The Bland Leading the Blind
by Schizoid MannBefore the election, at a comfortable film festival in Spain, filmmaker Woody Allen told journalists abroad that it would be “a disgrace and a humiliation if Barack Obama does not win.”
“It would be a very, very terrible thing for the United States in many, many ways,” he said. Adding that Mr. Obama, “represents a huge step upward from (the) incompetence and misjudgment” of the Bush administration.”
You know, it’s a hard thing to watch your heroes fall. To see them as they really are, not as you thought they were, not as you wish they were.
I grew up loving Woody Allen movies, ranking “Annie Hall,” “Manhattan” and “Hannah and Her Sisters” as three of my favorite all-time films. With “Radio Days” and “Sleeper” not too far behind.
I also grew up watching the evening news. I felt it was good, it was right when breaking news events came by way of the distinguished anchor, the courageous reporter in the field or by intrepid foreign correspondent, trench coat and all, reporting from overseas. I thought we were being looked after, our interests as Americans were safe with the names I could recite, everyone could recite, without skipping a beat, names synonymous with reporting, with news, with professionalism. I watched Dan Rather, Peter Jennings, MacNeil/Lehrer, Bill Moyers and even a little of Walter Cronkite without a thought to any reason why I shouldn’t. These were the voices I heard. These were the faces I believed. The people on TV that I looked up to. That’s the way it was.
Since then, I have learned that I was fooled. I was tricked, tricked by professionals at illusion: entertainers and journalists.
I don’t blame them. I just feel sad. I feel sad that those fixed stars of my childhood have all but vanished, disappeared into a bleakness and a darkness that is bias, that is a pandemic misguidedness all in the name of power, power for one side, their side, their choices, with little regard for the big picture, the country, our culture.
Like myself, Woody Allen is a New Yorker. He, too, experienced the reality of 9/11 up close and personal. It hit home like nothing else before it. Yet, if we are to judge him by his statements to the press — the international press – he is ignoring the fact that our country has been untouched, completely and absolutely for the seven plus years since that horrible day. No matter how many arguments you have over oil, Halliburton, missing Bin Laden, etc, there has been no repeat of 9/11. None. It’s a fact that seems to go unnoticed by so many in the media, so many like Woody Allen, so many otherwise intelligent people. We have not been hit again.
Mr. Allen completely ignores the reality that this feat was and has been due in large part to the steadfastness of one man, one man who faced obstacles in our media, in our press, in our entertainment fields of movies, music, news, print and video. Every possible avenue of information dispersal in the English language and beyond has been hellbent on bringing down this one man, removing him – trying to do to him, to President Bush, with slow bullets what befell President Kennedy with fast ones.
They failed. No, they didn’t miss. They hit him most certainly. Yes, they wounded him and us. They wounded and killed many in the field, many innocent civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan, and many of our finest citizens who volunteered to protect our nation by joining the armed forces. They, that our friends in the press and entertainment call rubes, morons and uneducated, those honored souls that Hollywood defiles at every opportunity are our best. Yeah, those guys. How many of them were wounded or killed because our irresponsible media and shameless entertainment industry heaped scorn on our country’s Commander in Chief at the worst possible time, when all the world’s eyes were upon us, when everyone waited to see what the United States was going to do when attacked on its shores. Eyes strained to see what would happen when the entertainment capital of the world, Woody Allen’s beloved New York City was struck a lethal blow and when the political capital was likewise attacked. What enemy would not want to see and examine what this so-called omnipotent super power was going to do next?
When the burned steel and flesh was still smoldering at Pearl Harbor, Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto allegedly stated, “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.” Whether or not he actually uttered those words, or only included them in his diary later, is unknown. But what is undeniable is that he believed them.
This phrase was repeated, in various versions all over the place after 9/11. So many people believed that we could not let 9/11 go unpunished. So many people felt we could not just wait for the UN to bungle it. So many people were certain we’d come together as a country, just like after Pearl Harbor. So many people were positive it was finally time to send the message that America was not going to allow its citizens to perish at the hands of madmen.
So many people… forgot.
Sleeping, indeed. Well, Yamamoto was half right. While most of the country forgot their words, their resolve, they went back to work, never really feeling a blip in their daily lives, since they didn’t live in Woody Allen’s New York or work in the Pentagon, and let’s face it, continuing to think about 9/11 was like going to watch “The Sorrow and the Pity” one more time. It was depressing. So, we went back to our lives already in progress. We fell back asleep again.
But our Commander in Chief didn’t. Our airmen didn’t. Our sailors didn’t. Our soldiers didn’t. Our Marines didn’t. They are our giants. And it is their shoulders we now stand upon. How many have lost eyes, limbs, years from their lives because callous individuals which make up our celebrity class are quoted in the domestic and overseas media constantly spewing their hate for this one man, for his stubborn efforts to keep us safe and prevent another 9/11? How many suffered, who are not Americans, because terrorists, and that’s what they are, were emboldened by a fraud documentary or a movie star-of-the-week’s public mockery of our president to anyone and everyone who would listen. And brother, did the world’s press love to listen.
This reminds me of something I’ve thought about a lot since 9/11. In the movie “The Godfather,” there are so many great scenes it’s really hard to pick a favorite. But there is one very small but profound one that stands out for me. It’s a keystone to what happens to the Corleone family from that moment on. Nothing for that family, other families and for the entire business – since the Corleone’s strength is what keeps the peace amongst them – is the same after that scene. Can you start to see why this scene comes to mind? No, it’s not a shootout at a toll booth in New Jersey. No, it’s not a montage of execution and baptism, nor is it a very nice veal dinner ruined by a .38 caliber tracheotomy. No, it’s a very quiet scene. And many might not even remember it. But it’s the stepping stone to all that follows. And it applies exactly to what I have witnessed my country doing to itself since 9/11, and maybe before, if I had taken the time to notice.
