Celebutard of the Week: Ron Howard
by Andrea Peyser
Question: What do you get when you cross an American icon such as Academy-award-winning director and former kid actor Ron Howard with the continent of Europe – and shake with double doses of celebrity idiocy?
Answer: A baguette-eating Celebutard.
Oh, Opie! From Mayberry to Hollywood. How did you stray?
Back when he went by the name Ronny Howard, the star gained fame and adoration by playing the ultimate American rural tyke, Opie Taylor. He was a kid so obnoxiously clean, he’d agree to go to bed without supper before he’d ever denigrate his country.
But decades of Hollywood success have turned Opie into some kind of groupie for the hate-America crowd that thrives overseas. This is what he said on Friday night’s “Real Time with Bill Maher”:
“…at a certain point I don’t think we’ll be so consumed with being the pre-eminent super-power and, you know, driven by sort of militarism and this need to export, you know, democracy.”
Dang that democracy, boy!
And this is why Ron Howard is my Celebutard of the Week, in keeping with my book, Celebutards: The Hollywood Hacks, Limousine Liberal and Pandering Politicians Who Are Destroying America. (Kensington).
Opie is not the first dim-witted ‘tard to get sucked into the European view that American values – life, freedom, democracy and decent customer service – are less than desirable.
But I haven’t quite seen a guy of his age (55) come back from summer vacation changing his tune, and his nationality, so completely.
Howard, who’s promoting “Angels & Demons,” a sequel to “The Da Vinci Code,” said:
“I’m a very optimistic person and I don’t want to feel like there isn’t growth, but there needs to be an adjustment anyway.” He blamed his new-found disdain for American freedoms on his time spent filming in Europe.
“I’ve actually spent a lot more time in Europe and working with crew members and actors and understanding how they live and how they think.”
Howard said he’s “very optimistic” about the future of America, so long as the nation makes an “adjustment,” and becomes “more progressive.”
In recent months Howard, for the first time, opened his mouth on things political, making a pro-Obama videotape.
How would Obama feel about his latest diatribe? The president is up to his neck dealing with terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan. No telling how he’d react to Opie’s “progressive” ideas for pulling back on the export of, you know, democracy.
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141 Comments
Thanks for the post Andrea. I got your book too and I loved it. Keep up the good work girl !!
Do these idiots really think that if America steps back from being 'the pre-eminent super-power', that China, Russia, Iran etc wont step up to take Americas place? How do smart people get that stupid?
Good post Andrea! Good post.
Another Hollywood useful idiot, who I happened to have liked quite a bit. He claims that the United States is way to "militarized"? I have one(1) question for Ronny Howard. WHAT PLANET ARE YOU ACTUALLY FROM?
How brave of Opie to complain about the USA on Bill Maher. That's as brave as going to a Code Pink rally and shouting against the war in Iraq. Opie should put his money where his mouth is and move to Europe permanently.
http://the100mostannoyingthings.blogspot.com/
no doubt about it, Ron Howard has become a 'tard and a bigot. these 2 most recent movies of his (Da Vinci code and the other one) are filled with lies, hatred, and bile aimed at the Catholic church. if he made similar films assaulting Judaism or Islam, they'd run him out of Hollywood. but attacks against the Catholic church seem to be ok these days. as a Catholic, i've washed my hands of both Howard and Tom Hanks as a result. they are bigots.
Ask a certain ship captain about "militarized". There's one who got to see and understand first-hand what military force is for.
The defense and protection of its citizens.
I guess the next time the Russians get to flexing over natural gas next "global warming" winter, we should hang a sign outside the White House. "At the NBA game; call back later."
Opie's peaked; saw it coming with Carrey in "Grinch". He'll have his flashes, but he's on the downhill slope now.
Opie and his ilk seem to not realize the rest of the world won't love us if we voluntarily convert into a 98 lb weakling. The world needs a strong US. They seem to believe the country would be better loved if it was not symbolized by a muscular Uncle Sam but instead a compassionate Mother Theresa or righteous MLK. I can think of two countries, Russia and China, that would love to love the United States as a colony.
Ron Howard is clueless, but is nonetheless right,.. for all the wrong reasons..
The USA is following in the path of all would-be empires of old. There is no state that when grown to encompass disparate CONFLICTING interests of a polyglot population who demand its intervention in local conflicts across a global theater, can sustain itself (certainly not as a constitutional republic).
The lessons of our future lay in recalling and avoiding the mistakes of the past..
The single best predictor of a faltering state on its way from superpower to degradation, is historically, a state with dependecies, obligations, colonies, and treaties stretching far beyond its territorial borders. No state no matter how, powerful they appear, vast, or omnipotent, can sustain this for any historically significant period of time.
The Roman empire from its empirical birth to its wimpering fall at the hands of a alien population imported into its midst (to do the work romans wont do, you know) was roughly 300 years, depending on how you calculate the importance on several puppet empires who controlled no territory, and ruled at the whim of romes occupiers.
The USA, from our constitutional convention of 1781, to this day, is closing in on its 228th year…
The best case for Ron Howards whimpering platitudes lies not in what is best for for the 'world' but what is best for the survival and prospering of the USA and is legitimate citizenry. All real patriots know that our future, and that of our generations to come, are not served by solving/intervening in all the worlds problems, but in singularly assuring our own best interests are served…
Varus, laying in the Teutonwald, during his last moments of consciousness, would have surely agreed.
If the now adult Opie is willing to base his views of this country on the opinions of those he has recently worked with in Europe, I wonder if he is as willing to talk to people from around the world who wait patiently to come to this country legally, people who still see the vision of Ronald Reagan's America as a goal worth seeking.
Say what you want about Ron Howard, but you cannot take one thing away from him…
…His daughter is HOT!
America is stuck with the role of leading power in the west, since all the others have abdicated. Power abhors a vacuum, sort of like the vacuum in Howard's head. Opie, how could you have gone so wrong?
Howard's movies had mostly sucked anyway. Apollo 13 was good but the Da Vinci Code was ponderous and unwatchable.
I can not understand Americans who are ashamed of being Americans. We have it so good in this country that we have lost total touch with reality. What exactly are we suppossed to envy about Europe? Its massive unassimilated and militant Muslims? Its collapsing welfare states? Its moral relativity and weakness in the face of evil? How about the rampant anti-Semitism?
