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| Liberals Ain't so Bad |
| 2004-12-13 |
| Even though I've been a member of the "Liberal Hollywood Elite" for 15 years, I have never been invited to an orgy. And this article is your formal notice you want an invite, right? Instead, I get invited to roughly three dozen charity events a year. Last Monday night, for example, I attended a dinner in which the Hollywood community raised $1.2 million for the Los Angeles Free Clinic. Week after week, people in this community put so much time and effort toward sharing their good fortune. I can think of no other industry that gives more. Why, then, do so many conservatives hold us in the same esteem as the proprietor of the local porn shop? Are our morals and values so different from the rest of America? I believe "Hollywood" is more like middle America than many people imagine. Then you need to rent a pickup truck and go driving the 'middle America' if you think Hollywood is just like middle America. I'm from Illinois (blue state), and my wife of 12 years is from Texas (red state). We have three children, two dogs and a picket fence. This was a typical weekend for us: Saturday, we went to our kids' soccer games (one loss, one tie). Saturday night we took the kids to see a movie (The Incredibles). Sunday, we went to a child's birthday party. Sunday night, we had dinner at home. Highlight of the weekend: My 6-year-old son scored a goal, his second ever. Lowlight: A bad magician. (Note: We didn't see Sean Penn or Michael Moore even once.) You may have noticed there was no mention of church or Temple. I was raised Jewish, my wife was raised Catholic. Though we respect each other's heritage, and while many of our friends are deeply religious, we have chosen to focus on our similarities, not our differences. We teach our children compassion, charity, honesty and the benefits of hard work. We teach them to help those who aren't as lucky as they are. I am confident that they will go into the world with good morals and strong family values. But based on what? What Mom and Dad sez? How will that help when you and wifey are gone, dja think of that? Where is their moral center? Friends in the Midwest often ask me what it's like to raise a family in Los Angeles. I say it's just like where they are, but warmer and with more traffic. I also tell them people here seem a bit more tolerant of those who are different. That's not what I hear. I have heard from the left as well as the east coast how we in 'flyover country' are a buncha pickup driving Jesus Freaks. My wife and I are friends with several gay couples, many of whom have been together for 20-plus years. While I can joke that that's a rare accomplishment even for heterosexual couples here, in fact, many people have been together that long. What puzzles me, though, is why Britney Spears can get drunk and then married for 55 hours in Vegas and have more rights than a successful, loving gay couple who have been together for a quarter century. Because Britney chose a heterosexual partner, she gets her marriage recognized by the state. And all your gay couples/friends have to do is to find love in a heterosexual partner and their marriage too can be sanctified.. I feel lucky to work in Hollywood. I have also worked very hard. But I never forget that so many people in this world, in this country, work just as hard, even harder, yet are barely making ends meet. That's why, despite knowing his tax plan would have cost me a lot, I voted for Sen. John Kerry. Why doesn't that surprise me? Expecting universal agreement at a dinner party just before the election, I voiced this view rather passionately, only to learn that half of the room was voting for President Bush. Huh? In liberal Hollywood? Is it warm in here? Pass the salt. But what about the accusation that Hollywood is trying to advance its liberal agenda? Well, the fact is, while the creative community admittedly leans left, Hollywood has become a corporate town. Middle America may only see celebrities, but the real power here lies with the heads of studios and networks. In the old days, studio and network presidents answered to no one. Today, they report to corporate boards and shareholders — not exactly a bunch of lefties. Nice spin. A lot of people who read this rag will buy that. Those who won't understand regardless of who reports to whom, liberals are advancing a leftist agenda in American culture and you are part of that. As long as the corporate element is making money, employees can advocate child sacrifice and the corporate element won't even raise an eyebrow. But wait. If they're so conservative, why did every studio in town pass on Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ? Is it because they're all liberal Jews controlling the media, or because they thought the film would bomb? Ask them today if they would have financed Passion knowing then what they know now, and you'll see enough green lights to make Hollywood look like a Christmas tree. Again, more nice spin. The facts, however are quite a bit more mundane. The Passion of the Christ was passed on because Hollywood is anti-Christian. Sure, the equalizer now is the success of the film, but its success hightlights by stark contrast how deeply prejudiced the left is, including those in Hollywood. The point is, this town can't be summed up with one ideology. To label and dismiss us, to vilify us, is to wrongly assume that politically there exists an "us." In fact, we are just a group of very different people, most of us trying to raise our families, joined by the desire to grab an audience. Yeah, those gay couples trying to raise a family, I know what you mean. It pains me that our nation is so divided. So, during the next four years, I'm going to try to better understand the so-called Christian Right that views Hollywood as the enemy. Much like in my marriage, I'm going to focus on our similarities, because I