Natalie Portman’s Castle and Why the Movie Star is Dead
by John NolteOne day … ONE day after gushing over how exciting the recession is now that those forced to work jobs they hate or who have lost them entirely can focus on their passions, Natalie Portman bought herself a $3 million castle-like estate.
Natalie, whoever’s advising you … fire them. If no one’s advising you, find someone who doesn’t carry a small dog in their purse or dates someone who does. Look to the real world for help. Look to someone who’s spent a few years in a land where the zip codes don’t start with “9-0.” Someone who cares enough about you and your career to say (without any “Honey, babys”):
“Nat, past the gates of your community and away from the hills of Hollywood losing your job doesn’t fuel passion, it fuels despair, and working a job you hate is almost as bad because of the big black permanent ball of dread it plants in your gut. I know you dig Barack, I did too before he targeted my children and health care, but you can’t flak for his recession. That’s what the mainstream media is for. You have to empathize with your audience, build goodwill. Besides, you’re closing on that castle tomorrow, so today wouldn’t be a good time to get all gushy over how exciting Barack’s recession is. And if you do, I quit.”
Now I don’t mean to pick on Natalie (much), but this goes to a larger problem facing both Hollywood and those of us who love movies: The death of the movie star.
One of the big entertainment stories this year is how well starless films like “Star Trek,” “Up,” “The Hangover,” and “District 9” did while Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, John Travolta, Jack Black, Eddie Murphy, Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Steve Martin, Robert Downey Jr., etc… fizzled in blockbusters and mainstream films aimed at a wide audience.
Once upon a time stars worked as a kind of insurance. No matter how good or bad the product, a strong opening weekend or two was assured followed by home video sales that pretty much guaranteed the film would at least break even. Once upon a time people wanted to see a INSERT NAME HERE movie.
No more.
Some will float excuses like the “Twitter Effect,” but that doesn’t explain crashing DVD sales or historically low ratings for the Academy Awards’ telecast. Spin it any way you want, thanks to a decade-plus of arrogant unforced errors and self-inflicted stupidity, we are no longer enamored with … The Movie Star.
The problem isn’t each individual star – who doesn’t love them some Denzel? – the problem is those damaging the brand as a whole. Airheads and insulting big mouths like Portman, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Alec Baldwin, Streisand, Matt Damon, Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins…
Year after year after year the bad apples have so soured so many of us that we no longer look at the name above the title. We don’t care who’s in it. Instead it’s, “What’s the concept, is it safe or familiar?”
In other words, “I’d rather have my intelligence insulted than who I am or what I believe in.”
For those of us in love with the movies, this is an awful trend. We love being in love with movie stars. And we don’t care how they vote or live their lives… There were all kinds of liberal stars during the Golden Age who supported all kinds of causes. No one cared. I don’t care now.
The difference between John Garfield and Sean Penn isn’t talent or politics … it’s a little thing called “class.”
Just shut up and be awesome.
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205 Comments
well said, john, i couldn't agree more. i'm 40 but relatively new to being a movie "fan", and i don't thing it's an accident that my favorites are from the 40s-50s with actors like eg robinson, bogart, mitchum etc. thx for the column!
In response to her shirt……
Natalie Portman and those like Bill Maher are the quintessential vapid liberal airheads. These intellectual pygmies believe that the absence of American involvement in war is synonymous with “global peace”, whatever that is and I’d be curious to know when in the history of man there has not been conflict or war, but I digress.
What these regressives fail to understand is that if America said to the world we’re bringing every soldier, airmen and marine home and we will never intervene in any conflict on the globe then we will have global chaos the likes not seen since WWII. The American military has been the single greatest force for good in human history. When the downtrodden, oppressed and enslaved around the world are chained and starving they’re not hoping some filthy hippie reeking of patchouli oil and pot comes to save them, they’re praying for American boots to come for them.
One of the pillars of liberalism is the belief that people need to be protected from themselves. The liberal is always ready to smooth your path to nirvana by guiding your every step: don't eat that, don't use that lightbulb, don't buy that car, etc. It's a shame that there's no one there to guide the liberal himself (or in this case, herself). I guess if you're rich enough, you are allowed to dispense with Big Brother and make all the mistakes you want. That used to be called freedom.
