“C-List” Casting Call: Will Hollywood Conservatives Come Out to Play?
by Rep. Thaddeus G. McCotter (R-MI)
Dear Prudence, Won’t You Come Out to Play?
During the Beatles’ 1968 spiritual sojourn to India, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s more corporeal quest for “oneness” with his female acolytes quickly disillusioned John Lennon. As was his wont, Lennon tooled the clay-footed sage in the jaunty Sexy Sadie then sauntered about the ashram for other inspiration. Following his muse, he knocked on the hut of Mia Farrow’s shy sister, Prudence. Alas, the lass wouldn’t open up for him. Nevertheless, while this bird hadn’t flown her coop, she did move Lennon to pen:
Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play?
Dear Prudence, meet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It’s beautiful and so are you
Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play?
Today, at this crucible of American history, Congressional Republicans call upon Big Hollywood’s “C-List” of cloistered conservatives to come out to play.
It’s Beautiful and So Are You
True, the Congressional Republicans rapping at your doors aren’t standing in the clothes that we once wore: our majority was emaciated by electoral liposuction; our bold re-branding initiative put speed freaks to sleep; and our approval rating nose-dived faster than Bozo on a bender.
But some things haven’t changed. We still like long walks on the beach, faith, family, community and country; and we still dislike taxes, dieting and terrorists. Most importantly, we still share with you the bonds of camaraderie, universality, and creativity.
Look Around, Round, Round
Our camaraderie stems from our shared suffering as conservatives. Conservatism being the negation of ideology, our existence threatens the Left’s dogmatic ideologues, who revile, repress and retaliate against us: Congressional Republicans are targeted for political extinction; and Big Hollywood’s cloistered conservatives are targeted for professional ostracism.
Of course, there is an important distinction. Congressional Republicans voluntarily incurred Leftist attacks by entering politics. Republican oriented artists, however, have been involuntarily subjected to Big Hollywood’s new version of the old “blacklist’: the “C-List” of conservatives who are marked for censorship and career ruin for deviating from Left-wing orthodoxy. Nonetheless, though our specific struggles differ, we are equally embattled and immutably bonded, because we suffer for our love of America.
You Are Part of Everything
Mirroring Wordsworth’s description of poetic vision – “With an eye made quiet by the power of harmony, and the deeper power of joy, we see into the life of things” – we conservatives also accept human nature’s universality. We acknowledge each of us is frail, flawed, and blessed by God’s grace with dignity; we empathize with our fellow human beings’ existential challenges in the face of their imperfections; and we reject ideologues’ schemes to coerce humanity into an arbitrary, unobtainable image of perfection.
Let Me See You Smile Again
Finally, conservatives share a duty to channel empathy into creativity. For example, legislators must create just laws that reconcile the people’s need for order and freedom; and artists must create works that reveal the enduring human truths needed to preserve and renew the culture. Neither endeavor can succeed alone: an unjust country’s laws and culture impel death and decay; a just country’s laws and culture cherish life and truth.
Meet the Brand New Day
Bonded by camaraderie, universality, and creativity, Congressional Republicans and Big Hollywood’s cloistered conservatives must build a bridge across the counter-cultural divide of Big Washington and Big Hollywood.
This is no tranquil work. An enraged Left will intensify their attacks, and some conservatives could be hammered down the memory hole into political and professional oblivion before our bridge is finished.
Daunted, some conservatives may deem the chasm too wide and the risk too great. Yet, as has always been the case in freedom’s defense, others of us know courage has its cost, but silence has its price – Social censorship is a cultural sin; self-censorship is spiritual suicide.
These are the stakes and your choice. Will you defy Big Hollywood and break your silence to strike one true note in hope’s dissonant chorus? Will you unite with us to ensure America remains a community of destiny, inspired and guided by the virtuous genius of our free people and forever blessed by the unfathomable grace of God?
Will you come out to play?
United States Representative Thaddeus G. McCotter (MI-11) Chairs the Republican House Policy Committee
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58 Comments
Sadly, if only it were that easy.
