—–

—–

Ellen Barkin, Roseanne Barr, John Legend, Lance Armstrong, and many others have pledged to not only end their support of Komen, they are also urging others to do the same. But that’s how the left thinks. First off, how dare a private charity make a private decision (so much for “choice”). Secondly, you can’t support both for heaven’s sake, Harvey might not invite you to his next shindig.

And yet it is possible to support Komen AND Planned Parenthood, but these sanctimonious celebs are choosing to turn their backs on the fight against breast cancer just to prove to the rest of Hollywood they are good little left-wing minions.

Of all the things for the Hollywood left to put their energy, riches, and celebrity behind, they choose an abortion factory that targets the poor, specifically blacks and Hispanics.

Where are their priorities? Isn’t there a cop killer on death row somewhere in need of support? A child rapist? What’s the matter with these people.

Anyway, good for Ms. Heaton. Not only are her beliefs properly aligned but she’s willing to publicly stand up for them.

Hollywood conservatives are the new Hollywood iconoclasts.

The rest are the Borg, The Man, the minions, The Establishment.

If you have not read “Primetime Propaganda” by Ben Shapiro or Andrew Breitbart’s “Righteous Indignation,” I suggest adding both of them to your fall reading list. Both books do a great job of explaining how we got to this point in, supposedly, the most tolerant and accepting nation in the history of the planet, where the one thing that will not be tolerated in Hollywood is admitting you are a conservative. As someone hoping to one day make a living as a working actor, I know I have a difficult road in front of me due to my political views.

So why is it newsworthy when someone in Hollywood admits they are, indeed, a conservative? Everyone knows that Kelsey Grammer is a conservative, yet he still works regularly. His former co-star, Patricia Heaton, also has another hit series despite her apparent drawback. It is news because, at least until now, they have been the exception. It is news because the Hollywood power brokers have set up a system that, until now, has kept conservatives too afraid to admit their true political views for fear of being ostracized from any future work in “the business.”

There’s also the fact that conservatives do not feel the need to spout their political views at every opportunity the way liberals in Hollywood do. I’ve never understood why someone who relies on reaching the largest audience possible to view their work would alienate half of their potential fan base. Granted, not every Hollywood liberal has called Tea Partiers racists, but enough of them have to affect their box office numbers. According to Box Office Mojo, the 2011 box office take is down 4.2 percent compared to the same point last year. That is hundreds of millions of dollars. Sure, the down economy is having some effect on movie going, but it is not the only reason people aren’t going. I, for one, have stopped going because I don’t want to give my hard earned money to someone who thinks so little of me.

That is why the time for Hollywood conservatives to come out of the closet is now. I know I’m not the only one looking for people to throw my support behind. Every time I see a link on a website to a list of “Conservative Actors” I follow it, hoping I’ll see a new name added to the list of Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Recent additions have included Robert Downey, Jr. and Adam Sandler.

Sandler is one I have yet to see confirmed as a conservative. He is always listed as having supported former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani in the past. Based on Sander’s recent family values based movies, I can certainly see it, though. The fact that he has not come out and openly stated his conservative views also leads me to believe it is true.

Am I wrong for hoping it’s true?

There is also a rumor that Angelina Jolie was going to come out in support of John McCain for the 2008 election, but her people convinced her not to in order to save her career. Would it really have been that detrimental to her? She has already established herself as a star in Hollywood. Does she not realize she would likely have gained fans by doing so?

It’s time for Hollywood conservatives to understand there is a possibility they are not the minority anymore. A recent Rasmussen Reports survey found 34.3 percent of respondents identified themselves as Republican, with 33.1 percent identifying as Democrat. This is a reversal of results from the same survey the past two years which found Democrats ahead in 2010 (36.3 percent to 33.4 percent) and 2009 (37.8 percent to 31.9 percent). Those numbers look like a trend to me. Since Hollywood is looked at as a major trendsetter, why are they so far behind on this one?

I understand the hesitancy to come forward, based on how Hollywood conservatives have been treated in the past. Those who are on the fence about coming out need look no further than Alcon Entertainment and Sherwood Pictures. In a down box office year, Alcon’s “Dolphin Tale” has made more than $30 million in profit on a film with an estimated $37 million budget. Sherwood’s “Courageous” has grossed almost $30 million off of a $2 million budget.