I think "the death of the movie star" may actually be a good thing. It's always been my belief that, to a certain extent, "the role makes the star." Would Sean Connery have become a star if Cary Grant had accepted 007? Would Humphrey Bogart have gotten so big if Ronald Reagan had accepted Casablanca? A great concept/script will elevate a good actor into the stratosphere. Absent great roles, potentially great actors will wither on the vine. What Hollywood has been doing is abandoning all concern for story, and putting the complete burden for success onto the "star" who can't possibly deliver without a good script. This sea change may be good for the industry, as it will force the powers that be to evaluate a project on the merits of the story, and consider whether it will resonate with the audience. It will require a deviation from the lazy filmmaking we've been subjected to where star power and saturation advertising are supposed to cover a product's multitude of shortcomings.
I used to be a big movie fan. Didn't care about their personnel lives as long as the movies were good.
Now, every movie "star" believes he or she is waaaaay smarter then those of us viewers. Plus the plots are trite and the characters are stereotyped and bear no resemblance to reality.
So no more of my money for their shoddy work products; and I must say it's much better to just read a book.
Her best movie is still the Professional and only because of the actor and the movie itself. She's always been somewhat so what-ish and still is except to her entourage I'm sure.
There's always Netflix.
I agree with her t-shirt — there should be no more Star Wars films until Lucas passes the reigns to someone who knows what they are doing.
That's good advice, but will fall on deaf ears in Hollywood. They've jumped the political shark and they are now so far divorced from reality that its going to take something dramatic to bring them back to reality. Maybe a 90% gross proceeds tax on films. They're all good socialists, right? They should dig that.
Seriously, I think all the better of those handful of actors who do live outside zipcodes that begin with 90, and the last few old-school movie stars. Ages ago, the AFRTS station that I worked at in Spain had an opportunity to interview Charlton Heston. Much, much later, after he died, I blogged about it:
[i]"We were the only news outlet to get a TV interview with him on that trip; he was terribly busy with the location shoots, and it wasn't the sort of enterprise that needed additional publicity anyway. We all liked to think that it was because of his service connection that we even got in the door. He couldn't have been more gracious or considerate to our two nervous young airmen who shot the interview … We all watched the raw video of the interview afterwards and marveled – because he was a pro. We could use practically every second of the footage we taped, he was that good. Most people we did interviews with were nervous, fidgety and stiff. They radiated discomfort; it came off them in little wavy lines that you could almost see, like those used in cartoons to signify a stink. We usually had to spend a lot of time putting them at ease, and a lot of video time and editing to just get something useable that didn't make them and us look like idiots.
But Charlton Heston sat still, graciously playing to the camera – (Of course! He was an actor!) – he didn't fidget nervously. His responses were thoughtful, smooth, as composed and literate as a small essay or sonnet. No awkward umms and pauses, no false starts; he was at ease, completely comfortable and polished to a high gloss in a way that most of us- even those who had interviewed various currently popular celebs before – had never seen. He wasn't just a star – besides being a military veteran, he was a total pro in a way that you rarely see these days."[/i]
Recessions are exiting! there's tons of opportunity in a recession because it's a buyer's market! That's the beautiful thing about capitalism is that it's always a good time for someone if you know where to look. Natalie probably bought that castle like estate at a discount because of the recession. She's as capitalist as the rest of us even if she doesn't know it.
Great column! Natalie's words about the recession are delusional, but as you point out it goes deeper than just one immature starlet.
I wonder how we can Stop War without using force? Hmmmm?
did you read about her new estate???? she wanted something with 'character and integrity' (that's a joke, right?), she sold her Manhattan condo for $7MILLION, AND it's in a gated community. but, hey, natalie, power to the people, right?
Plus one on Heston.
What a clever t shirt. She's a real smarty pants.
Amen!
She puts the 'twit' in twitter.
These so-called stars are not that talented. There is not one that is worth $20 million a picture (even Will Smith). I never understood why Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, ect got paid so much. Their average U.S. box office gross is under $100 million.
From your lips to Joss Wheden's ear.
