Ben Stein: ‘John Hughes was an avid Republican’
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Ben Stein is awesome. Between his movies and tv commercials that he's starred in, to how funny he was on "Win Ben Stein's Money", to being really the only likable part of that awful "Most Smartest Model" show (God knows that woman that co-hosted with him was atrocious), the guy's ridiculously smart AND a versatile actor/host.
I don't know, I just had to say it.
Combined with P.J. O'Rourke, it kind of sounds like National Lampoon in the 1970s was in reality a hotbed of libertarian/conservative Republicanism (well, maybe not Michael O'Donoghue, who — coincidentally or not — was the most outspokenly liberal of the old Nat Lamp crew and stroked out on the night of the 1994 midterm elections).
That actually doesn't surprise me in the least. None of his movies were full of trendy leftist ideas, and none of his characters fell into the typical leftist thinking patterns.
John Hughes was an awesome director and he made a lot of movies with heart and humor. "She's Having a Baby" and "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" are two of my favorites.
But let me take this moment to put out a clarion call asking other conservatives in particular, to stop talking and start writing checks for entertainment based Conservatives entertainers.
It doesn't take a genius to realize how influential entertainment is in persuading people. Same goes for those persons that create the entertainment. What we need are more Conservative entertainers. But guess what? Liberals control most all the money and most all the decisions as to who gets what in entertainment. Having worked intimately in Hollywood for 20 years, I have about zero chance of getting a film made.
Liberals and Hollywood say it is merely that Conservatives are untalented. Well that's a lie of course. The truth is that liberals control the bucks and largely protect and promote there own.
Liberals actively promote other liberals. They are willing to spend money to get the message out regardless of the return, because they know the product and personalities will influence people. They are worried less about the return, although that enters into it, but more interested in the message and pushing their agenda.
I am a die-hard conservative and have been my whole life. I directed one low budget feature but I want to make bigger movies. My movies subjects have potential to attract large followings and eventually to be influential. You wouldn't show my movies in your church, but that is the problem, we are making movies for masses, not church groups. They have to appeal to the masses. I have worked in Hollywood for 20 years and competent to make movies and can attach a lot of talent for smaller bucks. I am only looking for 500K or less to make my first real feature.
500K. Full of talent, full of FX, good story, evil suffers in the end.
But it is impossible to get money from the crowds I run in, conservatives only want to invest in stocks, and oil, and utilities, and construction. They have no vision for entertainment to influence the masses. They don't want to invest in personalities that influence the masses. And the liberals can smell me a mile away, apparently.
So how will conservatives ever get a voice, or start getting a voice in Hollywood? Conservatives won't invest
in Hollywood… they watch Hollywood movies and TV shows… but won't invest in Conservative filmmakers and entertainers with a wider public appeal.
Just in case anyone decides they want to get involved with a Conservative filmmaker, I will leave this code word DAR. Contact the publisher of this website and let them know.
those.
According to many of John Hughes' crew members, he was one of the most genuine and caring directors they have ever worked with. Stands to reason Ben Stein has the same affection for Mr. Hughes.
[...] who? Why, Ben Stein. And he ought to know. If true, frustrating: Because as far as I can tell Hughes didn’t sneak [...]
speaking of pj o"rourke, i thought of his book this week when obama was fishing for an enemies list to combat misinformation. one of o'rourke's funniest books is the Enemies List where average joe's write in their candidates. it is brilliant.
i still remember two submissions..
linda "can i have that last eclaire" ellerbee
and the entire phonebook of berkley…
Not only was John Hughes the hero of my teenage years, my now 20-year-old daughter is one of his biggest fans as well. I was happy to introduce the films to her around 5 years ago and we have spent many wonderful times watching his movies and bonding.
Times may change; fashion and music changes for sure; yet human nature is still the same. Geeks, nerds, soc's, all still exist today, and John Hughes made their parents, and hopefully them as well, accept themselves for the wonderful kids they are.
RIP John Hughes
I LOVED "Win Ben Stein's Money"!! My favorite was when the contestant answered "What is…." or "Who is…." like the show was Jeopardy, then had to wear the Dunce Cap.
Good times.
No wonder I loved John Hughes films. Had no idea he was one of the good guys. There was something sweet and innocent about his teen flicks that is utterly missing in today's crude, amoral and meaningless teenage movies cranked out by Hollywood. For what it's worth, he and I are the same age.