And fortunately, baldness is a sex-linked characteristic passed on through the mother's side, but largely affecting male offspring only.
So have I. And it's a sacrifice, because they are both capable of producing great work like "Apollo 13".
Do these Hollywood types ever mill about with the little people? Or do they just get in their Land Rovers or Prius's, drive through the gates of their mansions, head to the airport and off to some destination with their liberal buddies? It's like they don't have the slightest clue on what America is like outside of their social circles. It sounds like he thinks you order "Democracy" off of QVC. I hope we are never like Europe. It's a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there. They don't take care of thugs in their own back yards. Muslims are running roughshod over France and and the Netherlands and those governments won't do a thing about it. Look at Bosnia recently. We cleaned up that mess for them and we're still there after Bill Clinton said we'd be there no longer than a year (in 1993). Then they complain that we're taking too long. More progressive must mean 1/2 the country can pay for the other half to sit down and collect government cheese. Please Opie, Nicholas Cage has a castle for sale, please buy it and leave.
He does have it right in that democracy is not a good thing. This country is not a democracy even though we love to export it all over the world when we can. We live in a Republic, and the founders distained Democracies as they knew they were an unworkable, disastrous form of government.
The unfortunate thing about exporting our form of government no matter what you want to call it, is that its model will not fit just anywhere. The government we have right now is a far cry from what the Framers of the Constitution gave us. They made the judiciary the weakest branch of the three-branch system, yet it has become the most powerful. They gave us a rather weak central government that had certain powers, with strong states. Now we have an all-powerful central government and our states are weak.
The system the framers designed would work perfectly in Iraq, but instead we exported what we now have and it is unworkable., because the Sunnis see them as being oppressed, which they very well will be by the Shiite majority. If there were the systems our founders envisioned, it would be a three state Republic with the individual states in charge of most of what happened in their state. The central government would be weak as the framers intended and only be responsible for a few delegated powers. There would be two houses where in one of them, each state would have equal representation. Would it be perfect, of course not because our country was formed by a different culture, with a certain set of men with certain beliefs that was unique in history. For that reason alone many cultures would be unable to produce the type of government we once had and we shouldn't expect them to.
Whether people want to admit it or not we have become a nation of people that fear our own government because it is so oppressive. In just a couple of days the citizens of this country will be scrambling to get their tax returns handed in for fear of what the IRS will do to them if they don't. We have become a nation of serfs and are subject to involuntary servitude because our government ignores the limitations that the Constitution that they are supposed to protect and defend.
Thanks for the latest 'tard-alert, Andrea. At this rate, the title could be "Celebutard of the Day", "….Hour" , "…Minute". I hope you have at least 2 assistants to help you keep up with the nonsense. Howard is not an "optimistic person", he's a fantasizing person who doesn't realize traditional American values allow his bread to be buttered.
Perhaps one of the problems with people like Ron Howard and others who can find nothing in this country that they are willing to stand up for is that they have forgotten what it is like or perhaps have never had to strive for all the benefits they have. When you are given everything then the value of what you have is easy to disparage because you never had to work or sacrifice to achieve it.
The so called elites of Hollywood, or from any other place as far as that goes, would hardly be those I would ever expect to have even the slightest understanding of how the real world functions and just what normal people hope and dream of. So to them of course it is very easy to run America down because they are merely the beneficiaries of others' work and have little if any understanding of the real world outside their myopic range.
You are correct Scott, no matter what kind of world or political philosophy there may be, there is always a vacuum created when the pre-eminent power is removed. So, the question to be asked , who will fill it? The N. Koreans, China or will it be Castro and Chavez? I don't like any of the options.
The Teutoberg Forest disaster occurred in 9 AD. And just like clockwork, 466 YEARS LATER, the Roman Empire fell. Even granting your point about the various barbarian influences in the last century of its existence, the empire experienced more than 2 centuries of growth and prosperity after Teutowald.
Retreating from playing the role of the world's only superpower is not one from which we can walk away. You are buying into the leftist canard that we have imperial ambitions. If this were so, we could have used our nuclear weapons and 12 million-man armed forces in 1945 to impose our will over a shattered and exhausted Europe. Mexico would now be a conquered province,and Canada incorporated into another 10 or 15 states.
Instead, we rebuilt our former mortal foes and have allowed them to become trade rivals and sometime strategic partners.
Extending our power, for example to establish a friendly, democratic state in Iraq is both in our best interests, and the best interest of the rest of the world. Civilization has never just happened; it has to be fought for against forces which militate towards anarchy and tyranny.
Our greatest threat lies in ceding our authority to such a collection of kleptocrats and thugs as the United Nations, which can whip up a condemnation of Israel at the drop of a hat, but can't even agree to express "concern" when North Korea shoots a missile over Japan.
The media in our country, is by and large matched by the media in other countries. And by labor unions in other countries. They hate America, not only because we are the strongest and the most succesful nation. But they hate America because America is (was?) by and large, mostly right-wing. The rest of the world doesn't hate America – the LEFT of the world hates America. I wish people could see that it isn't the world that hates us. It's the voices we hear from the rest of the world – from their media, and through OUR media. Our left-wing, left agenda driven media. The world doesn't hate us, folks. The left hates us.
And they hated Ronald Reagan for the same reason. They take vapid, wordy, faux-intellectual speechifying and call it nuance. And they call plain speech and willingness to act in the face of danger cowboyism. They look down their cankered noses at a nation willing to commit itself to fighting for the preservation of western civilization, and cheer the new American President who is so much like them. And in the end, it will be America that will protect them from extinction at the hands of their enemies. Of course, if they continue on their course of planned suicide, there isn't a lot we can do.
Funny, if America really acted like a “WORLD POWER” (the kind we're accused of being) maybe like Rome, Great Britain or Spain was or how ‘bout Germany, Japan or Persia, I wonder how things would be. Oh no, we push for nasty things like freedom and democracy, the right to self govern; I can see Caesar rolling in his grave now I can hear Pharos’ laughter. "World Power" my a$$. We don't have the staying power or guts to be the type of world power the world accuses us as being. Also, the type of world power we had been died out with the “greatest generation”. Our people in uniform are truly brave and I SALUTE them but the problem is with the people in charge of the government and the teachers at the Universities and don’t forget the unbiased MSM. Both political sides are responsible but worst are on the liberal side. They don't care about this country and now it’s on the decline. You all better start learning how to use chopsticks. Man, I hate rice. China will show us how a “WORLD POWER” is done right.