There is an under-served movie-going audience that is hungry to support those who share their values. Though he was not the first to say it, I’m reminded of this quote from President Ronald Reagan in 1981: “If not us, who? If not now, when?”

What the formerly relevant singer said is not surprising, but then again, it’s never surprising to hear a celebrity disparaging Christianity. Remember this gem from Rosie O’Donnell?

I have news for Hollywood. It’s not risque to attack Christians, and it’s long been a cliché even for our side to say it’s overdone. If you want to be risque, attack Islam, atheists, or agnostics. My husband is a cradle Catholic (meaning raised Catholic), and he says most of these attacks just roll off his back. Most don’t offend or bother him anymore because it’s simply become the norm. But that doesn’t mean it should be ignored or criticism should be spared for trite offense-mongering like Lady Gaga’s “Alejandro” video.

If you don’t want to watch the video, I understand. Lady Gaga is dressed in a blood red habit and swallows a rosary. This desecration of the rosary is offensive to Catholics because of our veneration (not worship) of Mary, mother of God. The director of the video claims Lady Gaga just wanted to take in the Holy. As a lifelong Catholic, Miss Gaga should know better than that, and if she wanted to “take in the Holy,” there are ways of doing it that won’t cause as many digestive problems, like attending Mass and taking Communion.

Anyway, this scene is interspersed with shots of her in a white robe with crosses on it, an obvious take on the Catholic Saint Joan of Arc. Her male dancers are all over her and she eventually can’t resist so she turns around, rips off the robe, and lets the men sexually devour her. Joan of Arc was a brave woman and has become a very popular and well-loved saint in the Catholic church. To use her imagery in this way is in inexcusably poor taste, not to mention completely unnecessary. There are no lyrics in the song to justify its video’s blatant disrespect for Catholicism.

Beyond the music world, Christian-bashing extends to television both on and offscreen. If you haven’t read Ben Shapiro’s book Primetime Propaganda, buy it now. In his chapter “The Clique,” he brings up Patricia Heaton, an incredibly talented actress who also happens to be conservative and a devout Christian. Mark Harris, a former executive editor of shows like “The Office,” expected to hate “The Middle” because Heaton was its star. Of course, since Ms. Heaton is a conservative, that means the show has to be conservative, right? Wrong! Mr. Shapiro also reveals that in 2006, Kathy Griffin did an interview with the National Enquirer (because when you want to be taken seriously that’s where you go for an interview) and said Ms. Heaton grosses her out because she says it’s not in the Bible gays should not be together, and “those are pieces of information I can’t forget about.” Mr. Shapiro correctly states Ms. Heaton has never said anything about gay marriage.

And Hollywood’s distaste for Christianity carries over to the big screen, as shown in this article about the movie 2012. One of the film’s characters, the Italian Prime Minister, is shown as foolish because his reaction to global natural disasters is prayer. We all know praying is stupid and doesn’t work! Then, director Roland Emmerich portrays the destruction of Christian symbols around the world. First the Sistine Chapel, then St. Peter’s Basilica falls on the faithful in St. Peter’s square (See? Praying doesn’t work), and finally the famous Christ the Redeemer’s statue in Brazil. But wait! The Muslims praying at Kaaba (the heart of Mecca) miraculously don’t see their holy site destroyed! That’s because Emmerich was talked out of it by his co-writer because of the Fatwa issued on the Danish cartoonists who satirized Mohammed. But Emmerich has justified destroying Christian symbols because he’s against organized religion. Isn’t Islam an organized religion? Of course other famous landmarks could have easily been destroyed, but they weren’t shown. That’s because in Hollywood, it’s still somehow considered edgy, politically incorrect, and crazy to attack Christians, despite all the decades it’s already been done to excess.