Totally agree. But I would add another word along with "class" and that is "graciousness". I was once associated with a tribute to George Lucas and none of the stars of the last three would make an appearance. You can argue with the quality of those films (and win) but because of those films she and others were given opportunities and exposure. I doubt Natalie is sending her residuals back. If appearing in a "fan boy" franchise is so awful why has she signed for Thor? It annoys me to no end when "stars" ignore their previous work, I'm not saying that should embrace it but at least be grateful for the opportunities they were given.
Now Joss could write a fantastic Star Wars!
I knew I wasn't alone in this!
Why does a 28-year-old single girl need a huge freakin' castle? Next time La Nat goes on a spiel about poverty and being eco-friendly (she's done both in the past), just remember she's a single young woman who moved from an overpriced condo to a huge freakin' castle.
You know, I wouldn't care so much about that–except to ponder if I hadn't bought so many Star Wars collectibles maybe I'd be living in my own three million dollar estate–if she wasn't so mouthy, self-righteous, and deceptive about who she is.
John, I think you owe Ms. Portman an apology. Clearly, this is all an elaborate form of meta-research for her next role: as Marie Antoinette.
Back in 1996 when Portman co-starred in the under-rated masterpiece "Beautiful Girls" it was unsettling how fetching she was at 14 years-old. But like the Timothy Hutton character, what was so alluring about her was not who she was but the woman she was sure to become.
Or not.
Well, it is a good time to buy.
If you've got the money.
Back in 1996 when Portman co-starred in the under-rated masterpiece "Beautiful Girls" it was unsettling how fetching she was at 14 years-old. But like the Timothy Hutton character, what was so alluring about her was not who she was but the woman she was sure to become.
Or not.
That MIGHT work.
But like you said, its going to fall on deaf ears. Its SO entrenched now that you have to have the "right" attitude, be seen at the "right" parties, support all the "right" causes, make all the "right" statements; and we all know the "right" means socialist/communist/leftist. Unless your last few movies grossed in the three-digit millions, (amazing how that kind of earnings makes Hollyweird capitalist!), you have a horrible time bucking the trend.
So to help your career, you try to play along. And you can bet your very soul, which is what some of these players are doing, that the pressure from the current power in Hollywood being brought to bear on our new thespian to "comply" with that power structure is ENORMOUS.
Imagine if you HAD to attend a Bill Maher party to try to advance yourself, and the entire group there is as addled by drugs and consumed with self-importance and moronic imbecility as 'lil Billy Maher himself.
It takes a very adept and agile personality that can maneuver in such a minefield without losing who you are.
I REALLY believe, with all my soul, that we have to develop a new place outside that structure of entertainment for the centrist/conservative/libertarian artist to develop and flourish. It would do tremendous damage to the Left if there was a place for true "Star" powers to come into their own outside of the corrupt pit there in So. Cal., NYC, and the other destroyers of talent.
I stopped watching their movies when they became "message" movies promoting their social agendas.
It's easy. Cave into every bully and pander to every ism as they come down the pike.
Who the heck is this girl? I never heard of her. She looks like a Vulcan.
Cool. We can relax now…a wealthy Jewish-American princess / actress has *declared* the recession over…whew…thanks Natalie…
…tell it to the 200,000 plus from last weeks newly unemployed . Oh, and your Ferrari is double parked on Rodeo Drive…
Use the Force, Luke!
I'd rather see a sequel to Serenity.
And fortunately, Nat's out because her character's dead.
Amen. You know what one of the Iranian protesters last June asked the cameras?
"Where is George Bush? Where are the US Marines?"
I can honestly say this has not altered my opinion of Natalie Portman, whatsoever. Never liked her to begin with.
The movies are entertainment. It is not entertaining or satisfying go give hard earned money to people who hate you, your efforts to better your life, or your desire to have ownership and control of your own life. Screw them. Nolte is right that the overall movie experience has been contaminated and ruined by these millionaire ultralefts.
I was ecstatic when I read (here) that a Matt Damon film about Iraq expected opening day was pushed back months because it was expected to bomb.
"Put the twit in twitter". I gotta remember that
OH NO! Natalie in "Thor"??!??