The scene takes place in the building of the Genco Olive Oil Company. The Godfather is there with his sons. He is visited by an ambitious outsider making the rounds to all the families who run New York’s underworld. When Sonny, for a brief moment, shows that he might be interested in a new line of business being pitched by this outsider, but which his father had already concluded was not in keeping with their line of work or morality, all is lost. Sonny blew it. That one moment, that one action of Sonny’s was to be the undoing of all that they knew.
How can that be, you ask? Just by showing interest? Or was it greed? The Godfather, the father to his sons, had wisdom enough to realize that to show even the slightest bit of division of purpose within the family was to show the enemy how to attack and defeat them. His displeasure at his son’s carelessness is obvious, but he attempts to diminish its importance by writing it off to youth and a few too many amorous expeditions. But the damage is done. And the Godfather knows it. He shows it in his eyes. Brando is marvelous here. Coppola was very clever not to overplay this scene. He knew to keep it simple and subtle. Because it was subtlety, nuance, and yes, greed that gives away the shop, that exposes the weakness.
Division. You would think no celebrity, no movie star, no director, and especially no director from New York would ever miss something that poignant.
It’s known worldwide that President Bush was a man who did not always do well in front of the camera. But it’s not an easy thing for anyone in even the best conditions. It’s particularly difficult, if not impossible, when the camera has, so to speak, a limited focus and narrow depth of field. Thanks to those cameras, Bush’s every flub, every misstep, every awkward moment that we’ve all been prone to, was highlighted for all the world to see, and for our enemies to learn from, to learn of our lack of unity. Thanks to those cameras President Bush took the heat and became the figurehead for every error, perceived and real, made in America or abroad dating back to the Magna Carta. And for those small, insignificant gains, such as not being attacked since 9/11, for that actual accomplishment and so many others of which we never hear of, he is given none of the credit. Nor does he seek it. What does he do, instead? He thanks the troops.
Filmmaker Woody Allen knows all too well the manipulation possible with the camera, microphone, and editing room. He knows all too well how easy it is to make things appear the way you want them to. The way you need them to.
He knows.
Yet, he seems to have been hoodwinked into thinking Mr. Obama was going to bring change, real change, positive change to the Oval Office. Why did he think this? What evidence was there? Mr. Allen had stated quite clearly that our country would suffer home and abroad if we as a nation did not elect Mr. Obama. Of what evidence or expertise did he consult or review to make such a claim, other than the promises made by a smooth candidate unknown to him and most of the world a mere one year earlier? All we could judge this candidate on were his words and his appearance in front of the camera on the campaign trail. That, and promises of change, loosely dangled in front of self-inflicted weary eyes, hoping for something, anything to bring joy to them after the eight years of misery, of not being attacked again.
Make no mistake. Mr. Allen is not to be grouped in the same category as the Matt Afflecks, the Ben Damons or the Maggie Cho Garofalos. No, he is not an outspoken and overpaid semi-talented celebrity smitten with the limelight and adored by fans hanging on and hooting at his every shameless, treasonous word. No, that is not Woody Allen. He is a talented director and a gifted writer with a vast reservoir of experiences that trump anything a pretty face and high friends in higher places could ever hope to muster. Unlike the celebrity actor, a good director is a manager, a contemplator of bigger pictures than the scene at hand, constantly dealing in the reality of imaginary ‘what if’s. With all due respect to great actors everywhere, and there are many, the director has a bit more to be concerned about than lines to be memorized, a mark to hit and a good side to show to the cameras. He must be a multi-level chess player aware of always changing contingencies on what to do if this fails, if that goes wrong, if so-and-so doesn’t show up. He is tasked with a never-ending list of scenarios of what ideally should be done, what can be done, and what will probably have to be done for each and every set-up, with more levels of uncertainty than a fictional “Buck” Turgidson or Walter Groteschele could ever dream of. He does this all the while inspiring confidence among his crew and never losing sight of the goal: to create something entertaining for others. Maybe even something fun.
In the James L. Brooks film “As Good as it Gets,” Jack Nicholson’s character, Melvin, is approached by a fan who adores his very successful novels.
Young Woman: How do you write women so well?
Melvin: I think of a man, and I take away reason and accountability.
Jack could just as easily be talking about our favorite liberal celebrities there. Too many on the left, while our nation is at war and lives are at stake, have failed to apply reason or bother to take responsibility for their words or any accountability of their behavior and actions, aside from that connected with their box office appeal.
Directors, traditionally, must be able to reason and are always accountable. That’s why, when a director makes statements such as Woody, it means more, it hurts more. While in the past, Mr. Allen had shown himself to be an astute thinker and poignant commentator on the comic tragedy called life and with all his abilities, all his experience, all his wit and humor on the fraud that is power, that is politics, he fully accepted Mr. Obama’s campaign promises on face value alone. He did so for no other reason than that such otherwise written blandness was performed well in front of the camera. With all his background why would Woody Allen fall for that?
Why did Dan Rather throw away a distinguished career on the eve of his retirement, to push a story he simply had to know was false, or at the very least stemmed from a single, highly questionable source? Again. Why?
What has happened to critical thinking?
Mr. Allen is not naive. I won’t get into his personal life and criticize him for his judgement there. That would be unfair, and far too easy. Besides, who among us, including our former president, has not made decisions in their lives, absolutely certain of their correctness at the time, that to others, not in-the-know would seem misguided, wrong or downright evil? Mr. Allen seems unaware that the same description he used of what would have happened to us in America if Obama had lost, “a disgrace” and “humiliation,” are the very words most would apply today to our media, our entertainment industry and of course Mr. Allen’s own personal family life choices.
How can a man who brought us such great visions in his films suddenly be so blind?
Are we in good hands now? Today’s news says otherwise. Woody must feel we are at least not “a disgrace and a humiliation” to the rest of the world. So, that’s something, I guess. Are we safe? Time will tell. But watching the news as I used to do no longer leaves me with any comfort or feeling that the news system itself is in good hands, that they’ll get to the bottom of it, whatever ‘it’ is. Gone is the feeling reporters will leave no stone unturned while the anchor, fulfilling his namesake, will steady the nerves of the nation and remind us of our safety and our security as the president quietly but effectively ensures it. Is that happening anymore for anyone? Is anyone out there feeling reassured by the news, that all may not be well, but that we can handle it because we’re Americans, after all?