And social media has given Hollywood bigots a brand-spanking new platform for insulting their audience. Just last week, actor David Krumholtz took to Twitter to attack Christians, mainly Mormons and Catholics (surprise, surprise!). He’s upset because the Parents Television Council called for the cancellation of his show “The Playboy Club” because it degrades women. The PTC said not everything they talk about is reported (which is true). Mr. Krumholtz, devoid of any justification for “The Playboy Club”’s objectification of women, claimed the PTC should also call out the Mormon and Catholic faiths for their many years of degrading women. Um, what? How would their organization — centered around television content — be better off cleaning up these faiths? Mr. Krumholtz changed his tone when Jay Caruso asked how the Catholic faith degrades women. Krumholtz instead brought up another red herring, the sexual abuse cases in the Catholic church.

Allow me to pause and provide a tidbit of education for Mr. Krumholtz. The Catholic Church has addressed the sexual abuse cases he referred to and is working extremely hard to make sure it never happens again. But why judge the entire Catholic faith on those few sick, disgusting men who did those awful things to innocent children? There are far more good priests and Catholics than bad ones, yet Krumholtz, bitter about his show’s lackluster ratings (it has since been cancelled), couldn’t help but overlook that obvious fact for some cheap haranguing.

Consider this social media episode compared to how liberal Hollywood gets upset when people make judgments about Islam based on individuals who did awful things to innocent civilians. Somehow, it’s okay to make absolute judgments on a Christian faith based on a few bad seeds but not Islam? Got it. Last time I checked, Islamic cultures are also very degrading towards women. At least Catholics and Mormons don’t stone women to death for being raped or whip them for driving cars.

All these examples go to show, if you’re an up-and-coming entertainer, you can be truly controversial if you attack Islam, atheists or agnostics, or maybe — just maybe — declare your love for Jesus. However, if you wish to work your way into the industry’s upper echelons, it appears you must conform to the ingrained, cowardly hatred for Christendom that’s defined Hollywood for decades.

While I definitely respect all these points of view, I have to question why many of us are questioning Hollywood instead of questioning ourselves. And what we should be asking ourselves is why many of us complain so much about Hollywood’s output but at the same time fail to support the burgeoning artists, musicians, writers and filmmakers in our own community?

For full disclosure:  yes, I am a conservative, and yes, I am a filmmaker trying to get my art out to the greater world. For the life of me, I have never understood why we monetarily and spiritually support artists, studios and media companies while simultaneously berating them for what they offer us. If someone delivers crummy pizza that smells weird, tastes worse and gets me sick, would I still call the same pizza place every time? No. So, why do we do the same when making entertainment or artistic purchase choices?

In film, you don’t get to shoot on 35 mm with big-name actors, commissioned scripts, or the best D.P.s using someone else’s money unless you have a track record and have proven you can make money. To become a great artist, you need time to develop and hone your craft.  You need to be able to make a living in your particular medium to justify working in the arts and to gain that 24/7 time needed to create and edit better and better material.  Having a paying audience is the only way to make that happen.  Not all “conservative” films or shows will be great and not all will be good, but all should be supported by the people most predisposed to enjoy the material, fellow conservatives.  Still, it seems to me that the right’s expectations are too high when art comes from one of their own.

It’s like being the guy or gal who struggles to make it as a local artist.  The hometown crowd is much tougher on you, and their expectations of success are so high that the bar they set just to earn a “You know, it’s alright” is almost impossible to surmount. Are “conservative” audiences really saying that until you start winning Oscars, Emmys, Tonys, and Grammys, you haven’t achieved that much? It seems that way for both new artists as well as some of the more established ones.

I paid money to see An American Carol in a theater.  Atlas Shrugged, too.  They weren’t films that met the unbelievably high expectations of their audiences.  So what? They were not bad films.  Hello? They were trying to do a helluva lot with limited budgets and the expectations that came with being the first “conservative” films in their genres.  Almost no film could have met the expectations those two had to deal with. No new artistic movement occurs overnight, and these films were steps in the right direction that deserved our money.

How do you expect to see more artists, musicians, filmmakers, etc., who think like you do if you aren’t willing to support the ones you already have among you?  Can you really expect those who are successful and established to risk everything by deciding to “come out of the closet” politically?  God bless Gary Sinise, Patricia Heaton, Jon Voight, Angie Harmon and the other stars who have come out, gotten involved and led from the front.  They are an inspiration, but fortunately for them, they had established resumés to help them weather the natural blacklisting faced by entertainment-industry conservatives.