I am going to cry…
I am not sure I agree with the assertion that the problem with Hollywood is the death of the movie star – I think it's the death of the story. True, the overfamiliarity that is the result of living in Cyberwood tends to erode the star mystique, but I think that people will still pay to be entertained no matter who is in the film. Sometimes that entertainment is the story; for some it's an FX extravaganza – but today, it's not the star. (I will make an exception for Denzel, who IMHO, is the most accomplished film actor working).
Unfortunately, storytelling – a story with an interesting premise, a solid midsection and a satisfying ending – is becoming that elusive thing in Hollywood. Story is the new Garbo.
"….when Hollywood decided it wasn't worth the trouble and that went away, so did the impetus for people with very little sense of "self", (one of the reasons they were good at the job), to act intelligently and properly."
It wasn't "Hollywood" but the old studio system, that ran "Hollywood". Studios often had years and millions invested in "manufacturing" and supporting a star. They were careful about what types of pictures they were seen in, how they acted in public, and what they were purported to have said. Also having worked their way up from innumerable bit parts, the actors were grateful to now be stars, and wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that position. Today we have "stars" who have only made one or two descent movies, and only lucked into those parts. They're surrounded by sycophants who never say a cross or intelligent word to them. And, basically they're people who feel no responsibility for what comes out of their mouths.
"It happens to the actors, too, but some (Michael Caine), find new legs in the supporting character market."
He's an English actor. Lord Lawrence Olivier once acted in a TV miniseries. The idea of the English along, with the Australians, is to be a working actor. Not a movie star. They will act in almost anything.
Personally, I stopped watching the Oscars in 2003 when I realized that Hollywood was going to use it as a huge anti-Iraq war spectacle.
I can't say that I have missed it.
The 2 top winners of this season are Tarentino's Inglorious Basterds; and Bullock's Proposal. Neither Tarentino nor Bullock have marched around in favor of, or against anything. The stories of both movies are nice and simple: good versus evil; and true love will conquer all. Old, but darn, they still work.
Given that most actors are intellectual twits, I think this outpouring of concern for the poor and the starving and the dolphins is really about a need for another photo op. As soon as they figure out that this doesn't help, you will see such idiocy fade.
Bully!
I would love to see that, but I don't see it happening.
Yeah, what a shame. . .
Agreed. Instead, we're stuck with Dollhouse. Ugh.
Sigh. I can't fall out of love with Natalie for just that movie. No matter what she says, does, or is. I'm still a 15 year old kid watching the neighbor girl look at me under the most beautiful eyelids God ever created.
Unfortunately, God put a lot of stupid in her too.
Not true about Bullock. I used to think she was a talented comic actress, but in one her pictures (don't remember which) she made a gratuitous crack about Cheney that had nothing at all to do with anything. Yes, I know that's the definition of gratuitous …
Last of her pictures I'll see.
I don't understand why every other american has a right to voice their political beliefs, but actors need to "shut up."
As to what Portman said, it certainly doesn't apply to everyone, but for me, losing my job in this economy is the best thing that ever happened to me. 60-70hr weeks were killing me. I've reclaimed my health and sanity and have learned to live with less.
"Barack's Recession." Ok, and you expect anyone with a brain to take you seriously after that? A mere 9 months into his administration and you are going to reassign blame for 8 years of Bush policies?
And no one gives a crap about your class-warfare "she bought a mansion" crap. That was the ultimate hypocrisy of your small minded, resentful rant.
Everyone including actors and actresses has the right to say whatever they want, but they should be prepared to face the consequences of those statements.
If you remember back that far, during Bush's eight years, there was low unemployment, high stock market, nation was secure, … In order to win the election, the big money boys (all lefties) made a run on the banks and then let the whole mess of CRA mtge loans and other Barney Frank/Chris Dodd abominations loose on the land. The media added fuel to the fire with their lies and spin and presto we had a crisis leading the brain dead to vote for the puppet/empty suit.
We're paying for that stupidity, but I'm glad you reclaimed your health and sanity. With any luck you'll soon reclaim you brain and vote Republican next time.