I’m not getting that anymore. And I don’t believe that those in the news really care anymore if we do. I think they did, at one time. I really think they tried. But that isn’t what is happening today in all newsrooms great and small. This is a sad conclusion that many, like me, have come reluctantly to meet, and that others are turning their eyes away from. I will confess, though, that what I miss more than most things about those days are the anchors themselves. It may sound shallow, but there aren’t any real anchormen or women in the news business anymore, are there? Like the great actors and directors of Hollywood, they’re replaced by a washed-out bland parade of interchangeable names and faces, all equally untrustworthy and lacking.
To my own questions I have no answers, it is true. Only a kind of sadness and a yearning. A yearning to go back to those days before I knew any better, before the stars began to fade, before they ceased to shine so brightly above, blinding me with their visual eloquence and to a reality that I can now see all too clearly.
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116 Comments
I wonder if Woody Allen thinks its a "disgrace and humiliation" to sleep with your step-daughter?
"outspoken and overpaid semi-talented"
too funny and so very very true…….
Well said !!!!
I, too, am a great fan of the classic Woody Allen movies ("Annie Hall," "Manhattan," "Hannah & Her Sisters," etc.) — not to mention his hilarious books, "Without Feathers," "Getting Even," and "Side Effects." But to believe he was ever anything but a typical liberal Jewish New Yorker would have meant blinding myself to the brazenly obvious. I'll continue to enjoy his entertainment output despite personal whatever revealing nonsense he spouts to overseas journos. In that sense, I don't consider him a fallen hero, but rather merely another creative talent with whose ideological foundation I disagree. After all, true heros are those who make sacrifices for the benefit of others — creative entities who garner fame and fortune via their output hardly qualify on that level, despite how much I may personally derive enjoyment from their works.
Very true and well-stated. I wonder what Woody Allen would say now? Actually, no I don't – I'm certain he would be one of the many continuing to delude themselves that every misstep is somehow Bush's fault, that Obama just needs more time, that we're being too harsh on him. Too harsh on the man who has issued more signing statements than any other President in his first 100 years, spent more money than all Presidents combined, made us laughingstocks overseas and made us look like childish fools to our enemies.
When I was in high school a teacher related a story to me, of a British friend who said that Americans pretend they don't want kings but we elect presidents who we treat as kings. Never before has that been more clearly the case. For the many, many Americans who remain in this fraud's thrall Obama isn't just the President. He's some statement, their projection of their own over-inflated self-worth onto a blank slate of a man who has gotten where he is, all his life, by using people just like that. By letting people 'help him help them', always forgetting that second part.
Throughout Bush's two terms we heard nothing but "fascism! fascism!" Today the President fired the CEO of GM and gave them rules of business conduct. Last week they instructed the masses to riot against AIG bonuses. All these statists who are in this man's thrall, listening to MoveOn.org and telling everyone how great it is to have an "elegant, eloquent" President, need to consult a dictionary. True fascism has arrived, and everybody seems to love it.
"Besides, who among us, including our former president, has not made decisions in their lives, absolutely certain of their correctness at the time, that to others, not in-the-know would seem misguided, wrong or downright evil?
Excuse me? Are you attempting to put the political decisions of President Bush in the same league as the sexual decision of Woody Allen to sleep with his own adopted daughter, than photograph her nude and leave the pictures on the mantlepiece for the girl's mother (who is also Allen's mistress) to find? Whoa there. That's going too far. I assure you that NO one in their right mind would ever describe that sexual decision of Allen's to being a decision that could possibly be judged as seeming to be "absolutely certain of (its) correctness at the time.."
Personally, I think that Bush, a God-fearing Christian and a devout family man has to be delighted that he's held in low esteem by Woody Allen. Who on earth would want that dirty old man's approval?
Giving him a pass on his personal life is the mistake that leads to disappointment in his professional life. His films have always been self-indulgent. The more he indulges himself, the more Hollywood rewards him. This disconnect between what he says and what he does is fostered in such an atmosphere. It is endemic to Hollywood.
Hey. You forgot him also leaving pictures of her naked body on the mantlepiece for the girl's mother (who was also Woody's mistress) to find? Yup, I can't say as that would EVER be construed as a decision that a decent person was "absolutely certain of (its) correctness at the time".
You've said a lot, and I think you're right. I don't feel that modern journalists care about this country and us anymore either. I think they like to view themselves as "detached", even though ironically/hypocritically they also like to view their job as allowing them to advocate. The only way I can reconcile the difference is that journalists are willing to promote causes, just not American ones.
I have the same problems with the Democrats now. I was raised to think that neither the Dems or the Republicans had a corner on patriotism. I was taught that both wanted the best for the country, even if they disagreed about how to get there. But the last 20 years have changed my mind. When I see the left seeking our failure in Iraq — at the expense of American lives, just to spite Bush, and I see them looking to hand over our sovereignty to "more trustworthy" organizations like the UN, I realize that these are not the positions of people who love this country.
Hey! So Allen doesn't love Bush? Dang, I'll promise you this isn't make Bush boo hoo into his pillow. Come on, Allen the man who slept with his own adopted daughter, than left pictures of her naked body on the mantlepiece for the girl's mother (who was also Allen's mistress) to find? Yup – I assure you that Bush must be awfully pleased with himself to be disliked by a sleaze like this.
The truest judge of a man is not just who admires him – but who doesn't. To be disliked by Woody Allen is a triumph equal to be disliked by a 'that guy in the neighborhood'.
Sheesh, so this whole diatribe because Woody Allen said he thought Bush was incompetent? Let's all boycott his films, because he has a different opinion than us, who's with me?! ?
You guys are pathetic
Echoing others, but it bears repeating: am I really supposed to be concerned about Woody Allen's opinion of anything? He's a creepy little kiddy-fiddling twerp.