The Europeans like their laid back lifestyle. It's like a little kid who's father tells him to shut off the TV and go mow the yard. They whine and complain stomp their feet. They come off the same way to me. Not all of them, but the one's with the louder mouths.
I've been to Europe. I've lived in Europe. My wife is from Europe as are all her relations. Here's the facts: it's cold in the winter and domestic heating systems are abyssmal if there is any at all. The plumbing is ancient, if there is any at all. And I AM talking about the cities. The country-side is worse. The much vaunted transportation system is a disaster. Hurry-up and wait. Service? Are you kidding me! Workers get paid no matter what. Prejudice? You will not find a culture of distaste, distrust and outright hate more than the European attitudes about their neighbors. French/German/Belgian/Austrians hate each other and especially the Jews. USA! USA!
I have figured it out. These rich celebrities do not see us (U.S. citizens) as their equals. They regard as pets who need to be protected from ourselves. In their big homes, private planes and SUVs they say things like "we can't let everyone visit Antarctica or the Amazon because that will ruin the planet – for the people like us with the money and contacts to go there no matter what."
They want to keep us at home making as little money and consuming as little electricity and gasoline as possible, so all we have to do is watch their TV and go out to their movies. Heaven forbid we would want to travel to Europe or China or do anything that does nt involve them making money. That would make their world far too uncomfortable for them. It is far better for the Hollywood elites to keep us stupid, at home and unexposed to the real world.
They sell us Opie Taylor values, but secretly believe in Moaist thought control.
"Question: What do you get when you cross an American icon such as Academy-award-winning director and former kid actor Ron Howard with the continent of Europe – and shake with double doses of celebrity idiocy?"
Answer: I suspect one of his early influences was Andy Griffith, unlike his character and icon Andy Taylor, is rough and crude and by his actions turns on his own humble beginnings in disdain and shuts out all those that was with him on his show, "The Andy Griffith Show" He has yet to return to Mt Airy where he is from, shuns Mayberry Days and kept all rights for the tv show. At least that that's what his neighbors from his hometown says. So it isn't a stretch, for me ar least, to have seen this coming from RH. Besides, he grew up is that world and most kids that do are screwed.
BTW, I figured Ron stated his political stance when he made remarks equating GWB to Nixon and his film Frost Nixon
This is what happens when you plant an opie seed in the hollywood soil ,you get an iconic tree that is so twissted it never sees the sun light and is stunted in it's growth. The kid needs to come with me for a 1 week fishing trip ,it really should only take a half a day to straitend this tree out . But since he is been in that hollywood soil since birth it could take a week .
Good analogy. And like you, I'm not willing to concede that all Europeans hate us, or even dislike us. They just seem to have a stronger tendency than Americans to repeat what their governments tell them. Their dislike of America seems to center in the big cities, which is not so different from us.
Progressive, that means do things my way, no choice in the matter. Hmm,
No thanks, I will pass. I have no issue with Ron giving away ALL of his money to the things he thinks are important. He can do that all day long.
I will use my money the way I see fit.
Does RH look like Lenin (not the musician) to anybody else? ( except I don't think Lenin ever smiled)
Wait … he learned to understand Europe by filming there and working with actors? In all likelihood these are actors who make their money in state-subsidized theatres and TV-productions. In Germany, public television and radio alone costs 8 billion Euros in tax money every year. Theatres depend on the state for over 80 % of their budget. France must be worse – behind every decent french movie are dozens that nobody ever sees, all heavily subsizided by the taxpayer. Of course these people are socialists! (The artistes not the taxpayers – well, some of them are, too)
I guess Howard has little idea how life is for average workers who pay for these excesses.
Oh give Opie a break, he's only an entertainer….
BTW- as BO asks for 83 billion more for the war in Afghantisan and Iraq, where are the progressive anti-war types. Is war suddently now OK since BO is leading the charge?
color me confused.
So basically he is the Celebutard off shoot of another Celebutard!
I think our tendency t question authority is part of what we are as Americans. Well, part of what we used to be. The gubmint schools seem to be diluting it more with each generation.
It's been 15 years since I was in Europe. Other than 6 months in West Germany, my experience with them is along the liberty ports of the Mediterranean. I never felt truly hated over there, except when going through the Muslim sections. I spent two Christmas' in a row with a French Navy family through a USO program. They treated me like one of there own. And contrary to what we were always told about not discussing religion and politics, I did both. We still got along.
I think that just like here, most of the hate comes from the educated elites that populate the urban centers. One thing I recall very distinctly was that the closer you got to the East German and Czech borders, the more they liked Americans. Go figure.
That is an excellent question. Howard and his ilk have this idea that if the U.S. is no longer the world's police force that everyone would love us and peace and prosperity will follow. What I can't figure out is if they're really that naive or just really that stupid.
Another Hollywood chowderhead heard from. But then, who's surprised? I think his brains abdicated along with his hair.
My experience is a bit more recent, and my son travels regularly to England, France and Spain. We all seem to have pretty much the same impression. He travels first cabin, while I am strictly economy class. What he and I were surprised to find is that even in Paris we're not universally disdained. We both retain our American identity in Europe, and refuse to play the "don't blame me, I'm Canadian" routine. But we're not belligerent about it, either. The result has been surprisingly positive, or at least non-hostile. I've heard the horror stories, but we've never experienced it. Maybe we've just been lucky.
Its easy for wealthy people to talk that way. He is a complete moron. I have spent time in Europe. They have terrible unemployment and socialism has destroyed the Eurpean free market economies. That being said, I love a lot of Eurpoean countries and culure. They have much better focus on family than Americans, watch less TV, and are generally more sophisticated. But, they are less patriotic, far less spiritual. But, they are not "progressive". They, in fact, are going backwards. He looks at certain things–mass transit, ect, and marvels at it and how progessive it is. When you have so many people living in far less space, it makes sense. How would the TGV work in the United States? This country is far to big with a sparse population. Progessive would be developing somthing beyond that–ie–planes that travel at mach 15 above the atmosphere. American companies are deloping those. But, I guess since Ron Howard has decided to forsake his country on HBO because its cool, he can't think beyond his big nose. Happy Days….too bad.