Her success in early roles notwithstanding, Portman's position as a "movie star" at the level of others who in the past could guarantee 1-2 weekends of box office success just on their names is probably one of the weakest cases of any celebrity in Hollywood, since her "status" is pretty much based on the success she enjoyed in the three "Star Wars" movies. That might have worked 20 years earlier for Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher or Harrison Ford, but for Lucas' latest three films he could have literally stuck any actress at least as good looking or better than Janeane Garafalo in the Padmé Amidala role and the films still would have grossed in the $200 million range.
Standing on her own — without a built in fan base as with the "Star Wars" series such as a turkey like "V for Vendetta" — Portman has never shown any ability to open a movie on her name alone. That doesn't make her a bad actress, just one who basically won the Hollywood lottery when Lucas picked her for the role, and her contracts since then have been disproportionate to what she (as opposed to the script and direction) bring in for the movie. So Natalie is the last person who should be talking about how "exciting" the recession is while paying out millions for an oversized "look-at-me" type of home; had George decided on another actress for his role, odds are Portman wouldn't be waiting tables today, but she might have a little better idea about what the economic downturn is doing to the movie business as one of just a hoarde of decent female actors seeking dwindling roles.
What's wrong with Dollhouse? I'm honestly curious.
"Would Humphrey Bogart have gotten so big if Ronald Reagan had accepted Casablanca?"
Yes, but Casablanca wouldn't have. Bogart was excellent, and even the weaker things that he did were elevated by being Bogart movies. To Have and Have Not, for example, is a pretty lame Casablanca rip-off, but works because of Bogart. And while there are those that said that he played the same part in every film, watch Casablanca or Key Largo, then The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, then The Caine Mutiny, then The African Queen, and be disabused of that notion. Bogart was a movie star, and a good reason to watch a film.
Ditto. I've always thought she was incredibly overrated.
I seem to remember Natalie Portman promising to retire from acting after she finished the last of her three Star Wars films. She claimed repeatedly that the last installment would be her final movie, and that she was going to move on and do something else with her life. That would have been nice.
"Just shut up and be awesome."
Well said
There is one thing I'm thankful for regarding Miss Portman: Having graduated from one of those Ivy League universities, she could be writing policy for this current administration as some sort of "Czarina". As long as she continues to spout her inane comments and appear in less than adequate/intelligent/relevant films, I will grit my teeth and bear with her ignorance/naivete`. Sadly , she appears to be just one more promising talent who has lost her way and is now going down the tubes….
Her and her equally talentless doppelganger, Keira Knightley.
I don't find the premise or any of the characters terribly interesting. Also, Eliza Dushku has a very limited range as an actress.
Good call. I can't believe she got an Oscar nomination for Pride and Prejudice. That was the blandest Elizabeth Bennet I've ever seen.
She ruined Star Wars forever and now this?
Ick.
I truly wish life and the world was as uncomplicated and easy as stars believe it is. If only.
My passions are hockey and reading. Unemployment would not allow me to do them as frequently as I would like. Actually, being a full-time student allows me to enjoy them more.
How's your sanity going to handle it when your bank account runs dry?
Can you learn to live with nothing?
How is anything Barack done in nine months going to fix anything wrong with the economy pre-Bush, post-Bush? Spare us the generalities of fixing messes and the time it takes, but real economic principles. There aren't any, just far-left propaganda, policies, and good ole fashioned name calling.
Please do not include Denzel Washington, he has and continues to support the military in various ways. He has my support, although I have not seen a movie in a long while – and the list of undesirables keeps growing.
Then they'll bitch about how "stupid" the rest of us are…and then they'll raise ticket prices.
Gotta add Pixar's Up.
Bogart was a great movie star, and I agree with you 100% about him in both "The African Queen," & "The Caine Mutiny," one of my personal favorites. His portrayal of Capt Queeg was phenomenal, and he will always remain one of my favorite movie stars.
Obviously Portman's frontal lobe is underdeveloped. The vacant stare tells it all. I don't think she made it past 14 intellectually. Her Barbie Castle is a monument to liberal environmental dishonesty.
When she did V for Vendetta, she preached on an MTV propaganda show that there is no terrorist threat.
And she was born in Israel.