"No, he is not an outspoken and overpaid semi-talented celebrity smitten with the limelight and adored by fans hanging on and hooting at his every shameless, treasonous word."
Excellent piece, except for the statement above. Overpayment implies the entity doing the paying being forced to pay more than market value for the entity receiving payment. Just as my payment for guns and butter is a value-judgment, so too are the multi-million dollar payments to – specifically – A-List stars and MLB baseball players a value judgment by studios and team owners, respectively. Matt Damon's – to cite but one – political views may be reprehensible to me, but his ability to draw massive profits in the market illustrates he's not overpaid. Putting art aside, he is worth far more what he is paid than Allen is. It is the windfalls earned by Damon that enable people like Allen to make films. Allen, meanwhile, is hit and miss regarding the production of films that make money – he is loved by a very specific audience, and that is fine, but so was Russ Meyer (whose movies I love!) and so too is Joe Francis, our best example of catering to the lowest common denominator making huge profits in the moving pictures game.
Ergo, viva la Vixen!
Despite Penelope Cruz' Oscar win this year, I don't think Allen's been culturally relevant since "Bullets Over Broadway," but I see Mann hasn't lost his love for the man. It's as impossible for me to separate Allen's personal actions from his art as it is for me to separate Roman Polanski from his, although Polanski's actions were much more heinous. I think Mann picks a tenuous prop for his piece. Why does he need to tie it to someone as irrelevant as Woody Allen? Weakens the whole point, IMHO.
How we come to our enlightenment is not so important as is the fact that we somehow , do.
Never a fan of Woody Allen in the past I respect those who do find him worthy as a director. As someone qualified to reflect on President Bush and his accomplishments as our President, I would think the last person I would look to for comment or opinion would BE Woody Allen.
Yet, for all the appreciation of Woody Allen and the figures of news and entertainment the writer found to be worthy of respect in years past, he has now learned that we have been living in a fantasy that was perpetrated by those in the media and entertainment. The only difference now is that it is so blatant that we cannot help but see it.
The insight into the behavior of all of these idols with feet of clay during the last 8 years is the most outstanding and intelligent I have read in a very long time.
[...] Big Hollywood placed an interesting blog post on The Bland Leading the BlindHere’s a brief overviewBefore the election, at a comfortable film festival in Spain, filmmaker Woody Allen told journalists abroad that it would be “a disgrace and a humiliation if Barack Obama does not win.” “It would be a very, very terrible thing for the United States in many, many ways,” he said. Adding that Mr. Obama, “represents a huge step upward from (the) incompetence and misjudgment” of the Bush administration.” You know, it’s a hard thing to watch your heroes fall. To see them as they really ar [...]
Political differences never stops me from watching film or buying music. So the strawman you just set up and knocked down makes you the pathetic one here.
You've said a lot, and I think you're right. [insert: Honey, Pookie, Sugar Biscuit, My Unholy Beyotch From Hell, random endearness word(s), etc ]
If you are married, and you can bite your lip long enough to say this to your wife everyday, then you will have a very happy marriage indeed.
But back to the Woody. I was a big fan for years, and then I grew up.
I'm not reminded of my Bible often, but Obama's election reminds me an awful lot of I Samuel 8:10-18. Essentially, the Israelites decide they want a king, and this is God's warning about all the oppressive things their king will end up doing but they don't listen and demand their king anyway.
The left had to have their man, and now we have President Government Motors from whom all stock market crashes flow. How long will it be until all healthcare is in his name?
"slow bullets" If that isn't the title for a country song, what is?
I am seeing the world unravel. It has unraveled before. Think of how few Jews got out of Europe when Hitler was obviously sharpening his knives for them. For some people, it was because they just couldn't leave. For others, it was because they put blinders on — they had the money and the time to get out, but thought, "Surely he won't come for me and my family. Ignore the peril. Me and mine, we'll be fine." And then they were gone.
Allen thinks it can't be about him. It's the other fella. Enemy? Too scary to contemplate, so he makes up an enemy that isn't there: "W."
Ladies and gentlemen, if we all think like Allen, we too will be gone. We’re the last line of defense. Let's be ready to go. Let's be ready to fight.
I'm sorry, but that nonsense has to go. Woody Allen never touched a child. The girl was of consenting age when they began dating, so it's nobody else's business. They've also been together, happily, ever since.
I haven't liked any of Woody's films except What's Up, Tiger Lily.
"The girl was of consenting age when they began dating…"
Says who?
He's a creepy old man, Woody is.
who mentioned a boycott? all we are talking about is losing respect for an entire industry (news/entertainment) that used to engender unquestioned respect. They stopped caring about our country, and now sadly, we can no longer care about their infantile wants anymore. They sold their souls to the devil when they tried to gloss over bill clinton's failings, and now they have lost the respect of our nation. We have the best country in the world, and we do not want it remade into a socialist entity.
Mia Farrow says otherwise. Maybe she's lying and maybe she's not, but I'm not inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to a guy who's shtupping his stepdaughter.
Yeah, I know, I'm a reactionary wacko. Sue me.
Allen has always had an obsession with mortality. He probably looks in the mirror and realizes that his own "best days" are behind him. Like so many secularized people, he seems to believe that this life is all there is. He is now in his 70s. With probably only 10 to 20 years (most likely less) left to him, he has an obsessive desire to find some way to stay "relevant". If that includes endorsing Obama to the world press, why not?
His neuroses and his insecurities have always been a big part of his schtick. Being "accepted" for saying the right things is undoubtedly one of them. Doesn't mean he shouldn't be called out on it, though. No matter what your age or your personal reasons, announcing your support for a hack candidate shouldn't be excused.