I'm still having trouble accepting this. This man's work just meant so much to so many of us (graduated high school 1986 myself). I know it's wrong thinking, but I just can't help but feel, why not one of these lard-**sed PITAs like Moore or somebody else instead. Then again, maybe the good ones get to get away from all of this mess going on just a little bit quicker, I don't know. As I said yesterday, the man was a giant, and will be missed hugely as well. Mr. Stein is absolutely right (love him too by the way), there won't be another John Hughes.
Is this like those actors who allow it to be revealed they are gay only on the occasion of their death? Anyway, it's good to know. If you really put together a list of actors/directors who are conservative you'd have a list of some of the greatest talents in the business – Robert Duvall and Jon Voight and director Frank Miller to name a few. But all to often the first clue someone in Hollywood is conservative is the fact that they never talk about politics.
You are so so right, I am originally from Southern California (Westside of LA) and I can tell you for a fact that the people in control of Hollywood are the 2nd. or 3rd. generation decendents of the people who actually built the industry. Not only are they liberal but also are generally anti-American. I don't know why this is but it seems to be part of the whole LA kind of mentality. Maybe part of it is that Hollywood is such a small town really with a very few people really controlling the business. I recently moved to Dallas Texas where I see some of the same kind of energy that I did growing up in LA. When I was a kid in LA it was smaller then Detroit, had an Areospace Industry, my neighbors (I lived in the alphabet streets in Pacific Palisades) were real artists and worked for the studios. Now LA doesn't have an Areospace industry, has fake Artists and is much bigger the Detroit. Progress I guess!
R.I.P. Mr. Hughes and thanks for your great movies!
Hey, Hughes was a midwesterner. he started there, got rich, got out, and back to the midwest. We'd tell you what the deal is, but for the time just think about hogs, pickup trucks, weird weather, guns, and if that's not enugh to keep you in LA, there's no palm trees ! And we're hanging out the no vacancy sign, go to Oregon hippies !
Conservative or Democrat didn't seem to matter back then, but then I was just a kid. It was much more loose.
[...] Don’t. Whatever. Jonah Goldberg, National Review Online: Empathy vs. Impartiality Big Hollywood: Ben Stein: ‘John Hughes was an avid Republican’ Gallup Poll: Blacks as Conservative as Republicans on Some Moral Issues Hot Air: Megan Fox: If only [...]
Gotta luv the Benster.
I remember emailing him a few years back to ask his opinion on a speechwriting treatment our company was preparing to pitch.
The company was just a tiny little no-name production house, so I wasn't really expecting to get a response back.
Not only only did he respond, but he did so within the hour, providing me with some really helpful insight.
The guy is a real class act.
Wow, its so nice to see all of this conservative appreciation for John Hughes.
I'm curious then, what some of you might say about this: John Hughes… class warrior?
That may sound a bit overstated, but there's this from an NPR article:
"Another theme underpinning Hughes' comedies was the issue of class. In Pretty in Pink, Ringwald's character pines for a rich boy, though she lives on the wrong side of the tracks and sews her own prom dress. Hughes wrote the Chevy Chase film Vacation partly out of long-held simmering resentment over never having visited Disneyland as a child."
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?stor...
CgntvDssdnt. You liberals call it class warfare…we call it, wanting to go to Disneyland or to have a nice dress. Both of these characters were made better people by their capitalistic wants. His point was to want to aspire is good. Without Griswold's drive he would've never met Mr. Walley and had the park to himself nor would Molly's character gotten the guy. A character in a liberal movie would've sued Walley World for being closed.
Yeah, it gives me inspiration he was a successful conservative, but whatever his politics were what a great talent he was. Forget these Cannes types, Hughes was the best filmmaker of the 80s.
But all to often the first clue someone in Hollywood is conservative is the fact that they never talk about politics.
Good point.. I wonder if any Hollywood liberals who get tired of talking politics are temporarily mistaken for Republicans.
Never mind. I just remembered that liberals never get tired of talking politics. That's why they rule the country.
But all to often the first clue someone in Hollywood is conservative is the fact that they never talk about politics.
Good point.. I wonder if any Hollywood liberals who get tired of talking politics are temporarily mistaken for Republicans.
Never mind. I just remembered that liberals never get tired of talking politics. That's how they got in charge of the country.
But all to often the first clue someone in Hollywood is conservative is the fact that they never talk about politics.
Good point.. I wonder if any Hollywood liberals who get tired of talking politics are temporarily mistaken for Republicans.
Never mind, I just remembered: Liberals never get tired of talking politics. That's how they got in charge of the country.