If you don’t support conservative artists’ material, especially when they are putting their livelihoods, careers and more on the line, then don’t pine for “better” content, and don’t condemn them for not outnumbering the artists you can’t stand.  At the end of the day, you, the audience, are a vital part of Hollywood too. Your time and money determines what future projects are financed, so keep in mind that we can only make what we want if you signify to our investors that those projects will be profitable.

This one goes out to New Blacklist-denier Patrick Goldstein of the L.A. Times….

PopEater:

Known around left-leaning Hollywood for her conservative stances on weighty issues like abortion and stem cells, ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ star Patricia Heaton is happy to explain how important her Christian faith is to her and how it shapes her views and career choices. …

Telling me that she has many gay friends and doesn’t oppose gay marriage, Patricia gets frustrated being automatically lumped together with other conservatives, a characterization she says has cost her possible work.

“We know for a fact there are some people who have said they wouldn’t want to work with us because of our politics,” she said, with her husband David Hunt adding, “We get lumped in with lunatics.”

Who but the worst kind of ideological bigot wouldn’t want to work with Patricia Heaton, one of the most talented actresses to ever star in a sitcom? If an iconic Emmy winner is losing work over her perfectly reasonable right-of-center political positions, what’s life like for those just trying to break in or the 99.7% who live hand-to-mouth in this business of show.

To fully appreciate the absurdity of this, you have to flip the situation on its head. A Hollywood conservative in a position to hire who blacklisted Alec Baldwin would obviously be wrong but also crazy. In the right role, you can’t do any better than Alec Baldwin and you owe it to your project to hire the very best. Same with Patricia Heaton.

And yet….

Our friends at NewsBusters have more.

The agent across the desk laughed.  “Black-listed??  Ha ha …what… ‘Are you now or have you ever been a communist?’  Come on.  I mean …I know you probably shoot your mouth off about politics a little too much, but, still…”

But the Actor stared back.  His once-commanding gaze could use some sleep — or at least, some peaceful sleep.  Being an actor in Hollywood, he’d gotten used to going long dry spells between jobs; but never this long.  ‘Oh, the business is in a slump, it’s the economic downturn’, they all say.  (And when have ‘they’ ever been wrong?)  But the Actor had been around a long time and he’d heard the ‘business-in-a-slump, economic-downturn’ diagnosis repeated far too many times to really let it get him down; or let it keep him down, anyway.

But now…it seemed like something else.  This was different.

Lately, these past few years, the Actor, after having seen his once ‘up-and-comer’ status flare briefly as the new ‘It’ guy and having starred in a string of B+ action movies and a few short-lived TV series, had seen his career languish on ‘Thousand-Meeting Island’ only to glide past ‘Audition Mambo’ and settle eventually and almost imperceptibly into the maudlin malaise of the ‘also-rans’.  The river of scripts that once flowed to his door had become a creek, then a small stream, and finally a mere trickle.   New lines now appeared on his face with such alarming frequency it was now well late into the afternoon that he even ventured a side-glance at a mirror.  

To an actor, middle-age can seem a lot like middle-death.

Then suddenly — raging against that good night like a half-drowned swimmer clawing to reach the distant shore, fighting to gain purchase with each desperate stroke, he had ended up in this office.  He hadn’t been able to articulate to the receptionist why he was there, unannounced; but he knew it was time to have a serious sit-down with his one last bastion of hope in this town of busted dreams:  his talent agent.  The Actor leaned forward.

 “Am I?  Am I being black-listed?”

“There is no black-list.”

“There is.  I’ve heard too many stories.  Seen too many careers stopped dead.  It’s real, you know it’s real.” 

The Agent’s gaze lowered.  The sigh tipped it – and the silence sold it.

“Am I on it?”

“I don’t know,” the Agent replied evenly. “I wouldn’t even know who to call.  And if I did know…I doubt they’d even tell me the truth.”

The Actor steadied his breath as he digested this.  Like he’d just been told that the tumor had metastasized.

“What do I do?”