Its not just the actor/actress, its Hollyweird in general…
At one time, studios worked like the devil to keep their players from shoving their feet into their mouths up to the hip. They found ways, both positive, and more than a few negative, to soften the excesses of the players and keep them palatable to the public…when Hollywood decided it wasn't worth the trouble and that went away, so did the impetus for people with very little sense of "self", (one of the reasons they were good at the job), to act intelligently and properly. After all, in a lot of cases, they abandoned the previous thespian and hired a new "clone" to do the same job.
One can follow this easily on the feminine side of the ledger. How many excellent actresses begin to be passed up as they age and a new fresh faced bustline gets hired? The process accelerates as actresses price themselves out of the market earlier and earlier through salary, perks, political activism, etc.
It happens to the actors, too, but some (Michael Caine), find new legs in the supporting character market. Pat Stewart stays busy working on stage, and trades some character and cameo spots to keep the estate up.
The best advice I have for the new people? Stay thankful that folks come to see your work, be very fuzzy on details of what you believe politically, support causes, (yours and others) with centrist political tendencies, and stay away from anything moderately addictive in behavior, (drugs, sex, food, adulatory groups that think you are a god/goddess), and work like hell to be the best at what you do. And as soon as you are able, move away from the Hollywood scene and live among regular people as much as possible, lest you fall into the trap you are something super special. Plunging your own toilets and taking out your own trash does wonders to keep you grounded.
Dingbat. I'ma go watch some Miyazaki now.
Yes and what he does, he does quietly, not for the PR value.
I lived in Rota Spain in the mid-70s, my father was a submariner, and we only had the radio, AFRS. Were you all stationed in Madrid, Torrejon (sp?)? Anyhow we didn't miss the TV as much as we thought, although we missed "the States." That being said the Movies, AFRS, Time magazine, and The Stars and Stripes, kept us informed.
I've met a couple of people that have met Mr. Heston and their recollection matched yours.
She must have got it at the same place Sheyl Crow got her "War is not the answer" t-shirt.
I never got the Julia Robers phenomena. She is NOT attractive to me at all and I'm a proud raving All-American hetrosexual male. Oh well no accounting for taste.
Isn't it great to live in a country where people aren't forced to do horrible things like grow up?
Same here. I never found her attractive and in the few films I've seen her in cold waves seem to radiate off her making the character she's playing totally unlikeable
Exactly, IMHO she's just not that good of an actress, or that hot. Cold waves radiating off her indeed. Good metaphor, pandax!!
Sorry I didn't get to see this post until now. It pretty much sums up how I feel about the profession. I like your use of the term "damaging the brand."
concur…especially with bigger home equipment. My blanket exclusion of the industry as a whole for entertainment is a tough nut to break. And the Big Mouths are directly responsible. If they only could just figure out how to lose half of the double standard maybe then could the 'eggheadedness' be stomached.
Democrats/socialists have been in charge since 2006
[...] the modern demise of “The Movie Star” — I share his view if not its intensity. He wrote this piece on Natalie Portman who said, “I think it’s kind of an exciting time. I mean, everyone is cutting back. It’s [...]
Dear god she is stupid. How does she not walk around without a nurse and a helmet?
That role has already been scarfed by the First Klingon…I mean first lady.
That role has already been scarfed by the First lady.
Airheads and insulting big mouths like Portman, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Alec Baldwin, Streisand, Matt Damon, Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins…
How very well said. Can't abide a single one of these tools. Before, you could vaguely overlook the fact that they are marginally talented, because they entertained. That's all over now. A big mouth and whacko attitude killed these movie stars.
I agree. I used to think she was so beautiful. Then she opened her mouth (off script) and ruined it.
Now wait just a minute… oh, I see, twit… never mind
Sadly, it's also a symptom of our 24/7 info overload culture. Sure there have always been gossip rags but when Perez Hilton (ugh) is considered some kind of cultural arbiter (by people who don't know any better), then what hope do we have? An actor can't say or do anything without it ending up online within 15 minutes. How would the Golden Age stars have dealt with that kind of exposure?
