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| Hollywood elites in severe depression |
| 2004-11-05 |
| Sherry Lansing, the soon-to-be-retired Paramount studio honcho and friend of Sen. John Kerry, is said to be "depressed." Actress Sharon Stone, who stumped for Mr. Kerry in Wisconsin, reportedly was "traveling" yesterday. It wasn't clear whether the "Basic Instinct" star had fled the country, as she had hinted that she might do if the Democratic nominee lost. There were tears and tribulations. Long sighs and short tempers. Shock and bawl. For a rich and powerful demographic used to getting its way, Hollywood was downbeat yesterday as President Bush -- more heinous than a mid-February release date to so many celebrities and other bold-faced names -- made his gracious victory speech. Not only entertainers were said to be dispirited. The literary crowd in New York was crying into its Evian. "Sure, I feel terrible," said New Yorker editor David Remnick, whose published endorsement of Mr. Kerry was a first for the magazine. "There are a lot of long faces today." And "Fahrenheit 9/11" propagandist Michael Moore's Web site actually went silent. lol That's the same Mr. Moore who only a couple of weeks ago had paused in his anti-Bush road trip to opine: "I have a feeling that slackers are going to rise up in this election. The slacker motto is: Sleep till noon, drink beer, vote Kerry." George Soros the Hungarian-born billionaire who went on his own 12-city speaking tour and spent an estimated $17 million on ads and get-out-the-vote drives to defeat the president, posted a message on his Web site describing himself as distressed." "I'll be back," he wrote. Buoyed by early exit polls that put their candidate ahead, many in Beverly Hills dined together and waited out the night. Slowly, their leading man faded from the political screen. "There's a lot of disappointment out here. A lot of apprehension," said Robert Dowling, editor in chief of the Hollywood Reporter. "People are comatose." It was the right coast versus the left coast, and the morning-after mood was described by Mr. Dowling as "somber." It left many Kerry supporters reaching for their Prozac vials. "Mine is already empty," joked a high-level publicist who counts A-list celebrities as his clients. "Everyone's so down. All the studio execs are bummed. I have to tell you, when gay marriage becomes a bigger issue than the Iraq war, we're missing something." Long decried as out of touch with "the real America," Hollywood woke up to its worst nightmare on Main Street. "This is definitely Kerry country," said Gabriel Snyder, senior writer for Variety, the industry bible. One can only imagine the despair of the Hollywood stars over the specter of glittery state dinners and policy lunches that could have been: Barbra and Moby,, Uma Thurman and Viggo Mortensen, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro, Bette Midler and George Clooney. Directed, perhaps, by Rob Reiner and Steven Spielberg . Who knew "moral values" voters could triumph over production values? Asked whether outspoken stars might regret their more vitriolic sentiments about the president, Mr. Snyder said he doesn't think there is a risk of backlash. "My prediction is the political tenor will come down for a little while," the Variety scribe said. "I don't think anyone will say anything wild. Next week, of course, might be different." Among the most shrill in past months: Jennifer Aniston, the "Friends" actress who called Mr. Bush "a [expletive] idiot." Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who stumped for Mr. Kerry in Oregon and Florida and appeared in an ad for the Democrat on the Internet. Singer John Mellencamp, who described Mr. Bush as "a cheap thug." Cher also threw her wig in the ring, calling Mr. Bush "stupid and lazy" during a sparsely attended rally at a Miami Beach disco in Florida. Al Franken is also a loser today; Dennis Miller a winner. Sean Penn, Whoopi Goldberg and Meg Ryan: losers. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ron Silver and Angie Harmon: winners. Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi lost their full-throated bids to play at an inaugural ball. Larry Gatlin and Brooks & Dunn, call your agents. Rap impresario Sean "P. Diddy" Combs made his preferences known, without using the names "Bush" or "Kerry," in urging the hip-hop nation to "Vote or Die." Fellow rapper Eminem put in a belated appearance with the animated video for his venomous anti-Bush single "Mosh," in which his "army" appears to veer from violence in the streets to voting at the polls. What proved to be a tonic: Building 429 and other Christian rockers who urged prayerful consideration of the stakes on their "Redeem the Vote" tour. "It was a very gradual thing," the Hollywood Reporter's Mr. Dowling recalled. "First it was Puff Diddy, then Bruce Springsteen came along, then Ben Affleck came out and the bandwagon rolled. It was slow to engage, and I'm not sure if Kerry wasn't just a surrogate for anti-Bush feelings." "Celebrity testimonials may help [sell] erectile-dysfunction products," Marty Kaplan, communications professor at the University of South Carolina, told Agence France-Presse, "but in politics, they're mainly eye candy for the media." Mr. Dowling agreed. "It didn't work," he said of the Democrats' star-studded support. Asked whether Mr. Affleck, who wasn't available for comment, would suffer any repercussions, Mr. Dowling laughed and alluded to the actor's latest box-office flop "Surviving Christmas." Ben Affleck," the Hollywood journalist said, " has more career problems at the moment than his political beliefs". |