The agent just shook his head…

—–

“Am I being black-listed?”  This question, that sent waves of terror throughout the Hollywood community a generation ago, does so again…but for entirely different reasons.   The notion of a Hollywood blacklist that once represented a scourge of ‘outing’ actors, writers, directors and producers who had had involvement with the Communist party, now vilifies, sequesters and persecutes a different caste of working American:  the Hollywood Conservative.

The above scene, while fictitious, has in all likelihood been played out in more offices, in more coffee shops, and over more phone calls than anyone in my purview would dare to imagine.  But of course — it’s only reasoned and rumored conjecture; no one talks about it and no one admits it exists.  And yet…it is currently one of the most powerful means of intimidation and control ever used in this or any other business. 

What it amounts to is this:  Thought Police. 

It’s Orwellian.  It’s the left’s way of saying – Think like we do…or you don’t work.  And you don’t work, you don’t eat.  So…think like we do – and live.

There are very dire consequences to being in this town, working in this industry – and speaking out against the sort of leftist agenda that is now racing though our government at every level – from city to state to federal.  It pisses them off.   And unfortunately for those who speak out, they control the gates to the kingdom. 

There has been a long-suspected bias in this town against conservatives by what most agree is run primarily by liberals.  Progressives, if you will.  Those who welcome a move towards socialism that our President is ushering into the nation’s daily playlist of What’s Happening Now?  These progressive producers, directors, writers, actors and studio heads all agree on one thing, it seems – This is a brave new world, an Obama world…and those damn Conservatives are just trying to mess things up.  In fact, it was Those Conservatives and George Bush who got us into this mess in the first place!

Uhh.. yeah.  Nevermind the fact that Bush was never a conservative,  liberals like Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Nancy, Barack, Harry, Chuck, and Fanny & Freddy got the ball rolling on the Road to Perdition… nevermind all that.

 —– 

Liberals…and in particular, for our purposes here, Liberals in Hollywood are convinced that Conservatives (in Hollywood or anywhere else) are to blame for everything evil, mean or nasty in this country specifically, and the world in general.  In fact, they are certain of it.

Which brings me….to me.  Just another actor who’s looking to land his next gig.

Books by the score have been written about the Acting Trade.  How to get into it, how to succeed, how to act in front of cameras, how to boost your career, how to get the job.  I know, I wrote one of them – ACTING & Other Flying Lessons.  But one book that has yet to be written…and, what is becoming more and more apparent, needs to be written…is How To Get Acting Work If You Have Let The World Know You’re a Conservative.

Apparently, you see, Conservatives are demons.

Dudes.  Dial it back in.  We’re just like you.  We just want to hit our marks, speak our lines and play the scene.  That’s it.  We’re actors, not because we want to climb onto a soundstage and start spewing Rush Limbaugh…   we’re there because we love to act.  And that’s all we’re going to do.  If we start to launch into rants about the trilateral commission and how the CFR and the Bilderbergers are setting up the New World Order give us a smack upside the head and call, “First team!”

Hey, I defy anyone that I’ve ever worked with to come forth with a story of how I disrupted a set, held up production, or in any way caused a disturbance that slowed down the process.  Leave it in the comment section.  The sedition I fomented, the salacious and vile attacks on the President I railed on about, disrupting the film process.  In fact, I defy anyone to come forward and write in their comments if I was anything other than completely professional, polite, respectful, hard-working, and an utter delight to be around.  Maybe I’m blowing my own horn a little too hard here, but – really – what exactly does a liberal producer think that a conservative actor is going to do on his set that will be trouble??  Relax, we’re house-broken, most of us.  And I always bring my own drool-cup so I shouldn’t be a bother.   

Conservative actors are people too.  We just want to work.  Buddy, can you spare a cool guest-starring role?  I’m joking – and personally I don’t know if I’m on any sort of black-list or not.  I tend to equate any sort of success or the lack thereof to my own efforts and past performances, not whether I make my conservative voice heard.  But that’s just me.