Once he started making his own films Woody Allen has been a one-trick pony. His films are about him. His view on religion, his views on women, his views on childhood, his views, his view on relationships, ad nauseum. His comedies early on were great, then in my humble opinion slid into just okay, and for the last 10 years, not funny at all. And his so-called serious films starting with the dreadful Manhattan are awful. His attempt to be his idol Ingmar Bergman. Even when we was young he's been a little creep. Funny in his youth but otherwise a creep. He just seeks gratification of his own lusts and wants to be thought of as some sort of avante-garde, ahead-of-the-curve artiste. All he is a morally bankrupt hedonist with a minor ability to make comedies earlier in his career. He wouldn't know the right thing to do even if he tripped over it.
"You know, it’s a hard thing to watch your heroes fall. To see them as they really are, not as you thought they were, not as you wish they were."
Funny- you could apply that statement to an ever growing crowd of independents, yellow dogs, and even deluded republicans suffering acute buyer's remorse after voting for the cypher in chief.
Fully expect that number to swell rapidly this week after preznit karaoke and the artful tax dodger get done looking like complete dolts at the G20 over in London.
Just hope they brought a converter so they can plug in the brains of the operation.
I'm not one of Allen's many haters. I grew up on his films and liked them for their intelligence. But he's an arch liberal, always has been. I like the fact that he's at least willing to make fun of the left in some of his movies like Bananas. But Bush really rubbed liberals the wrong way. Everything about him seemed to make them crazy. Crazy enough to think an inexperienced poseur like Obama is some kind of panacea.
Allen seems to be on autopilot lately. I'll go and watch anything he does, but his last bunch of films feel realty tired to me.
We have entered the work of the past 40yrs of leftist radicals in our country, the Woodstock Nation is borne. It’s no surprise to me that this moment has come. We have sat by and fooled ourselves that, hey we’re all Americans we all believe in the greatness of our country. The problem is like idiots we are the only ones that have been acting in good faith. The Democrat party is an extension of the Weather Men, Black Panthers, Hippies, Yippies, ACLU, or any other seething America hating ‘60s radical all grown up, and running things, “what do you expect?” I’ve been hearing this since I was a kid, “one day we’ll run things then we’ll show you.” Our parents with concerned expressions thinking, “yeah I’ll count the days.” Now we’re older and jaded and that’s good, because we now see clearly what’s been coming. They’re not hiding in shadows effecting this that or the other but exposed, and I believe blowing their wad. We have them right where we want them. Now get off our a$$es and prepare for 2010. There’s a hell of a lot more of us, their just louder.
Just a note: Soon-Yi Previn was never Woody Allen's step-daughter. She was the adopted daughter of Allen's long-time inamorata, Mia Farrow. Allen and Farrow (and thus Soon-Yi) never lived together as a family. She was in her early twenties when she and Allen became an item. They've now been married for 12 years; Allen's only previous marriage, to Louise Lasser, lasted for three.
The turning point actually came in 1962, when God was kicked out of public schools. God was replaced in the schools with humanism, socialism, and every other bad ism there is. After 45 years of left-wing indoctrination, Obama's election means the chickens have come home to roost.
I've never gotten Woody Allen. He has always creeped me out and when he started diddling his stepdaughter, that just confirmed it for me. I can honestly say that I've never enjoyed his movies and he's essentially a nonentity to me. I suppose you have to be a New Yorker to really "get" him. I am very selective about how I spend my entertainment dollars, since that is the best way to empower myself vis a vis the entertainment industry. At the end of the day, you can always vote with your wallet-until Obama sends the praetorian guards out to force you to go see Oceans 14.
The only Woody Allen film that hasn't bored me to tears is Take The Money and Run
"All he is a morally bankrupt hedonist with a minor ability to make comedies earlier in his career"
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Although I used to enjoy his earlier films (just "enjoyed"- never "blown away" like a lot of other folks apparently were) I haven't watched a single film of his (either old or new) since the repulsive Soon Yi debacle.
Same with Roman Polanski.
Maybe I shouldn't judge a film by its maker, but I just can't help being creeped out by such behavior.
And don't forget the World Court. If we thought the Constitution in exile was bad, wait until it's suspended entirely and replaced by the law of the prophet.
As for this particular blog, I think the last good thing Woody Allen did was What's Up Tiger Lily. OK, I'm stretching it. I loved his comedies, and found his dramas talky, depressing and unenlightening all at the same time.
Everything I wrote above went into the moderation black hole, along with the remainder of the comment about Manhattanites, anti-depressants and vodka. It was much more sensible as one post in one stream of thought. This moderation crap is driving me crazy ! ! ! !
Great point regarding The Godfather. After Sonny's gaffe, Don Vito immediately summoned Luca Brassi.
As for Allen, a sad old secular pop idol with nothing left in the tank. And no where to go anyway.
Schizoid Mann, great piece.
Powerful idea to use Allen as a jumping off point, tying in the skill set he'd have to have, being a film director and all. (Come on, everyone, no mention of "Manhattan Murder Mystery"?)
Other than Allen-as–director you-should-be-smarter-than-that matrix of your article, I completely share your disappointment in a, formerly trusted, news and entertainment media.
I also adore reading articles by folks who share yours and my opinion of President Bush. So, I unqualifiedly share your opinion on George Bush what with keeping the country safe – doesn't anyone recall the immediate aftermath peri-9/11 stress of waiting for the next heinous act to come at us?
It hurts my mind and my heart that people hated President Bush so avidly and so blindly that they cheerfully imperiled the lives and limbs of our brave service men and women to trash our President.
President Bush, the grownup, did two most amazing things; he did the two things that separate the men from the boys.
First, he paid no attention, or rather he showed no reaction to the haters. Although their sheer vastness and their muscular hatred had to have been unnerving, he showed no reaction. Like a man, he simply allowed for the exercise of freedom of speech as writ into our Constitution. Second, and Schizoid Mann nailed it well, he blithely brushed off the credit for our safety and successes in defeating our enemy by deflecting the credit to our men and women of the armed services. Magnificent strength.
We sorely need adults in DC these days and none are on the horizon as being anywhere in the vicinity. Gulp. I'm going from wary to scared, fast.
I agree 110%! Nothing but a creep and he LOOKS like a pedophile. NOT that they have any "certain" look but if they did they would look like Woody Allen.