It’s going to take more than poetic words to make us risk our careers in Hollywood. But we’re here. A lot of us. Watching… waiting… we’ll come to play some day. Just not yet.
Better to die slowly on your knees than stand up, be counted and fight back, K? To Andrew, John and the rest of the Big Hollywood staff, thanks for sounding the alarm! Some of us are tired of watching and waiting.
@ K. Smith
The harder the journey the more value it holds. Sometimes the risks are great but if you don’t take them you will never see the rewards either. But also senseless risk are just that, senseless. Sometimes the best approach is quietly from behind, pushing people in the right direction. From behind a person appears a compliant follower but are in fact leading.
Frankly, I’d be wary, too. It’s one thing for John Voigt to speak his mind. He’s already made it. Worst case scenario, he gets blacklisted and retires very comfortably. But upcoming writers, actors, etc. who haven’t made it yet? Who are still fiercely competing to make names for themselves? Whole other ball of wax.
It’s easy for those of us in ideologically diverse business environments to call for courageous action. And I think Breitbart’s project here is an important one. But I don’t fault K. Smith and others who won’t be so quick to jump on a soap box.
“Social censorship is a cultural sin; self-censorship is spiritual suicide.”
I’ll be carrying this one around all day.
My advice is just do it. You know we have an example to follow. Look at the last lines of the Declaration of Independence, Our Lives, our Fortunes, Our Sacred Honor. Look at what the Founding Fathers put out there, their very existence and yet we have people concerned about coming forth and telling the so called holders of power who they are and what they believe in? Fear is something to be conquered. It is not something to hide behind.
Conservatives need to BAND together!
The conservatives (or at least conservative friendly ones) who have made it like John Voigt, David Zucker, Kelsey Grammer, and Jerry bruckheimer need to help young and coming conservative in the movie business.
If they know that there are those in the business who will help them, they might be more willing to stand up.
A conservative union, if you will.
I am not in the Hollywood industry, but have always wondered why there never seemed to be any “Hollywood” backers for conservatism. Now I know. Even if you don’t voice your conservatism for fear of professional backlash, it is still good to know that you are out there! I will be spreading the word about this website, thank you Mr. Breitbart for putting it out there!
I can’t let it pass that you’ve used an opus by the decidedly left-leaning John Lennon to illustrate your point. Gotta love the irony!
I believe there are plenty of conservatives in Hollywood – most are simply afraid that they’ll be blackballed if they speak up. I’m not sure how this can be addressed, other than a few brave souls speaking up. Certainly it helps that people like Voight, Grammer, Heaton and others speak out, but we need more people willing to do the same thing.
I completely understand why many conservatives in Hollywood aren’t anxious to talk about their politics. I own a business in a small very liberal resort town. If I were to become the “face of conservatism” here, it would have a very negative impact on my financial future. These people will organize boycotts and harangue you in the street if you dare to opine a contrary opinion.
It’s not just in Hollywood that this happens. I am a physician, and though most doctors are thought to be conservative, it is something that you must keep relatively quiet even amongst other doctors. It is like a secret club of conservatives. You quietly sound someone out and if they seem to be of a conservative bent, you gradually make some statements till that great day you realize they share similar opinions! I remember a few doctors wearing Kerry/Edwards pins IN THE HOSPITAL, which I find grossly unprofessional in any case; but I would never dare to do such a thing to advertise my own political viewpoint.
To UNDER COVER CONSERVATIVE
Although I am a proud conservative I can understand why some people might be reluctant to share part of their lives. Maybe I can inspire you by saying you never know who also shares your feelings and opinions. Hopefully this site will allow users to register & network so conservatives can be with like minded people without being forced to give signals to each other in dark corners.
I’m sorry, I just think the unintended irony is too rich. Lennon– the epitome of leftist entertainment and its seductive, pervasive influence– is beckoning “Prudence”– in this case the shy conservative– “out to play.” And the author of this post is saying, “yes, Prudence, come out and play.”
Come out and play Lennon’s game? You know– “imagine all the people, living for today”?
Or what? Did this post unintentionally demonstrate the pervasiveness of liberalism in culture? Or was in a subversive use of leftist culture to demonstrate a conservative point?