Its easy for wealthy people to talk that way. He is a complete moron. I have spent time in Europe. They have terrible unemployment and socialism has destroyed the Eurpean free market economies. That being said, I love a lot of Eurpoean countries and culure. They have much better focus on family than Americans, watch less TV, and are generally more sophisticated. But, they are less patriotic, far less spiritual. But, they are not "progressive". They, in fact, are going backwards. He looks at certain things–mass transit, ect, and marvels at it and how progessive it is. When you have so many people living in far less space, it makes sense. How would the TGV work in the United States? This country is far to big with a sparse population. Progessive would be developing somthing beyond that–ie–planes that travel at mach 15 above the atmosphere. American companies are deloping those. But, I guess since Ron Howard has decided to forsake his country on HBO because its cool, he can't think beyond his big nose. Happy Days….too bad.
yea, where's "code pink"?
Sadly, I think they are really that stupid.
In all fairness, the state of the infrastructure depends on where you are. In the parts of Germany where I have lived, infrastructure and public services are absolutely first rate, as good as anywhere in the world.
It really depends on the country and local culture. That is why I am against attempts to copy Europe at all costs. America needs to be America. She can stop being America but she can never become European – just something else, maybe even worse, like the mutant dog at the end of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1970s version). When these Europhiles speak of Europe, they don´t see past their luxury hotels and historic piazzas.
What a tragedy. Has Hollywood drugged his mind and soul?
Oh, Opie… umm…
Unfortunately Scott, these people have lived in a protected vacuum for so long dealing in the make-believe that they've forgotten (or chose to ignore) what real life is like. It is ugly and dangerous surrounded by people who are only looking out for THEIR best interests.
They can't rationalize that other countries still kill people for being gay or stone a woman to death because she may have looked at a guy that is not a relative. It is so foreign to them they can't possibly believe that it is true that someone might want to kill you because you are not Muslim…and why? because we treat each other way better than citizens in most any other country in the world.
I miss Mayberry. In my mind it went up in flames with that Obama commercial.
They should have listened to George Washington. Avoid excessive foreign entanglements. Since the 40s, conservatives have been denigrated for suggesting that Washington was right. We can't be Fortress America in the modern world, but we shouldn't be Fortress World either. We're no good at empire, so we've followed the Greeks, Romans, Holy Roman Empire and the British in exerting worldwide power, without any of the benefits of large, permanent colonies. It's been a mistake in many ways, but our lack of desire to "own" the land of other peoples may yet be the thing that redeems us. Internally, if we don't stem the flow of nearly unrestricted immigration combined with non-assimilation, we may be doomed regardless of what we do extraterritorially.
They're all basking in the glory that is Our Dear Leader. He who can do no wrong. Even killing innocent pirates just trying to make a buck is okay as along as Our Dear Brave Leader is in charge!
Liberals have nothing against Democracy – just Western-style Democracy. They prefer the kind of Democracy you'll find in more progressive nations, like Cuba and Venezuela.
Liberals have nothing against Democracy – just Western-style Democracy. They prefer the kind of Democracy you'll find in more progressive nations, like Cuba and Venezuela.
Hey, nothing like getting 99% of the vote
Amen! I was ready to post that when Ron Howard started living by the values of Mayberry and Andy Taylor, he can preach to us. That is the capitol he is spending to throw us this slop of Ron Howard values today.
I agree. In many parts of Europe, life can be great. Here in southern Germany where I live now, you have beautiful cities, excellent infrastructure, efficient public services, very little crime. People are educated. There is the welfare state and it is very difficult to fire workers.
But if you do lose your job and you´re over 45, it´s tough. There is not as much mobility or opportunity. Politics are mostly left to politicians, who are at the same time despised and given ever greater responsibilities. The number of unmarried men and childless women is disturbing. People are well off but they are not happier at all. Nobody seems to have simple dreams of a life well lived – or they are embarrassed to admit it. Just my personal impression.
A big AMEN to that! All these America-hating liberals should all move to Europe and leave this great country to those who truly love it.
I say boycott all these idiotic Hollywood liberals and their shows and films as well as any foreign actor who is stupid enough to spew statements like that about the country they were lucky enough to work in!
Ron Howard is a typical glitterati left in his own bubble; he can't think for himself but must engage in group think. What does this say about Ron Howard? He sticks to the script like any actor does.
As Lawhawk stated and I'll expand on, the U.S. doesn't follow the ancient empire model. We have intervened (WWI,WWII, Korea, etc…..) and not colonized these countries. A flourishing world has sprung from the destuction and racism of the fascist, imperialist and communist empires that have died at the hands of America. China and the Islamic movement will implode before the U.S. does, give them time.
Perhaps Ron should make his next movie in Somalia. The he can really trash America and all it's awful values.
Or perhaps have dinner with his pals in Cuba while they imprison another documentary film maker.
How about having a chat with Captain Richard Philips about how awful the U.S. military is. Bill Maher…yeah right. give me a break. How could a guy like you that made Apollo 13, give this guy the time of day.
Liberal doctrine calls for open borders, as Hawk stated. Will the Ron Howards of the world speak out AGAINST throwing open our borders and speak out against the invasion from the South? Uh, no.
I agree with two exceptions. Gotta be fair. Apollo 13 is a classic, and Cinderella Man was very good. A Beautiful Mind wasn´t bad either. Just because he´s a doofus…
As for the collapsing welfare state, we have unfunded liabilities for social security, medicare and medicaid that are completely unsustainable. Bush correctly tried to address these problems but couldn´t. Obama is putting us deeper in the hole. By the time all the Obama-voting college kids retire, it will all have collapsed no matter who´s in charge. Public sector pensions are a big headache. But Europe certainly doesn´t have it better, given that they have fewer children (and we get better immigrants).