Jake: I wasn't stealing your line. I made an almost identical post that went in and out of the moderation rabbit hole several times, in several parts. But at least you know that I agree with you. Two great minds run in the same channel, or something like that.
You do seem to have a problem with getting moderated.
I like What's Up Tiger Lilly and Bananas — though both were a little sloppy. Other than that, I'm not a Woody Allen fan.
I wonder if obama takes his teleprompter to the bathroom with him.
Well yea they're happy, woody TOLD her she was and she believes him. Can we all say brainwashed here?
"Since then, I have learned that I was fooled. I was tricked, tricked by professionals at illusion: entertainers and journalists."
We ALL were fooled..You have stated very eloquently what I myself have felt towards these same people. Also very disapointed.
I think the moderation filter hates Germans. If the original post shows up, you'll see that it's almost identical to the first two, and contains no racial, ethnic or other no-nos. I just plain don't get it. I reported it, and I'll probably get the same response I got the last three times, which is to say, none. The third part is the one that seems to have triggered the filter, so I don't know if it's New Yorkers, drugs or booze that the moderation robot doesn't like.
You might be on to something with the computer hating Germans. Or maybe it hates lawyers? Should we sue?
We should always sue, auf Deutsch if necessary.
Gott in Himmel, sind Sie vericht? Sue — ja. Auf Deutsch — nein.
I am a little verruckt, and I won't sign a Vericht. I think you're right, we'd better stick to English.
LOL! Whoops. Yeah, let's stick to English.
Agreed. Americans do love royalty. I'm no different. I do get smitten over the undeniable attractiveness of a powerful individual who can move mountains, at least temporarily.
I say this as I listen to Coldplay's Viva la Vida. How poignant life is, indeed.
Thanks for the input.
Yes. True. But he's still groovy and enjoyable, and, yes, alas, I still love him. "Who knows the secrets of the human heart?"
With apologies to the late great Chuck Heston, no doubt. Since, that's almost exactly what he said was to be credited for keeping his marriage solid through all good and lean years in that capital of break ups, Hollywood.
"Honey, I was wrong."
I'm not married, myself, but I can totally agree and understand it. I think it's hilariously true.
Happens to me too. I sent a mail to Alex and John. I think the tech guys at BH will look into it, but I'm pretty sure it's a IntenseDebate issue. Though, just a guess. Hang in there.
Well, we all have our own heroes. Woody was, and still is, one of mine. Along with the industry called 'journalism'. Both failed me, as I explain. Of those two described, I still love and enjoy one.
I hope your heroes are unflawed and remain so for as long as you breathe.
"…for all the appreciation of Woody Allen and the figures of news and entertainment the writer found to be worthy of respect in years past, he has now learned that we have been living in a fantasy that was perpetrated by those in the media and entertainment. The only difference now is that it is so blatant that we cannot help but see it. "
Yes, you caught my point very well.
And it's not really relevant who we picked to like, is it? And the question arises, do we pick?
Thanks for the input.
If you look at his films, he mocks the liberal intelligentsia better and more than anyone.
THanks. And thanks for noticing that Woody is merely a symbolic entity that I used to make the article more personal for me. I do love him, but, you can insert any name in there, or in the slot of newscasters as well.
The ones I chose were relevant to me – and obviously not to many others here in the comments, Lol.
That's as it is, though. Comes with the territory. Talk about personal experiences often enough, and you'll find sometimes you're the only one who's had them.
But the point, that you articulated above, still stands and, I believe, affects everyone, just with the names changed to protect the guilty.
Getting hung up on my choice of Woody is a mistake. insert any director, producer, writer of films there, and it applies.
Thanks for the input.
And I just got moderated, again, over at the PBS/Dickens discussion. I think Big Hollywood should break its ties to Intense Debate, or make some demands about what is being black-holed. I've sent multiple e-mails to the feedback people, and after being robo-moderated, I get robo-stroked. I don't want them to express their concern and thank me for my comment, I want them to fix it.
Well, my reply just got moderated, I was discussing your reply. That makes three in one day.
I think the main problem with Mr. Allen and other artists is that because they are talented in one field, they think their opinions about politics or world affairs matter. Unfortunately, the slobbering lapdog media thrusts celebs. at us through trashy checkout magazines and moronic faux news shows (Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, The Insider, etc.). People love glamour and/or money and fame, but it's painfully obvious that the vast majority of mouthy and rich liberal celebs. don't have the brains it takes to run their lives, much less comment on the state of the nation.
On the plus side, I think that the rank and file citizens are becoming aware of just how inept B. Hussein Obama really is, in terms of running the country. As painful as it is to watch him and the usual gang of idiots screw up, it may be a valuable lesson for voters next time. As Rush says, "elections have consequences." Hopefully, the majority will remember that in 2010 and 2012.
[...] ghumakkar.com placed an interesting blog post on The Bland Leading the BlindHere’s a brief overview…with little regard for the big picture, the country, our culture. … would happen when the entertainment capital of the world, Woody Allen’s [...]
Huh.
Dang! You beat me to it. All this high-handed judgment and lectures on shame from a guy who frequently and openly banged his own progeny.
Glad you liked the piece.
Thanks for the input.
Why are the libertarians always the holier-than-thou losers on this blog?
Schiz, this piece says it all for me, man.
It sucks growing old and discovering that everything you know is wrong
My impression of Allen is he is not a big people person. And he detests phonies. So he bashes lefty frauds because he's had plenty of dealings with them as a New York person in the arts.He doesn't like conservatives, but he probably has had little dealing with them. When he does talk about conservatives, his satire is really cliched. So I suspects he knows very few right wingers. Proably on purpose. But that limits his ability to write about them.
Obama is a master at being a blank slate for people to project themselves on. That's why they mistakenly think he's cool. They see themselves in him as "If I were a black guy I would be cool like Obama". The truth is he's vain and thin skinned and is basically a cut out. Maybe when it all comes about about Obama, which iot will people like Allen will have something to say about it. Maybe.