When Conservatives speak out the media will investigate them like they did “Joe the Plumber”. So only Conservatives with a “clean” background can speak. I would love to see a thriller movie about media propoganda and how it is destroying our country. The first great conservative movie could be from the book “State of Fear” and it could kill two birds with one stone… the media and global warming.
Rush Limbaugh just had a HUGE plug for this blog. Woo Hoo!
And any confirmation on Ann Coulter being banned from NBC? Anyone?
Larry C in Idaho,
I agree. If we become like minded we can stop tapping our feet (twice) in bathroom stalls and engage in the behavior we wish.
-Leroy.
Ohh Leroy awesome about the Eagles dontcha think?
Thaddeus McCotter was my congressman in Michigan; unfortunately, I could not put a bumper sticker in his support on my car—when I did, I was keyed.
So I sympathize with conservatives; it is only through networks such as this site that we learn we are not alone, and find strength in numbers.
And Congressman McCotter is a bright guy; so be sure the use of a liberals words were deliberate. He gave a great speech on translating liberal-speak a few months back; if I can find the link, I will try to post it.
Representative McCotter — Each of us, an army of One. “With an eye made quiet by the power of harmony, and the deeper power of joy, we see into the life of things” Love that! Whitman turned me off to poetry…Wordsworth (along with Chesterton) brought me back to it. Thanks for this: “…conservatives share a duty to channel empathy into creativity.” A call to arms, a gauntlet thrown… may all of us ‘creative types’ heed the call to act on our convictions. And this: “artists must create works that reveal the enduring human truths needed to preserve and renew the culture.” Very eloquent and on the money. Thank you, the challenge is appreciated and duly noted. –GG
In today’s popular culture world and the media, if you are a liberal and you speak your mind, you are labeled a hero – no matter how far left your stance. If you are a conservative and speak your mind, you are labeled either a “fanatic” or a loon. If you are a moderate and you speak your mind, and you happen to have a conservative stance about a particular issue, you are either marginalized or shunned.
Frankly, I don’t see how conservatives in Tinseltown can ever be open about their beliefs and survive – unless, as has already been pointed out, they’ve already “made it.”
Representative McCotter, you may be able to make a stronger case if you use a more factual analogy. Paul, George, and Ringo all publicly stated that they believed the accusation (from John Lennon) that Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was on “a corporeal quest for oneness” with Sexy Sadie was fabricated. The Beaatles were asked to leave the ashram because they had broken a rule reagarding the use of drugs while there.
So, like some of the other commenters, I would question your choice of muse.
Maheras: You’re right. You have to be an established fixture in Hollywood before you can come out of the conservative closet, so to speak. High-profile targets are much harder for the Lefty establishment to torpedo — if you’re anything short of a household name, you’ll get crushed. For example, I hate to see what’s going to happen to Gary Graham now that he’s a regular here.
rs691919 – I used to be a hospital librarian (I’m pretty sure I was the only conservative one in the state), and the docs used to love it when they’d hear the mellow tones of Rush Limbaugh wafting from my office. Then we could talk politics (this was during the era of HillaryCare). It was indeed as if we were a secret club!
The left’s ability to demonize all that conservatives stand for is what gives them the control, the power to incite fear within any and all of us to speak up. When you think of it, the left being so out of control is our own darn fault for not being the one to solidly stand against their madness. We let them run around and ruin the country and all we hold dear because we fear their ability to defame us. We’ve seriously got to get past this or we will lose it all.
To all Hollywood Conservatives: ‘If you make it, We will come!’
Reminds me of the Crismons which were secret symbols worn or displayed by Christians to recognize other Christians. Kelsey, et al, should have a huge rally, rent space and put the word out for any conservative person to attend. Shawn Hannity has had them come to his concerts. Share your conservative ideas with others or give examples of successes and point out the failures of the left. They put up a big fight to cover the truth and the media keeps pounding the lies and slanting everything. It’s the same garbage year after year and they still get voted in. Think of all the unused brains out there, it’s mind boggling. It’s like ‘Hitler’. Say it every day and often and eventually they will believe it as the truth without fact to back it up. What are we afraid of? Find others of like minds and get to work!