I could not agree with you more. Having lived and travelled all over the world, it has been my experience that the average person in whatever country invariably responds to kindness and respect with the exact same qualities. I cannot ever recall a local spewing the garbage about America to any degree such as the "elites" seem to revel in doing.
They already have their riches and fame and they actually believe that nothing would change if "we" backed off and were no longer the pre-eminent super power.
So Ron, tell me what it's like in Europe while you are staying a a 5 diamond resort like the Ritz and working with film crews over there that think you are oh so great. Do you think they would tell you that they lost a family member due to a long wait for a minor medical procedure due to their nationalized health care system? Or that they will be mired in the same position with no chance of improving their life becasue they sold out for socialism? Of course not you dolt. Say, have any of you ever been on a cruise? You know how those people treat you on board the ship? Imagine begin treated like that 24/7. That is hollywood that is NOT reality.
I love visiting Europe. It's when the students, government workers and other union people complain that they have to work over 20 hours, then burn down buildings and cars because it cuts into their playstation time that makes me laugh and mad at the same time.
tragic, horrible, really unfortunate hair….the older he gets the better his brother Clint looks.
The difference between the U.S. and other past Empires is that we are not trying to take over other lands and make them serve under us (via taxes, slavery, etc.) what the U.S. wants is a free market, capitalist, global society, with each individual nation exporting it's goods while receiving other goods from other nations. We (the citzens I speak with) want nothing to do with running any other country. Hell, we would've just overtaken Mexico and Canada if that were the case (and Cuba and South America – kind of like in the game Risk). But that is not what we are doing. This is an incredible experiment in human history where freedom and responsibility for every individual exists.
I
it's him! he's channeling the Dems version of Abraham Lincoln….
For the life of me, I'll never understand those who have benefitted so much from what this country has to offer who then turn around and give the United States the middle finger. I'm not saying criticism is unacceptable, but holy cow! What is this guy thinking? Is this guy thinking?
You could see this in a lot of Ron's work lately…especially starting with the anti-Christian/Anti-Catholic DaVinci Code he agreed to direct. The movie about Jim J Braddock had a bunch of "Aint Big Government Grand" messages in it. The western with tommy lee jones and Galadriel from Lord of thing Rings was feminist gunk. It has been going on for awhile now. People are coming out…why? Because nobody is offended anymore…there aren't any consequences to this kind of behavior. Conservatives and religious people just shrug their shoulders and say…I can't do anything about it.
Thank you for mentioning "Grinch." What kind of man puts a sex scene in with the Grinch?
Yes, I think the US should back away as its role of the pre-emininent superpower. I am quite sure that China or Russia will gladly stand by us in a time of world crisis. I don't even include the EU in that statement, as they have already demonstrated that they collectively will not.
One thing is clear: The Hollywood liberal "elites" have become so intellectually in-bred that they have completely lost their grasp on reality. It would be comical if it weren't so pathetic.
RSGO – I am sooo sure the Islamofascists would love to more "progressive" and "non-militarized," but is o.k. to insult Catholics? :^)
It's crap like this from a supposedly "sophisticated" individual that causes me to genuinely fear for the future of human freedom. Apparently a lot of people just don't want it anymore.
What works in Europe can't work here. European cities, area-wise, are smaller than American cities. They have useful public transportation. Trains run out to the suburbs, linking the suburbs to the city centers. You don't get that here, and you won't. It would take years to update our ancient rail system, and there would be outrage every day when people have to stop their car for 30 seconds for the train to cross the road.
Everything is close together in Europe. Small systems work. We like our space in America though. We like big houses. We like big parking spaces. We like big cars. Many of us like big families. Big families require big car seats thanks to modern laws, and many states require kids to be in car seats until they're at leat 8 years old, in some states it's 12 years old. I'd love to see someone fit three children in car seats, two adults, and a diaper bag in a Fiat.
Hey, Barry knows he may need "exceptional circumstances" to do certain things to further The Agenda, like a brief temporary suspension of the Constitution. Actively fighting a war or three qualifies. Maybe the word got sent out by the Network of the People's Revolution (NPR) to not complain. Or they simply figure he must have a Damn Good Reason (TM) to keep going, no matter what was said or implied during the election, something he simply isn't allowed to reveal. He's had a lot of those already.
Curious, socialist countries with open borders, communist countries with closed borders. So what happens at the transition, they close the door of the trap?
Opie finds truth in Europe's softer ways………… who cares ? If Aunt Bea had told him something, that would be different. But it was earnest sleaze that Ron was trying emulate in an effort to rub the American off of himself.
Brother Clint would have never said that !! Give him God and golf and he's happy.
From Grazer's haircut to Howard's voiceover on Arrested Development, this is one dysfunctional team. Aping youth and sophistication is their stock in trade and they have succumbed to their own message. Wonder how tickets they'll buy to keep themselves in pate and croissants ? ( do those guys even get to eat pate anymore ?)
And what genetic trait is responsible for the compulsive wearing of a baseball cap for decades until the coming of an all-liberal elected government? Of course it might have just been the concealed tin-foil lining blocking the conservative mind rays.
too bad the pirates didnt take left wing media hostage, theyd be pro military and pro peace through strength in a NY minute
Spoken like a true teenager …. Ya' know!! ' Cinderella Man ' is one of my favorite movies: and the oscar goes to ….. James J. Bradock !! Without the Bradocks in our history, we don't have the American experiment that gave us the freedoms we all now enjoy. And Howard and the rest of the celebutards; …they just don't get it!! They direct the movies and play the parts, ….. but still they don't get it. It proves the point that the celebutards can read and act the scripts and the MSM talking heads can read their scripted news, ….. but as to the soul of the American spirit, …..THEY DON'T GET IT!!! Could it be that within the context of the capitalist system, …they are doing it for …. THE MONEY?!!
Genetic as well. Sex-linked characteristic on the father's side, passed on only to males with room temperature IQs.
Who would liberals prefer as the number one super-power in the world? Don't they realize that it the very 'militarism,' they whine about that affords them, and a huge part of the world, their freedom? Would they prefer a world in which Vladimir Putin's Russia was an unchecked super-power? Or China? Or perhaps a contingent of Islamic countries?
Free peoples throughout the world remain free for one reason; the United States befriending and watching over them. Without the U.S. 'militarism,' do they really think the world would be a better place?