I suspect many Obama supporters, when they realize they've been had, will pretend they didn't really support him or they will change the subject.
Well, this is true and not.
It's a rigged game. The overpaid actors are overpaid. And here's why:
The increased cost of paying a huge sum to a big name is transferred over to budget, of course. That has to be recovered somehow. So, things like ticket price, slack taken up by product merchandising, etc.. are elements that hurt, not help the art of film.
Watch Tennis? Wimbledon or the Opens? Notice the Mercedes logo on the net nowadays? That's due to the ever increasing costs of running the sport.
The profit makers of a studio will never take a cut. Never. They will only increase the marketing, licensing, etc. to keep that margin stable. If actors get paid 1, 2, 3 mil for a pic that will be on cable by Christmas, they must recover that outlay in immediate funds spent, in other ways. Only two of those ways are product placement and merchandising tie-ins. Neither is good for films, or art. That's my view.
I don't believe in the mass marketing and merchandising of art. I hate seeing a Paul Klee or Monet on a handbag design. Mondrian on sneakers. Sorry, that's just me. Warhol is another matter, for obvious reasons.
I don't care for T-shirt culture.
But hey, I live in a country that has advertisement on every surface.
Another:
" It is the windfalls earned by Damon that enable people like Allen to make films. Allen, meanwhile, is hit and miss regarding the production of films that make money – "
Interesting, but…
If Damon makes a bag of money how does that enable Woody to continue to make his films. It's not community property.
If you mean Damon's bag of money helps directors LIKE Woody, well, those would be the directors of films that Damon stars in, and only those films, and the very next production at best, and those in the same studio.
The windfall profits, do not last long at all. It only takes one, maybe two big flops in a row to bring down a studio.
Ask Damon himself. He was exactly afraid of this very thing with his first Bourne and his subsequent non Bourne semi-flops at that time. He mentioned this on Letterman, I believe.
The studios do not help each other to stay afloat, nor share their profits. If Woody cannot afford to make a pic, no amount of success by Damon will prevent that. Unless he personally 'bails out' Allen or his company himself.
I realize you are only using Damon as an example. You also realize I'm only using Woody as an example, as well?
Thanks for the input.
Heh, I posted that passage in my Live Journal the day after the election.
Some days I feel like quoting Gone With the Wind. . ."It isn't to be borne!"
*MissQuinn*
Somehow, I find it hard to believe the guy who did Sleeper doesn't see the regime that's coming, Even though it's coming from the other side, you'd think someone like him would expect backstabbing.
This is the tenth anniversary of my bookmark for Drudge Report. I used to like it for the news that got overlooked, but the raw naked media bias we've seen lately has gone beyond selectively reporting to full-out advocacy, and Drudge is now a necessity for me to get to the truth quickly. I can't even watch the nightly world news anymore, local news is it, and even then when they cue the network stories I can hear the slant. MSM is dead to me.
Innocence may be lost, but hope is not. Drudge still finds news to post, is still on the internet, so I know real journalism still exists somewhere. All is far from lost.
Mia Farrow also falsely accused Allen of taking Satchel into closets and doing things to him. It was part of their nasty 'divorce' – of course they were never really married but they had a bad enough public breakup that they should have been. Soon-Yi was also never his 'stepdaughter' for the same reason. For most of her childhood Allen was never around her. And yes, she was of consenting age when they began their relationship.
This can all be read about in any of the many biographies that were rushed out after the incident.
I'm perfectly willing to state the man is irrelevant, egotistical, and completely out of touch. But the sly little snipes about his personal life, almost all based in ignorance of the situation, seem out of line.
Mia Farrow also falsely accused Allen of taking Satchel into closets and doing things to him. It was part of their nasty 'divorce' – of course they were never really married but they had a bad enough public breakup that they should have been. Soon-Yi was also never his 'stepdaughter' for the same reason. For most of her childhood Allen was never around her. And yes, she was of consenting age when they began their relationship.
This can all be read about in any of the many biographies that were rushed out after the incident.
I'm perfectly willing to state the man is irrelevant, egotistical, and completely out of touch. But the sly little snipes about his personal life, almost all based in ignorance of the situation, seem out of line.
Pretty good article. I've only seen Mighty Aphrodite… maybe I'm close minded. I agree with the other posters… he seems to be self-important. And, yikes… they are 35 yrs apart? Blech.
And, it's okay to capitalize Soldier, Sailor, and Airman.
Not really just about Woody, the film community took it upon themselves to march in lockstep KUUUL thus changing the heartbeat and playingfield of a War on Terror.
Terrorists are now the good guys…Hollywood had a lot to do with that ugly fact.
Woody Allen is one I don't even have to think about as someone to boycot due to his political leanings. Sorry to admit it, since Schizoid Mann had such a great piece, very poignant, but I have never liked a single WA movie. Not a one. Nor can I stand the sight of him. He has just always made me feel skeevy. As for his morals, I assume all people in "the business" don't have any, until proven otherwise. I never get disappointed that way, and more often than not, I am right.
Despite his personal life, I'm still a Woody Allen fan. I've seen all of his films and my favorites are Everyone Says I Love You, Manhattan, Annie Hall, Deconstructing Harry (which might be his darkest comedy), and Love and Death.
I do NOT particularly enjoy his Bergman-style melodramas – Interiors, Another Woman, and September. I feel he was trying too hard to emulate his hero and the films come across as humorless and pretentious. I still haven't seen Vicky Christina Barcelona but, as far as his later films go, I thought Match Point was very good and Cassandra's Dream wasn't bad either.
I agree with you re: the faux news shows. Sometimes I think we'd never know what celebs thought about politics if these vultures didn't shove microphones into their faces and ask them in the first place. Watching Joel McHale make fun of these vacuous shows on E!'s The Soup is a weekly highlight for me.
I think a lot of celebs run their lives just fine. We just don't know about them because they aren't newsworthy. Why report on an actor who ran for a charity or donated to a good cause when Lindsay Lohan says she wants to move to Dubai – because, you know, that's more important news.