So between that and the studio's lack of crisis management skills, I'd call that a big problem. (And kudos to Mr. Nolte for not accusing ALL stars of this kind of behavior. When an actor volunteers at a soup kitchen, that's not news. Like good news in the Middle East, we don't know about it because it's not considered exciting by the media. And there are plenty of character actors and day players who aren't "A-list" and just want to work their craft.)
the Israeli citizen Natalie Hergesch is not a US born citizen (not sure if she's a citizen at all) so her opinions are going to be skewed. Modest talent at best, and doesn't really have a stake in this country so what does one expect?
yeah, Bullock is a libtard. she's smart enough to keep her mouth in check most of the time because her bank account depends on her girl-next-door appeal, but she's a libtard. she was the producer of the George Lopez TV show, and he is a big Republican-hater in his comedy act. She's also married to Jesse James, who doesn't look at all to be the type interested in politics, yet since he's been married to Bullock, he's been quoted saying a few anti-Bush, anti-Iraq War things. he's no doubt getting his opinions from his wife.
Oh, dear. Another weak-minded little libtroll blunders into the lions' den, thinking that the feeble Talking Points are actually something new, different, convincing or valid.
Yep, Barack's recession. If you knew squat about financial markets you'd understand. But being a lib you certainly never received a grounding in economics; all you know is "duuhhhh, Republicans greedy, Democrats care." Sorry, there's no educating the Cuisinarted puree that fills your skull.
Oh, and 'hypocrisy" That's too, too funny, because you have so totally missed the point. The only hypocrisy is on La Nat's part. I see you must have received a public education, given your anemic reading comprehension, so I will try to spell it out. I wish the software permitted crayons, but what the hell. I don't mind if anyone lives in a mansion; in fact I would myself had my grandfather not been the younger son. No, the point which you missed in your plodding libtard way, is the laughable hypocrisy of a wealthy, spoiled actress who postures and preaches constantly about 'carbon footprints' and the need to conserve and cut back and 'sustainable green living,' and how unfair and unequal this country is and the need to 'spread the wealth.' Does that, possibly, create any ripples in your cranial Jello?
And those actors end up paying for it, because, just maybe, a good talent, waiting on the cusp for becoming a great talent, gets bypassed by the freaky thing (Garofolo) with the narcissistic "Look at me! I'm an idiot!" deal going on for them.
That's why I was thinking about a group being outside of silly town, and starting a seriously professional pool of talents of all types; writers, directors, actors and actresses, (I still use actress, that is a title still worth achieving), and can keep themselves out of police stations, gossip rags, and early graves. Some people who can point to their career in progress, and have it said that they're serious and very talented and capable, and can't find messy divorces, drug use, or silly, weird, or aberrant behavior. Put them in the vehicles Hollywood can't grasp, let them act the hell out of it, and ignore what they can of the Hollywood elite.
I am dreaming delusional, but there it is.
"The problem isn’t each individual star – who doesn’t love them some Denzel? – the problem is those damaging the brand as a whole."
If this was true, it would tell me only that the general American film audience is rather shallow, narrow and uninformed – which, to be fair, I sort of already knew from having had to live among them all these years.
I mean, honestly: "X, Y and Z members of such-and-such profession are disagreeable to me, therefore I'll assume the entire profession is the same and will thusly ignore them?" That's not the thought-process of an intelligent or even remotely-mature adult human, that's the thought-process of a poorly-developing five year-old who cries at the sight of Ronald McDonald because he saw some of "Stephen King's IT" once.
I well it seems to me, that these people have everything and are not happy or even thankful, I been hit hard by this current down turn, yet I am thankfull for many things and take great joy in things most would not even notice. I like a lot of the things Miss Portman has done over the years, and personally I have nothing against her, So she says stupid things, Well lots of people say stupid things, including the current Commander in Chief. We live with it and it will get corrected at some point in time. You never hear his junk from Sandra Bullock, a class act by any standard. Miss Portman, you come from a nation that is very good at defending itself, and you are only alive because IDF is very good at what it dose, you get to be foolish and alive. Not every person of your faith had that chance. And there are those that would like to extinguish your life in a second if they could. You should be thankful for those rough men with guns, so you can sleep peacefully at night.
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