I have not been to Germany in a long time. I am surprised that there are so many unmarried people. I have heard that. Is it because it is expensive to be married or because people are worried about becoming unhappy? I have heard that population in Eurpope is decreasing. We have a lot of divorce in the United States, but my impression was that Americans are much happier people, especially people from smaller towns. It bothers me to see people who are admired speak negatively about a country which has given them so much opportunity. He owes a lot to the people who watched his movies and TV shows. A lot of people are hurt by what he says. As a celebrity, you have to realize that you have a responsibity. Also, Ron Howard doesnt speak for me. We have excellent schools, public services and little crime where I live. This is a big country.
Howard probably let some of these people get him drunk. Also, how far from his hotel did he get? I lived in Europe (France) for a year and actually speak French. What makes him an expert?? What a dip!! Bill Maher and Ron Howard! He probably likes it because of all of the agnostics and the "progressive" tax system. The whole place is bankrupt and the EU is falling apart. Europe is not in Afganistan becuase they cannot afford to send troops there, plus the far left parties could take control. I wish I could spend an hour with Ron Howard.
Here's the truth: these noxious knuckleheads from nonsense land wouldn't know objective history because they live in a fake fantasy world where folks pretend to be something they're not.
America has done itself a gross disservice embracing and imbibing the noxious products these imbeciles of Hollyweird, ingesting the perverse perspective of a culture club that tends to be perverse in nature and when not intoxicated with self, are generally self-medicated rehab-belonging depraved mentally-ill morons (my apologies to the non-Hollywood mentally ill and morons everywhere).
Because these simpletons can't comprehend real character, patriotism, genuine faith in God, or it seems any of the values which made this country great, why don't we encourage our friends, neighbors, co-workers, fellow church members, and any other patriotic Americans to simply boycott these buffoon clowns and their circus sideshow. Perhaps once they discover their revenue stream drying up, maybe, just maybe they might have an epiphany as to who purchases the movies tickets that enables them to complain about global warming, carbon footprints, gay marriage, the American military, anything Christian, or simple decency.
Hint: we don't attend your movies for a philosophical treatise and we certainly don't care about your obnoxious anti-American opinions. We just want simple entertainment from the rough and gruff of what we have to deal with daily – which unfortunately but increasingly includes hipster-doofus remarks from your ilk. If the world paid the average Joe the kind of money you make, you wouldn't want to hear from us either. So to paraphrase: just shut up and sing (D)-Opie!
I do, they have not gained any of my money from thier films in over 10 years.
I think Andy Griffith would have some harsh words to say about Ron's lack of American Spirit.
It´s not expensive to marry. You pay less income tax as a couple. Families are supported with tax breaks and tax credits and whatnot. I would say it is more expensive to raise children in the States but Americans have more children. Frankly I don´t know. All I can say is looking around our offices, it´s easy to see why Germans have a reproduction rate of just 1.3 children per couple. Maybe religion and values are the decisive factor after all. Make you think differently about the future.
As for Ron Howard: stupid, wrong, doesn´t know history.
Ah Cinderella Man was ok. I always thought A Beautiful Mind was overrated. I actually think his best job was Far and Away. It was pre-Tom Cruise flip out.
We at least have a period of time before the collapse. If we pay attention, which we probably won't, and if our politicians act prudently, which they won't, we can ease the fall. We are overrun with immigrants, but at least most of the ones who come here at least make an attempt at work.
Absolutely. You can cross all of Germany in any direction in less than a day on the road (of course you´d be going 110 mph at times).
The unspeakable truth is, everyone prefers "big", they are just hypocrites about it. Ten or twelve years ago, there were no SUVs or minivans in Germany. Now every automaker has them. The more talk about global warming, the more the number of SUVs grew. Not quite as big as some American ones, but as you say, there isn´t much space. Nobody sees the irony. Germans are crazy about their cars anyway. Nobody wants to drive a Fiat, not even Italians. And the car industry is a sacred cow. When it comes to being green, Europeans don´t always believe their own hype and neither should Americans.
I've also traveled extensively in Europe, South American, and Asia between 1955 and 1992 and in my experience there seems to have been in many of the european countries an irrational envy and anger as it relates to things american. "You have it, we want it, you owe it to us because you're so well off" often seemed their rationalization, especially south of our borders. Russia, still seems to desire world domination–for their own protection. Japan and South Korea were minding their own business, which one day may be a bigger challenge for us than the belicose. China has their hands full with China. The new kid on the block is the Middle East, the ragged ruffians who I believe are waiting for the slightest opportunity to exert their influence and are not afraid, as we seem to be, of using extreme violence to make a point. IMO, folks like Ron Howard have lost sight of the big picture.
Opie Cunningham needs to stick to making B-movies. If Pakistan collapses, who will be there trying to control the chaos and keep nuclear weapons from getting into the wrong hands? The Germans, the Brits, no. It will be the US military. We should be glad to have such a force to combat the turmoil in this world.
As I said, we've been lucky (so far). Your analysis makes perfect sense in light of the contagious worldwide philosophy of forced equality versus our concept of freedom to excel. Which may make the jihadists even more dangerous since we're used to dealing with snotty anti-Americanism cum socialism, and now we have to deal with people who couldn't care less about equality or freedom.
They care only for world domination, Islam by any means necessary, and a willingness to die or kill their own in pursuit of that goal. And Ron Howard will probably never be able to comprehend that. He just wants to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. Doesn't everyone?
It doesn't surprise me that Howard is sneering at America now. As far as I'm concerned, Howard showed his leftist idiocy several agos after he single-handedly destroyed 'Cinderella Man'. That film could have been the next 'Rocky' but instead Howard twisted it's mom, apple pie and American sense of self-responsibility to instead become an ode to a socialist utopia. It was like Lenin directing Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland to chant 'workers of the world unite'. Yeah, "Apollo 13" had me fooled that Howard actually believed in America – but 'Cinderella Man' showed his true colors.
And 'The DaVinci Code' showed Howard's lack of talent. Trust me. It takes a real hack to take an engrossing plot and turn it into an insipid dull movie. But Howard managed.