Maybe lawyers are suspect?
Wow, that really nails it. Good observation.
"I don't believe in the mass marketing and merchandising of art. I hate seeing a Paul Klee or Monet on a handbag design. Mondrian on sneakers. Sorry, that's just me. Warhol is another matter, for obvious reasons."
Good one! ; – )
(insert rimshot and cymbal)
One thing I think everyone would acknowledge about Woody Allan is that he leads an insular life. Seeing that he's an Upper Manhattanite, I'm really not suprised – just disappointed.
That said, yes, I'm a fan. Put Crimes and Misdemeaners as one of the most thoughtful movies made.
So she wasn't actually his stepdaughter because her mom wasn't married, so really 45-ish Allen was just bonking his live-in girlfriend's 17-year-old adopted daughter.
Which is totally different and totally not creepy. Noted.
Boss, boss! Be very careful I believe it’s BH trying to muscle in on the, wheelbarrow, beer, bread, electric, and credit card business. Your diabolical scheme, I mean your plan for the greater good of America could be at risk, it’s the “man” intimidating the SF beer syndicate via the now classic moderation technique. Trust no one, wink-wink-nod-nod!
!!!!
The Enforcer
Cheesy, note that Schizoid wrote: "won’t get into his personal life and criticize him for his judgement there. That would be unfair, and far too easy."
The question still stands: How could all these people (especially NY'ers) be so duped into accepting Obama's comments at face value…
Andrew, the only argument I see in your comment:
"I don't feel that modern journalists care about this country and us anymore either. I think they like to view themselves as "detached", even though ironically/hypocritically they also like to view their job as allowing them to advocate"
You're right about the caring about the public. But as for the country…They want to be the 'official' 4th arm of the govt now, which means they want/demand to have as much say in govt policy as those on the Hill.
"True fascism has arrived, and everybody seems to love it. "
A more factual phrase could not be stated. It never failed to amaze me how those who would be the first to label others as fascist were the very ones using historically fascist tactics to bring that very thing to our country.
"My Unholy Beyotch From Hell"
I happen to love it when my wife calls me that.
"First, he paid no attention, or rather he showed no reaction to the haters. Although their sheer vastness and their muscular hatred had to have been unnerving, he showed no reaction. Like a man, he simply allowed for the exercise of freedom of speech as writ into our Constitution. Second, and Schizoid Mann nailed it well, he blithely brushed off the credit for our safety and successes in defeating our enemy by deflecting the credit to our men and women of the armed services. Magnificent strength."
Who are our heroes now? Here is one Right in front of us!
Good points. But here's the thing. Woody admires and respects old Hollywood more than any other Liberal I've ever seen. Far more. His love of music matches this as well. He is able to enjoy and admire the work of conservative actors, directors, musicians. How many liberals today can do that?
He was a big fan of Sinatra, (calling him one of the finest singers in human history) and Bob Hope and Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne just for starters. (Sinatra was a democrat with JFK, of course, but became a republican supporter with Ronald Reagan. ) As for the other three, you don't get much more conservative in Hollywood than Bob Hope and Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne. Except maybe Chuck Heston.
But I understand your point.
Thanks for the comment and kudos.
Yes, not many of us can relate to the kind of pressures Bush had to face.
So when he thanks the troops, in his humble way, it's awe inspiring. You don't see that in politics, not like he did it. With sincerity.
Frankly, Bush was not a politician. He wasn't good at it, because he's a decent man and you must have two faces at least to be a 'successful' politician. And also because he hates process and wants results. Politicians live for process, particularly democrats.
Oh, I agree. I'm saddened but by no means discouraged. Not even close.
(Irish/Italian blood again)
Yes, in Sleeper he makes a point to poke fun at 'revolutionaries' as he does in Bananas with the Castro look alike and the inept, insane transformation from rebel to madman.
In Sleeper when Diane Keaton is so thrilled that the good looking head of the rebels (Erno) will now be in charge stating, "Don't ya see, soon we'll be stealing Erno's nose. It doesn't work."
I recall hearing Drudge address the National Press Club way back in '97 or early '98. They literally and vocally snickered when he was smugly introduced as a 'journalist'. He took it well, and just went on to explain that from now on, mainstream media no longer has a monopoly on the news. Everyone is a journalist. We are all citizen journalists. They weren't buying it at all. He was a novelty to them, and a fad and was going to be joining the Dodo bird.
Well, he didn't go anywhere. They did. Maybe they weren't buying what he had to say, but the world was. But what people are NOT buying now, are newspapers.
Thanks. As a USAF vet, I appreciate that.
Thanks for noticing something other than Woody. I think most people, if I am to judge by the comments, got so turned off by my mentioning Woody, they missed the main point of the piece. Oh, well. Can't please everybody, I guess.
To think that my piece might have done better at a liberal blog is very depressing, indeed!
Maybe?
Those dirty rats!
"Woody must feel we are at least not “a disgrace and a humiliation” to the rest of the world." This need for the love and approval of "the world" is just another symptom of the inherent narcissism of Liberalism. Liberals seem to covet love and approval above all, and that is an altar to which they are willing to sacrifice anything. Morals, values, critical thinking, judgement, justice, etc. If you look at the impact of America on the world in the short time of it's existence, it is nothing short of astounding. Every advanced culture and rich civilization is there but for the grace of the United States. Had we followed what "the world" wanted us to do in those times, in order to be loved, there would be no western Europe. There would be no China, there would be no South Korea. Every "rich" state that exists today is there but for the blood paid by Americans. It wasn't doing what would get us loved that did that, it was doing what was right.
But what kind of man tears apart a family (intact and extended) to take up with the barely adult adopted daughter of a woman with whom he had a long term relationship and three children? This narcissistic behavior has resulted in his being denied visitation rights with one child, having visitation rights with another only under supervision and the third child declining to have a relationship with his father.
That's a lot of scarred, young lives in order for him and his mate's daughter to live happily ever after.
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