Go ThadMac!
I’d love to see it happen. It’s heartening that several of the conservative-minded movie themes in recent years have done very well at the box office. My suggestion is to do “Atlas Shrugged” to show the difference between those who create wealth and those who are remoras. The word I’ve heard is that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are anxious to do this movie. I’m not a big fan of theirs but they certainly would provide a good box office draw with a good screenplay. It’s probably already been written…
http://www.hollywoodrepublicans.com/home.htm
the roots are planted
So Conservatives are in Hollywood..?? who?? I believe they feel they would be blackballed, that used to be a bad thing for our commie hollywood crowd.. now they are mere Liberal or homosexual Bullies and Blacklisting is good! Hypocrites is the word that POPS into my head!
Not exactly the most impressive or convincing way to make your point here – to lead in with an erroneously defamation of someone. Referring to the “alleged” incident of the guru Maharishi making a sexual advance toward a woman:
Paul McCartney was quoted (in his biography “Many Years from Now” (Holt: 1998), p. 429) as saying “it was Magic Alex who made the original accusation and I think it was completely untrue.”
George Harrison being interviewed in Musician Magazine (September, 1992, p. 43) “Harrison: “Yeah, I called it ‘Sexie Sadie.’ The title John had was not nice at all. At least he realized that. Because there was nothing that ever happened except that there was a fella who was supposedly a friend of ours who stirred up and created this big fantasy. [Note: Beatles pal Magic Alex Mardas told John and George that the Maharishi might have made sexual advances to one of the woman pilgrims. This led to a confrontation between Lennon and the Maharishi and Lennon's returning to England.] There was never anything that took place.”
George also said (in “The Beatles Anthology, Chronicle Books, 2000, pp. 285-86): “Now, historically, there’s the story that something went on that shouldn’t have done—but nothing did.”
John Lennon’s wife, Cynthia Lennon was referenced in Peter Brown and Steven Gaines’ book “The Love You Make: An Insider’s Story of the Beatles” (New American Library: 2002, p.264): “By the end of the tenth[week, Alex was bent on undermining the Maharishi's influence. . . . Cynthia, for one, didn't believe a word of [the accusations]. She had long ago become acquainted with Alex’s jealousy over anyone who had John’s attention, and she didn’t doubt that Alex would lie to destroy the Maharishi’s hold.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few of your commentators have picked up on the Lennon link.
Justafax at 4:17pm is rather disingenuous with the facts. The suggestion that the Beatles were asked to leave comes from Deepak Chopra, a man who believes in intelligent design, that all the terrorism in the world is the result of US foreign policy and is an opponent of conventional medicine. A loony who writes for the Huffington Post.
The Beatles couldn’t have been asked to leave as a group because Ringo and Paul had already left: they arrived together on 15 Feb 1968; Ringo left on 1 March 1968, Paul on 26 March 1968, John and George on 12 April 1968. This issue of leaving wasn’t solely to do with inappropriate sexual advances.
Whilst George maintained some belief, John wrote the scathing Sexy Sadie, the original title of which was “Maharishi”.
Sexy Sadie (Maharishi) what have you done
You made a fool of everyone
Thus while McCotter correctly identifies Lennon’s disillusion who overstates the quickness.
I’m in NYC, looking for work in documentary genre and I hate interviewing for these lefties. My heart sinks when I think of working with them but I also need to work.
I’m Christian
Hispanic
Republican
Female
I found one company that seems to be owned by a republican. Does anyone know if Helen Whitney is? It seems she might be a Republican Christian? I’m thinking of interning for her in the HOPES I can work there eventually and avoid the lefties for a good while. HELP.