—–

Which brings me to an article I read recently by Mark Harris, a former Executive Editor of one of the largest entertainment magazines in the country, Entertainment Weekly.  Mr. Harris first excoriates those of us who are a bit squeamish at the notion of a political message crammed into every orifice of every Hollywood offering to hit pop culture.  The Hurt Locker is about how George W. Bush tormented young soldier’s souls.  The Office is about how George W. Bush didn’t want Pam to have universal health care to safely deliver her baby.  The Middle is about how George W. Bush ruined the economy for the middle class.  And how Parks & Recreation is…well, is just absurdly funny.  (We agree on that one – and for the same reasons.  We political- wonk types love to make fun of ourselves – just don’t you make fun of me.)

But more telling is how Harris was surprised that he liked The Middle…because of Patricia Heaton’s politics.  And that he was surprised that the show’s producers and Heaton could have found ‘common ground.’ 

Uhh…what??  What do her ‘politics’ have to do with anything?  And therein lies the rub – Hollywood lefties think that if an actor — or any craftsman in Hollywood, for that matter – is a Conservative…then they must be ‘difficult.’  They must be ‘not right in the head.’ 

And here is the former editor of one of the biggest entertainment publications spreading around the false notion that conservatives are somehow hard to work with — planting the seed that this is some kind of rarity when we can get along in leftie Hollywood. “What a shock!” As though it’s outside the norm.  And what’s the message it perpetrates? It tells producers that if you hire a conservative that maybe there’s gonna be trouble, and with the logistics of tight schedules and budgets…it just isn’t worth it.

Wow.  There it is in all its deliciously diabolical nakedness:  the awful truth.  The true bigotry of Hollywood exposed at last.  The Left is bunch of bigots.  Think the way we do, vote the way we tell you to vote; only express ideas sanctioned by big-government statists, and do it in a very politically ‘correct’ manner…or we won’t let you work in our town.  We will revoke your means of sustaining your life and the lives of your family.  We’ll drive you out of your chosen vocation.  We’ll put up a roadblock everywhere you turn, because we don’t like you.  We don’t like your ideas of individual liberty and personal responsibility.  We don’t like the notion of American exceptionalism.   We don’t like how you cling to that outdated Constitution thingie.  The world has changed; it’s evolved into a higher order.  We are a global community now, and don’t think any one nation should stand out, or someone will get their feelings hurt and then bring down our skyscrapers with jets and then we’ve no one to blame but ourselves. 

Isn’t that what the mere presence of a ‘black-list’ in Hollywood is really saying?

Yes – we may disagree on many things.  We have very different notions about what the limits and expectations of our government should be.  But a film or TV set is not the venue for sorting all of this out.  So can we stop the Hatfield/McCoy thing in Hollywood and just agree to disagree.  Blacklists are evil, whether done by the left or the right.  It’s intimidation, coercion, and extortion.

Let’s be better than that.

Part of the discussion at Friday’s Q & A event centered on the appearance of hypocrisy by the filmmakers for using big-name stars in their film, considering the overall thesis of Zinn’s world view is that REAL history is made by the individual struggling against the elite in power.  Producers Chris Moore and Brolin agreed with the criticism but lamented that the only way to get the History Channel to air this movie would be if stars were connected to it.  Understandable.  But, the inclusion of big name, likable Hollywood stars like Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Morgan Freeman, Marisa Tomei and Brolin serve a greater purpose than just aiding the pitch meeting at the network.

Being a nation of Star-F%*#ers, we are inclined to sycophantically agree with whatever our idols say.  Or, at the very least, we hold our tongues while in their presence for fear that contradicting them might put us out of their good graces.  We are all yes-men to these stars.  We let them go off on their wild tangents and incoherent rants about America so that when they are done we can ask them what it’s like to work with George Clooney, or whether you call Barbara Streisand “Mom” or “Babs” when you are visiting for the holidays.

That is why when Josh Brolin referred to the Pat Tillman tragedy in Afghanistan as “fratricide,” no one in the audience at UCLA gasped or challenged that characterization.  When his co-producer, Chris Moore, relayed a conversation with a History Channel executive who allegedly said, “We’ve got five hundred hours of World War II programming while we have two hours of anti-World War II programming. So, the balance is still pretty off,” no one thought to ask him “What does being ‘anti-World War II’ even MEAN?” or, “Are YOU anti-World War II?”