You apparently cannot understand this, but John Hughes' writing was from the perspective of an educated middle class American. In his stories, audiences cheer for the middle class hero(ine) because we can relate to losing a job, a Saturday in detention, missing a plane to get home for the holidays, and "living on the wrong side of the tracks" because the stories ultimately are about achieving an outcome through passion and perseverance. Hughes' stories are popular because they are never framed by the ridiculously cartoonish class warfare struggle you desperately want them to me.
Jamesb: LOL……exactly
" A character in a liberal movie would've sued Walley World for being closed."
but the character from your supposedly "conservative" movie held Walley the Moose at gunpoint!
Wow. Just wow.
I don't want to "frame them as a rediculous cartoonish class warfare struggle".
I want to point out, as you seem to, that his movies show the perspective of "living on the wrong side of the tracks".
That obviously speaks to class issues. I'm glad to see that for a Republican, Hughes was enlightened.
maybe you wouldn't be shocked if you knew what NPR was like, and accepted it, rather than your false and lame mockery.
Yes, because every single element of a silly fantasy comedy film must strictly adhere to every principle of conservatism.
You were right to say it. I've always appreciated his appearances in films and TV shows (both from Hughes and others). He was also the airport announcer in Planes, Trains & Automobiles. And of course… "Bueller…"
Thank-you for mentioning Win Ben Stein's Money! I thought I was the only one who remembered that show. I kinda got into it later but I thought it was very entertaining. (Off-topic: another entertaining show canned by Comedy Central: Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn. Not even a best-of DVD release…)
Work within the existing system? Well you see how well that has worked, right?
Well I am looking for 250 – 500K which is a bad weekend of gambling for some folks. Start out humble like Sam Raimi (Evil Dead to Spiderman) and Peter Jackson (Bad Taste to Lord of the Rings) and work my way up.
The point is, as time progresses, Hollywood and entertainment means more and more to younger generations and those unable to master such are going to lose big. We must start making some headway or, as Zogby suggests, we are going to become extinct.
The money is there, millions and millions upon millions are given to political campaigns in this country. People just need to start writing the checks to help do the work they are unwilling or unable to do.
I feel your pain. I would suggest looking overseas (from your perspective) for financing. Look at folks like Jim Jarmusch.
You will be hard-pressed to find figures higher than what you ask for in the States. But you know that already.
Solicit Japan, Saudi Arabia, India, Taiwan, Korea in that order. Remember, these markets are not only a large part of the profit margin for releases, but are and have been the undiscovered countries of film financing when Hollywood and the usual suspects have closed their wallets to good ideas.
Good luck.
Cog, bit of a stretch there…or more aptly a typical stretch by an NPR robot programmed to it's usual setting, *liberal spin cycle*…
I'm shocked that NPR didn't work into the Hughes story something like
" and the Healthcare dissent is from *angry mobsters* that shared Huges' "teen angst" but now are just selfish and don't care about the *poor*, besides his Holiness..er, President Obama loves "16 Candles" and also his (actual quote from NPR story, no really) *loving depictions of middle-class suburban white-bread youth*, and stuff, er…support the plan because, argh, Cap & Trade, er good, Uncle *Fat* Albert says sooo…and stuff".
Please, let's pull the plug on NPR…finally.
actually listen ocassionally, they have the rare ability to make all news sound like a pork belly report, dry and dull…and it's a long time lib mouth piece, no *breaking news* there…quote directly from the story…"white bread youth"? Come on, who wrote this drivel? I live in a vastly majority Hispanic community populated by, yes, Hispanics! Guess what? They watched and enjoyed Hughes' work right along with us *token* white folk. I will however, work on my *mockery* to raise it to your obviously high standards!
If that's true, then please give some examples of when Hughes' most famous "wrong side of the tracks" characters Bender, Gary, Andie, and Buck all complained about how their inability to live comfortably in America was directly attributable to the rich and their stranglehold on the means for obtaining wealth (i.e. education, opportunity, etc.)
We know (and you know) that you can't give any examples of these characters diatribes against the rich because that's class warfare and that's not what Hughes wrote about.
You.
Are.
Wrong.
Unfortunately, all you have written is 100% true. The genius of John Hughes was that he was traditionally-minded yet subtle enough with his writing to still get money out of the lefty producers to make his movies. In his movies, audiences cheer for the middle class hero(ine) because we can relate and the story never became a ridiculously cartoonish class warfare struggle. Hughes was able to work within the existing system with minimal compromises to his vision. I believe that's currently the best template to follow.