Remember when Donald Rumsfeld got blasted early on in the Bush administration for calling Germany, France, England et al "Old Europe" and the emerging, now free former Soviet satellites(Czech Republic, Poland, etc.) "new Europe"? There was a method to his madness. He and Mr. Bush knew who and what these "Old Europe " folks were. They also knew that the "New Europe" nations, coming out from under the oppression and tyranny of the Soviets, would be more open to freedom and creativity that comes with a capitalist, free market society. How correct they were.
Europe is a great place for a vacation. It's like visiting a living museum. I would not want to live like there.
According to CNN, Sadam was brilliant in getting 99% of the vote. They were amazed how much support he had. I suppose the same holds true of Castro and Chavez. Amazes me how dumb reporters can be.
No.. you see a black/white answer to all, from past to present, which is neat and convienient. Things do not unfold that way, in the past or now.
By 193 a.d. Rome has elevated a alien african (s. severus) as its emporer.
Within 20 more years, his son, caracalla, has given roman citizenship to ALL people within their empire,, of any origin. This is the turning point that sets the clock in motion for the end.
By 260 A.D., france/gaul, and the middle east provinces are seperating into their own states/empires. Rome is now only at great expense/price able to excercise authority over its own far flung states, and as A CONSEQUENCE silver currency from this period is copper covered in a silver wash to give the appearance of continuity, and hide the debasement that has set in…
Globalism is not conservatism, and its not compatible with NATIONALISM.. the terminology of patriotic nationalism, veenered over Globalism, is just repackaged, socialistic failed globalism.
You can have globalism or nationalism.. but they cannot coexist, and only nationalism sustains a state.
There's a lot of blue in them thar cities. I've always heard that the folks outside the big cities of Europe aren't so anti American? Just what I've heard. Usually just the brains-full-of-mush kids in the cities. Like here. There are some parallels. Even in a red city, like Omaha, there are pockets of smelly liberals, who expect everything in life to be given to them by their neighbor, via the government.
What space ship was this brain dropped out of? This guy is dreaming if he thinks I agree with him and or want to live like he thinks I should. Please beam him back up off my planet earth.
I was in Korea for a couple of years. And the kids who would firebomb the US posts would sit and have a beer with you. They came from the university where old Marxist profs would stir them up into a frenzy.
That's an angle I would never have thought of. I'm sadly lacking in experience traveling on the continent formerly known as the Orient. Oddly, my only experience in Asia at all was during some business negotiations in Seoul about twenty years ago. I was too busy bribing officials to give any thought to terrorists.
Yes, if we could just get back to when the U.S. wasn't such a superpower, then the world would be safe just like it was a hundred years ago before the U.S. was such a superpower. Russia and Europe (not to mention the Ottoman Empire) were very stable and peaceful back then without us exporting our, you know, democracy. Until they, you know, went to war and all. You're an assclown, Opie.
I've been to Germany, Netherlands, Iceland, Norway, Korea and really I don't remember seeing so much anti-Americanism as I've seen with the hard left of this country. The people in those other countries were friendly, maybe a little pushy, but not bleeding-eye America haters that I can see if I drive up to somewhere like Seattle or San Fran.
who the hell is andrea peyser? ps. the catholic church can eat a dick, and they would probably be all about it anyway.
Awww, say the same thing about Islam and maybe you'll actually grow gentals, you hero.
*genitals. You're a real tough guy talking smack about the Catholic Church, because you and other entertainers know nothing will come from it. At the worst, you'll get a letter from Bill Donohue and that's it. Catholicism is an easy target because you know no reprecussions will come from it. Replace Catholic Church with Islam in that comment, if you want to shock people. I bet you feel like such a hero for leaving an idiotic and hare-brained comment here.
I think it's a pretty good bet that Mr. Howard makes more than 250 grand a year. Maybe he hasn't been getting the American papers (whats left of them) in Europe but isn't he one of the "wealthy" that the Obama administration is targeting for a 90% tax shredding? He's going to find that the U.S. is soon going to be a lot more "progressive" than he might have bargained for. As for his comments on our need to "export democracy" I can only agree with the observation made by Jean Francois Revel….."Why is it that the dark night of facism that is always descending on the United States always actually landing on Europe?" [If I have mangled that quote I apologize.]
Progressive Europe started World War 1 and World War 2
It was the United States that stopped the killing and has kept Europe from starting World War 3
Howard should spend more time in America (outside the Hollywood bubble) and understand how American's live and what American's think. Now that would be a unique experience for a Hollywood liberal.
If these fools hate America so much, why don't they LEAVE already? I am sick to death of them all!
What bugged me around the time of the election was that Opie Cunningham was out obnoxiously endorsing Obama by saying people weren't going to vote for him because of the color of hsi skin, yet not even one, to my knowledge, black person could be found in the casts of the Andy Griffiths show or Happy Days. I understand he just just a kid on Andy Griffith's show, but if he truly wanted to make a difference, I'm sure he and Henry Winkler could have convinced Garry Marshall to cast a black person in the show, even if it was set in the 1950s. Or were we supposed to think there weren't any black person in Milwaukee during the 1950s or Mayberry during the 1960s?
It must be easy for Ron Howard to badmouth America as a celebutard, though, considering he came from a show biz family (his dad had done a great deal of television work during the 1950s and 1960s, even though his brother can apparently only find work by being in RH's movies.
Although I suppose it's possible Ron Howard's political views might have occurred because that chrome-dome of his has taken in too much sunlight.
What's with all you knuckle dragging right wing Neanderthals? Everyone with half a brain knows that when you are confronted by murderers and evil doers the most civilized approach is to take the bullets from your gun, pull your dress up over your head and apologize. By doing so you will become respected and admired through out the world.
What's with all you knuckle dragging right wing Neanderthals? Everyone with half a brain knows that when you are confronted by murderers and evil doers the most civilized approach is to take the bullets from your gun, pull your dress up over your head and apologize. By doing so you will become respected and admired through out the world.
Do your own math. From Teutowald to Severus is 184 years; close enough to 2 centuries by my count.