This is also why our host for the event, History Professor Ellen DuBois, spent her time on stage (in front of many of her history students) gushing and giggling with Brolin and Moore, lobbing softballs in the spirit of James Lipton (she jokingly said “Welcome to ‘Inside the Actor’s Studio’” at the beginning of the Q & A portion) but then held her true opinion about Zinn’s People’s History of the United States from the audience.  In a candid conversation after the event, I heard her admit that she was never really a fan of the book and that she had some real problems with it.  It would have been nice for her to offer those gripes during the presentation.  It could have been “a teachable moment.”

It is also why, when promoting the film, Chris Moore said on the “Today Show” about the troops in Afghanistan, “And I’m sure every person there in Afghanistan is thinking about their family back here, thinking about the holidays, and I guarantee you all of them are thinking, ‘Why am I here? What am I doing here?’”  To that, co-host Meredith Vieira could only muster up this response:  “Well, the point I think of the documentary is for people to think, think for themselves, and to speak out.”  That’s some real hard-hitting journalism there, Meredith.

But Meredith and Prof. DuBois and the giggling 20-something UCLA students are all suffering from the same affliction.  They lose all powers of critical thought when in the presence of a movie star or a movie producer who is good friends with movie stars.  And that is why the event at UCLA was a sad example of superficial thought wrapped in a cloak of intellectual importance.

Andrew Breitbart was two feet from the open microphone, patiently waiting his turn to ask a question, when Professor DuBois cut short the Q & A session.  It would have been nice to hear his question.  I bet it would have been more interesting than, “As an actor, what was your process for this film?” or, “Could some of your movie-star friends come on my leftist radio station?”

Finally, the most revealing answer came from Mr. Moore when he was asked what criteria was used to select the actors for the film.  He informed us that they used three criteria.  1)  If they would serve the material well.  2)  If they were prominent enough to help sell the program and attract an audience.  3)  If they had shown themselves to be activists.  He went on to explain that as word spread about the project, the buzz grew and it became a cool thing to be associated with.  He would field calls from actors who wanted to get in and he would respond to them:  Go out and DO something.  Get involved, be an activist for a cause.  I wonder if Patricia Heaton’s activism on behalf of the un-born qualifies?  Or, Jon Voight’s activism on behalf of our Founding Father’s original vision for our country?  Or the late Charlton Heston’s activism on behalf of individual gun-ownership rights? Was that the type of activism you were talking about, Mr. Moore?

That’s right.  A Hollywood producer told all of us at UCLA that day that he would not cast an actor if they were merely a big name who could serve the material.  No, the actor had to go out and perform political activism.  Does anyone out there still doubt that Big Hollywood puts pressure on people to embrace leftist politics?  Anyone?  Class?

Set in the fictional small town of Orson, Indiana, The Middle (8:30 EDT) follows Hank in ABC’s new Wednesday night lineup and like the Kelsey Grammer program, it features a big sitcom star, Patricia Heaton, in a lead role. Also like Hank, The Middle takes a comic but sympathetic look at Middle America, described by central character Frankie Heck (Heaton) as “One of those places you fly over on your way from Somewhere to Somewhere Else but you wouldn’t live here.”

The writing of the pilot episode is particularly strong, and it even uses a couple of symbols to very good effect: a jet flying overhead, and Frankie’s new drivers license with its grossly unattractive photo documenting how badly life has been beating her down. Heaton’s willingness to make herself look silly and physically unattractive is used to great effect in the pilot episode and shows great sense on her part and that of the show’s producers. 

As in the late, great Malcolm in the Middle, the entire family is fairly messed up, and their lives are largely awful. They live on fast food, and Frankie’s days are a perpetually hectic blur. The youngest child, Brick, is described by his teacher as “Maybe clinically quirky,” and his best friend is his backpack. Their oldest, a son named Axl, is a surly jock. The middle child, Sue, is an appearance-challenged teen who fails at every extracurricular activity she tries. 

Yet despite all the comic horrors of their lives, they really do love one another, and in the end that makes their crises endurable and the show enjoyable. While showing the troubles of people who are striving to achieve the American Dream but not making it, the pilot episode of The Middle doesn’t make fun of their hopes and ambitions. 