| Posted by:Mark Espinola |
| #26 Dave, don't gloat too much & please tell them most of us (70%+) in the active military are glad Kerry lost. Mostly because his wife has bigger gonads then he does but also because we'd rather have a staunch leader not some foppish dandie. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2004-11-05 10:13:24 PM |
| #25 My LLL brother and his wife just called to invite me for Thanksgiving dinner with some academic-type friends of theirs. Boy, am I going to enjoy this... |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2004-11-05 9:13:49 PM |
| #24 a2u - Oops - fixed now... Apologies - it's worth a look, lol! |
| Posted by: .com 2004-11-05 8:51:18 PM |
| #23 The Affleck link is bye-bye. |
| Posted by: anonymous2u 2004-11-05 8:43:02 PM |
| #22 #17 someone - ROFLMAO! Agreed! |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-11-05 7:26:31 PM |
| #21 Does this mean all these Hollywood leftists will be traveling from the Great White North to except any awards? |
| Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-11-05 6:52:29 PM |
| #20 DeNiro? I thought he had made some comments very supportive of the WoT and OIF. Maybe I just find it impossible to believe that he would be an LLL crazy. |
| Posted by: (lowercase) matt 2004-11-05 4:32:55 PM |
| #19 And here's proof of the severe effect of the election loss on Affleck... Looks like he took it kinda hard, heh. "Makeup!" |
| Posted by: .com 2004-11-05 1:56:55 PM |
| #18 My brother in law grew up with Affleck. He didn't like him. He laughs a lot these days. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-11-05 1:39:27 PM |
| #17 Making terrorists cry is just business; this is pure pleasure. |
| Posted by: someone 2004-11-05 1:30:49 PM |
| #16 That's right Sgt.Mom, and now that John Edwards no longer has a senate seat we should allow him to return to his former profession as soon as possible. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2004-11-05 1:18:49 PM |
| #15 Wow... we'll have to call in for a whole fleet of "w-ambulances"! |
| Posted by: Sgt. Mom 2004-11-05 1:01:57 PM |
| #14 Amen Jarhead. Nugent: defender of gun rights, consumer of animals, we thank you. And a big thanks to Kid Rock for goin out an rockin' live for the troops. |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2004-11-05 11:19:12 AM |
| #13 This article gives me immense satisfaction to the n'th degree. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2004-11-05 10:51:48 AM |
| #12 Please remember though that my Detroit brothers Kid Rock and Uncle Ted Nugent both supported the President. Eminem is funny but should stick to gross out rap, he's no political intellectual genius obviously. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2004-11-05 10:51:00 AM |
| #11 "Ben Affleck," the Hollywood journalist said, " has more career problems at the moment than his political beliefs". I expect the rest of these dipshits will be experiencing this very soon. |
| Posted by: BH 2004-11-05 10:25:55 AM |
| #10 Wow, is that the same David Remnick that wrote the book on post-Soviet Russia? What pushed him into a pro-Kerry mindset? |
| Posted by: Jules 187 2004-11-05 10:11:53 AM |
| #9 I have already decided not to see movies featuring these people. It is hard since it appears this leftist mentality is permeating the whole industry but I will be judicious in what I see. I haven't fogtten these people. They are "seared" in my memory now. |
| Posted by: Bill Nelson 2004-11-05 10:04:32 AM |
| #8 And the inspiration for one of the funnist 'South Park' episodes I've seen. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-11-05 10:01:08 AM |
| #7 I think Hollywood is starting to realize where that chill wind is really coming from and it's not Washington DC. Give Ben Affleck a break, he was the source of one of the funniest songs in Team America. |
| Posted by: RJ Schwarz 2004-11-05 9:58:12 AM |
| #6 "Celebrity testimonials may help [sell] erectile-dysfunction products," Marty Kaplan, communications professor at the University of South Carolina, told Agence France-Presse, "but in politics, they’re mainly eye candy for the media." Damn, you should have posted a coffee/drink alert before that line! ;) |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2004-11-05 9:07:05 AM |
| #5 I hear Rosie's so depressed, she's gonna go out and buy another kid... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-11-05 9:01:55 AM |
| #4 HAhaha,this is just to funny.Hollywood Gliteraty are depressed because the"Great Unwashed"of"Fly-over country"ignored thier Great wisdom and world wide expertise.Hahaha,guess this must be a terable blow to thier fragile egos(poor babbies).I wish I could stare 1 of these d-ass' in the face and just laugh my ass off. |
| Posted by: raptor 2004-11-05 8:26:19 AM |
| #3 Maybe future historians will view this election as the turning point --- the Stalingrad of the New Left. |
| Posted by: Anonymous6092 2004-11-05 8:15:16 AM |
| #2 Michael Moore: Ich Bin Ein Jelly Donut! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-11-05 8:14:21 AM |
| #1 Understatement of the year: Ben Affleck," the Hollywood journalist said, " has more career problems at the moment than his political beliefs". |
| Posted by: Scott R 2004-11-05 8:11:18 AM |