Responding to TDK above, and his untoward, denigrating remarks about Maharishi and the Beatles: “This issue of leaving wasn’t solely to do with inappropriate sexual advances.” I clicked this link, which the blogger supplied ostensibly to offer some “evidence” that there was allegedly some other misbehavior on Maharishi’s part. But all I found was wild, outrageous, and unbelievable accusations furthering the tradition of misunderstanding, gossip and Beatles-related rumors about Maharishi that began with sensationalized (and false) press accounts decades ago. The assertions of Maharishi’s wrongdoings and improprieties are all on par with the weird link’s fantastic assertions that Maharishi “traveled the world in a pink aeroplane.” People just make this this stuff and spread it around. No references are offered to back up these accusations. It’s so fanatical. Maharishi was a great teacher of meditation. He opened the field of self-development to scientific research by inviting scientists everywhere to study the physiological and psychological effects of meditation. Now with over 350 peer-reviewed research studies verifying the benefits of TM, Maharishi has established the benefits of meditation on scientific grounds. For evidence reflecting the positive value of Maharishi’s contribution, check out what doctors and scientists say about Transcendental Meditation.
The congressman’s slanderous and uninformed remarks that began these postings embarrasses the electorate that placed him in office, and to whom he appeals.
research studies
http://www.tm-education.org
the link didn’t go through, so there it is again…
That one statement, “Conservatism being the negation of ideology”, is the biggest reason why “Conservatism” is and will remain a failure. You cannot defeat an ideology with nothing. You cannot inspire people or answer arguments with nothing. If all you have is tradition and slogans, you have nothing. The founders of this magnificent country had an ideology and advocated it forcefully. They were radicals for their time; not conservatives. George III was the conservative.
As I have proudly voted for Thaddeus McCotter since moving to his district, I can only say that I’m not remotely surprised at his article or participation in BigHollywood. I’m glad he’s getting noticed on a national level. He’s a terrific representative and we need more like him in office.
Also, great job, Mr. Breibart and all others who are participating! I’m thrilled to see the culture issues being addressed from a normal point of view!
Jim M. — You omit one important point: Probably every one of those “radicals” during the Revolution would be considered conservatives by today’s social standards.
They were radicals in that they were fighting for a democratic form of government. In all other ways they would have been just like their Tory counterparts.
Well I’m coming into this discussion as a Conservative AND a practitioner of Transcendental Meditation which was founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. I appreciate the point Rep McCotter is trying to make and I’d love to see a more balanced voice coming from Hollywood.
However, the allusion to Lennon’s sick lie is really un-classy. I hope you see my remark, Honorable McCotter – it’s incredibly ignorant and unethical to reference such slander, whether you’re interested in Maharishi or not. I don’t know you, but at your level of leadership I’d expect you to be more conscientious. If you look any deeper than the gossip columns, you’ll know Lennon’s story was completely inconsistent with Maharishi’s 50+ years of work.
If we want to educate people about conservative values – which for me mean personal rights and freedoms without government interference – then we should practice personal responsibility and truthfulness in words and actions.
And by the way, Maharishi was very conservative!
It looks like the picture of hollywood is UGLY! They practice censorship by way of denying jobs to any and all who do not embrace their group-think. They instantly label anyone that does not agree with them as, stupid, backward, murderous, uneducated, rednecks… I could list the names they use to insult conservatives all day long and not finish typing. They are the most intolereant people in this country. The liberal elite ARE everything they pretend they hate. they are rude, ignorant, obtuse, eliteist and they lie like cheap clocks. there is no honor, no truth, and no compassion for anyone that does not march lockstep with the liberal elite. They are the worst discriminators in the contry. They are so obtuse that they cannot see how nasty they are
and if they could see how intolerant they are the response would be that it is the fault of someone else.
RE: Michigan Wolverine Mom
Here’s the link to Speaking Democrat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EcQ03qRE1s
KITT I read an interview where Kelsey Grammer is telling young and up and comers not to come out so they won’t gwet blacklisted. That couple fropm the Hills are Conservatives though.
test, ignore
Dancing around the edges of politics, trying to sound like a liberal, while you heart is not, it sounds like something an actor would do. Unfortunately, our principled stands are difficult, but certainly worth doing.