As such, it’s ultimately a positive view of American aspirations while remaining realistic in acknowledging that the dream includes an ever-increasing list of material things that continually remains outside many people’s grasp. It also points us back toward the importance of personal relationships and the real source of happiness in familial love. This kind of comedy, tough but never cynical, is rarer than one would wish.

On Saturday, Oct. 10, more than 150 wounded heroes will complete a 7-day, 475-mile journey from San Francisco to LA. The Wounded Heroes, many home from Iraq and Afghanistan, are cycling down scenic Highway 1 from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Their goal is to raise awareness and money to provide bikes and equipment for mental and physical therapy for fellow military heroes. The final leg of this journey brings the riders down San Vicente Blvd. from 26th to the West LA VA. 

This is where you come in.  We are looking for everyone, You, your family, friends, community members, organizations, and congregations to come out and line San Vicente Blvd. all the way to the VA. Welcome home these brave men and women and cheer them on their final miles.  Special guest riders include James Cromwell, Adam Baldwin, Tobey Maguire, Mike Vogel, Patricia Heaton, David Hunt, Kristy Swanson, Adam Housley, and Andrew Breitbart. 

Afterwards, join us for a FREE celebration at the West LA VA next to the Wadsworth Theater. The entertainment will be provided by SNL’s Victoria Jackson, Jon David, and Rock Nation and you can visit and talk with the heroes including Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Walt Ehlers and the American Legion Riders.

Schedule

• 9:00 AM   Riders leave Ventura
• 1:00 PM  Join us on San Vicente Blvd. to welcome the riders home
• 1:30 PM   Riders Arrive – West LA VA 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90073
• 1:45 PM   ROCK NATION                     
• 3:15 PM   Jon David Performs
• 3:30 PM   VICTORIA JACKSON LIVE
• 4:45 PM   Program concludes 

Join our community in saluting these Heroes

Twenty years ago a retired lady bumped into me while I was in line to see “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” when she said, “Oh, you like to draw? You should come to the San Diego Comic Con. Here’s two free passes.” She came to my booth today and I gave her a big hug.

I had over ten young industry professionals who work in comics, animation and video games and tell me that they decided to learn to draw because they liked my work. An incredible 25-year-old Russian kid said that he was raised on a pirate version of my game, “The Neverhood,” I did with Dreamworks in the mid ’90s. I looked at his comic pages and he could draw better than I could. I drew a character for him and he gave up a tear.

I’ve been on the receiving end of so many people’s kindness on my way into this industry that it makes no sense to avoid helping other up-and-coming artists and writers. One thing is for sure; there will be no shortage of great ideas funneling through Hollywood for the next generation. But talent is secondary to what’s really important, that there are people of character and substance coming into this industry that make me feel like entertainment will be in good hands as time goes on.

But let’s get away from this raw sentiment before we might actually feel something and get down to the bottom line–today was my biggest day of book sales ever. I was limping around with a bigger wad of bills than Bill Maher in a strip club.

I loved seeing Lou Ferrigno signing headshots. He looks younger than I remember and his arms are still huge. Sure, Arnold won the title in “Pumping Iron” but he’s the hare to Lou’s turtle.

Patricia Heaton and David Hunt brought the family to my booth to get some books. She’s a true friend and we’ve been working on a few pitches. I loved introducing her to a few pals I’m in business with in Japan. Just to be ironic they started taking pictures of her.

There was a panel introducing Tim Burton’s “Alice In Wonderland” and the audience went nuts when Johnny Depp made a surprise appearance. Producer Sean Bailey talked about “TRON 2.0″ and the footage made the audience erupt with excitement.

My management (Gotham Group) in partnership with Darkhorse Comics has their big yearly drink-n-schmooze then I’m going out to drinks with some Disney executives. With all of this drinking I have a great excuse to be an even bigger jerk so I’m looking forward to that.

Friday brings the Oscars of the comic kingdom known as The Eisner Awards. My buddy Ethan “Eef” Nicolle is up for Best Humor Graphic Novel with his book “Chumble Spuzz”…I’d be nervous, but then again I have a lot of confidence in his work.

Tomorrow (Saturday, when I’m sober), I’ll be on a panel from 11:00am-12:01pm talking about Spirituality in Comics. It will be in room 3. Don’t be a stranger.