We have to work in the existing system because can't rely on some politically-conservative billionaire who owns 100 paper mills and the largest private forest in the world to suddenly say: "I know I usually work 18 hour days on my business but whenever I watch the in-flight movies on the way to see clients I wish the movies weren't so anti-Republican… even though I don't know anything about making or distributing movies, I will write multi-million dollar checks to any good writers and directors I can find that aren't commie pricks" That's not gonna happen.
Hey Schizoid–
Please… I would love to discuss this with you further if you are open to it, but I have no way of doing such, can find no links to email you. So I give permission to BH to give you my email address. I will also contact BH and tell them such too.
[...] Stein – he of “Bueller, Bueller” infamy, is speaking out about the late director John Hughes’ [...]
Yeah, some people chide me and others for not giving our names here at BH. But talk to anyone who espouses conservative views, or rather just talks against the liberal line, and you'll hear horror stories that rival the blacklist. Trying to make it in this biz is hard enough without that threat.
Today, what with the tactics of our current political atmosphere. Tim Robbins called it a 'chilling effect' during Bush. Silly rabbit, for a smart man, he doesn't know the meaning of the phrase. Wonder what he's calling it now when we truly DO have a chilling effect. Good grief, I WISH the 24/7 Bush bashing back then was chilled even for, say, one hour a day. But no, there was no letup. And we all know that liberals never experienced any silencing of their views, in fact, their whining only helped them and their careers (but not at the box office thanks to the American public. Try to lick that, liberals.). Today, with an admin that actively asks its citizens to turn in their neighbors who speak against the State, who actively send in thugs to disrupt public political events, who actively use the mainstream press as their own propaganda service that Stalin, Goebbels or Pol Pot would view with envious eyes discretion in identity is a prudent thing.
But enough about the world, let's talk more about me.
haha.
I just started up on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/schizoid.mann
Also, there are some interesting filmmaker resources to network there. But I would hazard anyone not to share too much of their story/creative line to other filmmakers there or anywhere, unless papers are signed and agents involved (talent, not secret). It's a cut throat biz as we all know and ideas can be whisked away and out in theaters faster than you can say 'Griffin Mill'.
I used to love NPR. Listened to it all the time. In fact, I even put in some air time on it!
Today, forget it. Like the once great PBS, it's a liberal enclave with one prime directive: slant everything, and I mean everything, to a liberal perspective at any cost.
I have to say, being somewhat of a former liberal, socially and culturally not financially, it was the positiveness of conservatives and libertarians that made me look upon my liberal indoctrination in school and in the culture I took in, more closely. But, truly, it was the smugness and downright misrepresenting of facts, blatantly, shameless and continuously of entities like NPR that put the nail in the coffin for me.
When shows like What Dya Know? continue to make Cheney jokes, you know it's bad. Michael Feldman knows better. It's like Henry Winkler trying to pull off that shark jump yet again. The first time did the damage, now it's just redundant.
Last outpost of sanity on NPR is, without question, Car Talk, two great guys who will never change for any political party or cause. If only the rest of the network took a cue from them.
It's foolish (and incorrect) to restrict an ability or characteristic such as enlightenment (or the lack of it) to one party, race or group.
Well said.
I'm sure that you won't understand this but John Hughes was almost always subversive of liberal pieties. In "Uncle Buck" the free-spirited and selfish man ultimately becomes a grown-up by caring for his family simply because they become his responsibility. In "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" Steve Martin's character comes to like and even care for the loud boorish salesman whose bluster hides an empty life. Almost all of Hughes' films dealt with the shedding of childishness and the acceptance of adulthood. Even Macauley Culkin in "Home Alone" decides that it is his responsiblity, and his alone, to defend his home.
Hey Schizoid–
I know exactly what you are talking about. I've lived Hollywood for over 20 years and believe me, that's why my name is "Movie Maker". I don't blame you at all. And it has only grown worse since Obama became a candidate. Friends of 20+ years suddenly consider me an adversary.
When 9/11 happened, I was back East and saw it happen live. I phoned my friends in Hollywood who were still asleep to alert them what was going on. One, a very good friend who had family in New York, when I told him the news, said "We had it coming." I was totally shocked to hear that, couldn't even respond.
However, I am unsure that I should contact you on FACEBOOK using my regular account since 95% of the people on my account are Libs and sadly due to Conservative not having desires to help independent conservative filmmakers, I must rely on them for any and all the help I can get.
Sad but true.
[...] Matters When it Favors Democrats The Sundries Shack: Live Free or Don’t. Whatever. Big Hollywood: Ben Stein: ‘John Hughes was an avid Republican’ Hot Air: Megan Fox: If only we didn’t have these white-trash Bible-beating hillbillies in middle [...]
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