However, I do understand a conservatives problem in Hollywood, indeed, in almost any section of society right now. With Our Messiah getting ready to take over from the Satan who’s been there for the past eight years, the delusional feel-goodism on the Left only goes so far before the ugly, hating side slips out from behind the mask of Progressivism.
Don’t be too hard on them, but continually work to enlighten and change, be it up front (those with squeaky clean backgrounds) or from behind the scenes. It is almost like having to fight this wrong-headedness in the public that has been created by the Liberal educational-media-complex, but not being able to do it with both hands. It’s vitally important that we are always applying the pressure to encourage conservative issues.
Here’s a tip-make good art. Conservatives do succeed in Hollywood when they make good movies-look at Mel Gibson’s fantastic “Passion”.
But when you try and do overtly “conservative” based films, they bomb, like “American Carol” and Ben Stein’s film. Nuance is something conservatives have always struggled with-it is a part of their natural aversion, for most of them anyway, to intellectualism.
Wow, before I read this blog post I never realized that conservatives were into psychoactive drugs.
Thank you, Thank you! I am a conservative actress in Hollywood and have been so disgusted by the narrow-mindedness of Hollywood. I have turned down work because of the garbage offered me (and haven’t gained much popularity with my agent.) I am sickened by how slanted the Hollywood Reporter or Variety is- praising “W” or “Milk” but shunning an”American Carol”
But, we need to keep going. Make great projects and turn it around. And we need to not be afraid to speak up. We need to support and celebrate each other- begin our own awards show, possibly?
I started my own film company so I can produce the kind of work I want to do and not be at the mercy of the Liberals in LaLa Land or their agenda.
So, I thank you for this site and for all who are unwilling to submit!
[...] Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) wrote a most creative call to arms for Hollywood’s closeted conservatives. And former congressman and Fox News host John Kasich sent word he and his wife are stoked that “24″ is about to start up again. California Assemblyman and huge history buff Chuck Devore gave two thumbs up for “Valkyrie.” More elected officials and aspiring candidates to come. Love it or hate Hollywood, even politicians are consumers. [...]
As a liberal resident of McCotter’s district…
I too picked up immediately on the “conservatism being the negation of ideology” line. What has taken me so far “left” since 2000, when I voted for GWB, is that Republicans like McCotter seem hell-bent on trashing the very concept of government. Why should people elect to government representatives who think government should be decimated? Aren’t you asking to be paid to become part of the problem? If ideology is a set of aims and ideas, is conservatism then a belief with no aim or idea? You can’t run on “we aren’t liberals” any more than Democrats are going to continue to be able to run on not being George Bush.
In fact, it is the extreme ideological narrowness that will keep the Republicans in the minority going forward. Voting against health care for children because you are a “fiscal conservative” doesn’t seem like turning a blind eye to ideology to me. Neither are you being objective if you vote against things like an anti-discrimination measure because it offers protection to gays. Or refuse to allow a victim of incestuous rape the option of a late-term abortion because she may have been to scared to come forward about the pregnancy.
If there is to be a real Conservative Republican revival, it must shed the extremely religious ideology/theology that has perverted it, and put forth an ideology of its own with more substance than “Democrats are Socialists”.
Even better upon the second reading. Rare in a blog, sir. “courage has its cost, but silence has its price” Powerful, poetic, and poignant. “…break your silence to strike one true note in hope’s dissonant chorus…” The clarion call to battle. Inspiring, sir.
– GG
Congressman McCotter writes occasionally for “The Ripon Forum,” the periodical published by The Ripon Society, a more centrist Republican policy tank in Washington. He is typically eloquent and imaginative as he demonstrates above.
Here’s the link to The Ripon Society:
http://www.riponsociety.org/
Here’s a link to the latest issue of “The Ripon Forum:”
http://www.riponsociety.org/riponforums/RF%20-%20NovDec08%20-%20final.pdf
Check back in a few weeks. Word is that he wrote an especially interesting article for the next issue.
