more direct, involving protest music with pointed lyrics and shocking fashion. Now in today's information-cynical world, people are using subtle humor, retro design references, high-tech, and viral marketing to get their message across.

The movie "Meet the Fockers" recently became the highest-grossing live-action comedy ever, making almost $500 million worldwide:

No doubt the movie has star attraction (Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Streisand), but I like to think that people enjoy plots in which uptight conservative people (in this case, a paranoid ex-CIA operative, played by Robert DeNiro) learn to be more attuned to themselves and others. "The Da Vinci Code", which has sold at least 7.5 million copies and broken TV network ratings records, follows "The Fockers" in the more general sense, offering a glimpse into a more holistic and environmentally-sensitive view of spirituality than has existed in mainstream culture. Whether or not the book is historically accurate, people seem to be genuinely interested in the ideas it presents.