Why start with Teutowald? The sack of Carthage takes us back to 146BC. Why should Severus be the decisive break? What about the extension of citizenship to non-Italians like St. Paul in the 1st Century AD? Why not count the inclusion of non-Roman Latins as citizens as a result of the losses vs Hannibal in the 3rd Century BC? My analogy is no more black and white than your own. We are discussing 2 millenia-old events which occurred over several centuries.
Besides, the point is that the United States is NOT an empire. We are the world's only superpower, and it is both to our advantage and the world's to keep sea lanes open, oil pumping at market prices, and prevent states that harbor pan-Islamic terrorists from developing nuclear weapons.
Do your own math. From Teutowald to Severus is 184 years; close enough to 2 centuries by my count.
Why start with Teutowald? The sack of Carthage takes us back to 146BC. Why should Severus be the decisive break? What about the extension of citizenship to non-Italians like St. Paul in the 1st Century AD? Why not count the inclusion of non-Roman Latins as citizens as a result of the losses vs Hannibal in the 3rd Century BC? My analogy is no more black and white than your own. We are discussing 2 millenia-old events which occurred over several centuries.
Besides, the point is that the United States is NOT an empire. We are the world's only superpower, and it is both to our advantage and the world's to keep sea lanes open, oil pumping at market prices, and prevent states that harbor pan-Islamic terrorists from developing nuclear weapons.
He just wants to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.
Well we can agree that many Hollywood lefties would like to be given (a) coke…
Very funny, snort, snort (that was the sound of the beverage, not the, well. you know, the other thing).
Room temperature IQ's? That's got to be a separate trait, Barry's not going bald and we've heard how hot he keeps the Oval Office so he can get some work done. Although it would work if he went bald, he'd look bad-ass after shaving off the rest, and it'd keep him from inhaling the fumes from that cheap grey hair color he suddenly started using to show how concerned he is. However Wikipedia informs me that head shaving is forbidden in certain branches of Islam… which has no bearing whatsoever, never mind.
Room temperature IQ's? That's got to be a separate trait, Barry's not going bald and we've heard how hot he keeps the Oval Office so he can get some work done. Although it would work if he went bald, he'd look bad-ass after shaving off the rest, and it'd keep him from inhaling the fumes from that cheap grey hair color he suddenly started using to show how concerned he is. However Wikipedia informs me that head shaving is forbidden in certain branches of Islam… which has no bearing whatsoever, never mind.
He may even have a full-length beard before this whole thing is over.
Even though I know it is true, I get tired of the "not all (insert group) are radicals" mantra.
When rioters march down a street torching cars and houses and they stop in front of a particular door to call the owner out because he's of the same ethnic background, even though he's a "moderate" and not a "radical" he's going to join with them when they torch your house because he doesn't want the mob to see him a sympathizer. So we should all feel better because not all (insert group) are radicals. Uh huh.
Opie's gone DOPIE.
Believe it or not here in AZ they are naming a scholarship after obama. WHY I do not know. The man has ZERO accomplishments under his belt and yet these enemies of freedom feel the need to name schools, scholarships and streets after this walking Obamanation.
Yes, I think the US should back away as its role of the pre-emininent superpower.
Actually I have no problem with that, provided we would be protected by some near-magical barrier that would keep us fully isolated from what the rest of the world does and after stockpiling the few resources we really can't find here. Within a generation the rest of the world will collapse to dust and rubble, anarchy and poverty, and might then appreciate what the US did for them. Or become something so inhumane and horrible we'd be well justified in clearing off the field and starting fresh.
er…ummm…you do realize "these two most recent films" were based on books, right? While I don't agree with Opie's politics, it's a bit over the top to blame him for "attacks on the Catholic Church" since he did very little to stray from the major plot of the books.
And the weak sisters use that "not all" argument as a debate-ender, as if we didn't already know that somewhat useless fact. Not all Nazis were Jew-murderers either, but what difference does that make? Mob mentality being what it is, I'm with you. I'm not going to be counting on my friendly Muslim down the street to watch my back during a jihadi riot. Ask any Parisian about the wisdom of that idea.
My comments at the beginning were meant to refer only to the old namby-pamby Europeans, not to their recently enlarged populations of non-Europeans.
ummm…i'm sorry but…what the hell is your point? How is your comment even remotely related to the subject at hand?
Gee, now why would that happen? Hero worship? Is "Barack Obama" the Swahili translation of Karl Marx?
In any case Michelle would approve. All the powerful Klingons had beards.
To be fair, not all Christians are radicals. However Christians ostracize and reject their radicals as aberrations, they don't embrace them and declare the dead ones martyrs. They don't get no 72 virgins either, although I guess they get to go someplace where they can laugh at those waiting for them.
No. "Barack Obama" is a phrase in a a Kenyan dialect for "what the hell is that fool doing in the White House?"
Ah, phrases. How long before general use of "Pull an Obama?"
If we de-militarized, we'd have thrown rocks at the pirates. Is that what he wants? Is this proof positive that the
hollywierds become real 'tards when they lose their touch and produce bombs at the boxoffice? Certainly I'd never see one of his dogs after his anti-Catholic recent screeds. I remember his having said he was raising his children in CT to get away from the hollywierd crowd; then CT turned into CA with its lefty politicians like Dodd. Howard
turned with it, I guess.
I'll translate Peyser-speak into plain english:
"I hate Ron Howard because he has a different political opinion than I do. If he went on tv and attacked Obama, I would kiss his a$$. Same goes for all the other celebs I trash here. Oh, and buy my book! It's ranked #17,658 on amazon!"
Nah, he did a political ad last year at some point and has been involved with liberal politics for a while.
His Obama commercial with Andy was creeepyyy ….
Ron Howard seems to be a likeable guy and he is a talented director (although "The DaVinci Code" sucked eggs), but he's definitely among the Obama Kool-aid drinkers. I guess it's bound to happen when one is surrounded by the vapid Hollywood liberals who've fallen for the sophomoric ramblings of "The One." Maybe Howard will find his way back. I hope so, or he's in line for induction into the "Celebutard Hall of Fame."
well, the end is certainly near. Opie's gone over to the dark side (no pun intended). I think Andy also endorsed Obamalama too. but, it's a free country (for a while yet) so he's free to endorse whoever he wants.
I lost all respect for Opie when he did those terrible pro-Obama videos (Happy Days, Mayberry) back during the election.
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