I suspect that some weighing in on this blog are more moderate or closer to the center than more conservative standard bearers like Rush, Ann, or Michelle and might find something of value and resonance in this organization. It’s not a RINO outfit. According to its statement of purpose, it came into being…
“…Taking its name from Ripon, Wisconsin, the birthplace of the Republican Party, a loosely knit association of young business, academic and professional women and men formed the Ripon Society in 1962 to revive the Grand Old Party’s commitment to inclusion and reform. Founded on the values of Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, Ripon believes in their legacy of innovation, equality of opportunity for all people, mutual responsibility, and self-government.”
I find that I can get behind something like that more comfortably than I can more strident positions held by those further to the right. It’s worth a look-see.
I’ve read with empathy and sympathy the posts from folks trying to make a living in Hollywood while simultaneously trying to remain true to their principles. It has to be tough and I doubt that many who have breadwinner responsibilities would be critical of your reluctance to go public. I once took stand on principle in another profession and was canned. I’m not sure I could bring myself to do again it if it meant more dislocation and disruption for my family. But I do admire and respect people who put it all out there for their beliefs regardless of what those beliefs may be.
At the same time, however, I view you all as potential saviors of an important industry’s soul. I hope that tolerance may at some point in the future reach critical mass in an industry that so often presumes to preach virtues to the rest of the country and world. Then it may be possible for civil discourse and debate among those who reside on all points on the political spectrum to flourish where it can bring so much more to the creative process on which the industry depends. A Utopian dream, I suspect.
I find it supremely ironic and indicative of a meanness of spirit that Hollywood appears to be populated disproportionately by members of groups that were once villified and supressed – Gays, Reds, substance abusers, etc., – and now having achieved acceptance and an element of social validity, these same groups will not now stand up for others’ right to express freely their consciences.
I suppose it is human nature to want to strike back, but at some point rational people should realize that doing so simply perpetuates the legitimacy of suppression and when the pendulum begins to swing back in the other direction, which it always does, they may once again become targets of abuse. Better now to break that cycle and protect everyone’s First Amendment rights.
I just Googled “legitimate” and found on Wikipedia a discussion of Max Weber’s argument that there are three kinds of legitimacy:
Charismatic Authority
Traditional Authority
Regional/Legal Authority
I’m open to other interpretations, but it appears to me that Hollywood is governed more by Charismatic Authority which is defined in the article as:
“Legitimacy based on the charisma of the leader, often partly based on the perception that this leader has certain extra or supernatural attributes. Example: a tribal chieftain or a religious leader.”
What attributes, aside from beau coup bucks, precisely, do the tribal or “religious” leaders in Hollywood possess that allow them to drive the tribe towards such extremes of suppression? Is the so-called creative process there now so dependent on hatred for dissent from positions they hold? If so, then it also appears to me that underlying this aversion to political diversity is a broad base of insecurity.
For one, I’m disinterested in what deeply insecure people have to offer. It’s never balanced and frankly, it’s boring. I suspect that the prolonged drought of original content and groundbreaking film offerings (read something other than liberal content) is symptomatic of insecurity bordering on psychosis. But then, marketing and other executives worldwide uniformly suffer from this affliction so maybe Hollywood’s decision makers and trend setters are just playing it safe.
Or I could be completely full of it. What say those of you in the middle of this industry?
Thank you for this post. It is incredibly difficult here….especially as a twentysomething working for a major TV studio! I can’t really speak up in my current job…I’m not worried I’d be fired, but it was ruin all of my relationships within the office itself and thereby my future career. I’m very hopeful this blog will be a turning point for this town….It can’t get any worse!
Anyone know what’s the “LOL” for when you’re rolling around on the floor holding your stomach and making load “caw caw caw” noises?
I came here to read something serious and i see the stinking johny lennon and the freakshow(((
you people are the same exact clowns as your political opponents
you have NO FUTURE mark my words: stop been a clown it will cost a lot of people their lifes
I think you are thinking like sukrat, but I think you should cover the other side of the topic in the post too…
Poor Chris Brown. That guy can\’t catch a break!
[...] most important industry in his state is flirting with destruction or anything), seeing as he wrote this meandering, nonsensical article that uses the lyrics from “Dear Prudence” to ask Hollywood conservatives to come out of [...]
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