believe, from the bottom of my heart, that if we try, we can find common ground. God, I sound like such a liberal. You can try to understand the 'Christian Right' all you want. You have missed the point. People voted Dubya in because the alternative was a relaxation of security; the alternative was another leftist president, following Clinton's legacy: ignoring terrorism until it is just too late. |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #32 So every foreign jew-basher can not only watch the scene but also read subtitles that are now totally up to the discretion of shall we say less "sensitive" distributors in the middle east and Eastern Europe. Disgusting. Ridiculous! Those who hate the Jews will do so at any provocation, and even without provocation. You may as well urge the suppression of the whole New Testament -- including the other variations of the gospels, because they can be misread as well. Frankly, the New Testament is much more supportive of Jews and the Jewish religion than you imagine. For the longest time, Christianity was considered by many to be simply one of the sects of Judaism. |
| Posted by: cingold 2004-12-13 8:08:41 PM |
| #31 clearly you and your "deathporn" will never be reconciled with my view. No skin off my fore, as Master Fred sez. You're not going to change your opinion and I certainly have better to do. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-12-13 7:55:15 PM |
| #30 Look, dude, if you find deathporn entertaining, then by all means go for it. But Mel's clearly a liar and an opportunist-- not just for his blood libel lies and shenanigans but also by pretending the Pope endorsed his project when Mel has consistently voiced his scorn for the Pope's "liberalism". In my book Mel's merely the right-wing version of MikeyBoy. Pox on 'em both. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-12-13 7:49:01 PM |
| #29 If my info is correct that the blood libel does not occur in all of the Gospels, only one of them, then why did Mel put it in? More to the point, he agreed with his critics that it was deeply offensive and inflammatory and said he would remove it. But he lied. He left the scene and removed only the English subtitles. So every foreign jew-basher can not only watch the scene but also read subtitles that are now totally up to the discretion of shall we say less "sensitive" distributors in the middle east and Eastern Europe. Disgusting. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-12-13 7:46:06 PM |
| #28 Smut's smut, Frank. Wow. Iâve seen more graphic depictions of the crucifixion than the one Mel produced -- but I wouldnât call those depictions âsmutâ either. The New Testament record is fairly clear that Christ went through mockeries of trials before the Sanhedrin, Herod, and the Roman Governor. The record also is clear that Christ suffered beatings and insult along the way, including a severe scourging that Governor Pilate appeared to have hoped would appease Christâs enemies. In the end, Christ suffered a Roman crucifixion. Extra-biblical sources concur that Christ lived, drew a following, and was crucified by the Romans. The only real historical question is what happened to Christâs body thereafter. To call any portrayal of Christâs suffering as âsmutâ is to equate blood sacrifice with depictions of prurient sexual gratification. You canât argue that Melâs depiction is anything but accurate as far as the historical record of Christâs suffering goes. Beating, scourging and crucifixion do have the results Mel depicts. As for the blood libel charge, argue with the writers of the New Testament (who were Jewish) not with Mel. The words that were put in the movie by Mel are what the New Testament says some Jewish leaders were saying at the time. THE NEW TESTAMENT DOESNâT SAY THAT GOD OR THE CHURCH TOOK THEM UP ON THE OFFER. If the blood libel doctrine were correct, then was Christâs suffering a willing propitiation, or just the bad breaks that some race should now be cursed for? I donât doubt that some people (using the name of âChrist,â even) have claimed that the Jews are subject to blood libel, but those are the same types as supported the Inquisition. The Biblical doctrines condemn anyone who would claim a blood libel on the Jews. The Christians revere Christâs voluntary suffering -- believing that Christ did not have to undergo the suffering, but chose to suffer as a blood sacrifice to erase the sins of the repentant. Christâs suffering is revered as an example of true selfless devotion, and as a challenge to how we should all live to help others. If thatâs âsmut,â Iâm missing something. |
| Posted by: cingold 2004-12-13 7:33:02 PM |
| #27 btw - I didn't mean that last part to sound snarky....unusual for me, I know... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-12-13 7:16:54 PM |
| #26 I would not show the "Passion" to children, and I don't think any rational mind holds Jews today responsible for Roman and Rabbi political decisions 2000 yrs ago - this thread was run endlessly when the movie came out. As I noted at the time, Jews didn't kill Jesus, we all did, and it was his chosen fate to die - for all of us. The blood libel canard is available for anyone who wants to not understand the message - in fact Gibson is one of the hands in the movie nailing Jesus to the cross, to demonstrate that we all did it. Arabs, et al, will use anything they desire to for their own ends, or is Mel responsible for the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion"? It's obvious you and I won't agree on this, sounds like you have some issues I can't help you with...sorry |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-12-13 7:14:43 PM |
| #25 Smut's smut, Frank. Sorry. Anyone who would expose his children to Mel's obscene gorefest is sick. As are most of the Opus Dei wackos who apparently inspired his, uh, "vision" |
| Posted by: lex 2004-12-13 7:00:33 PM |
| #24 good luck in your life, Lex |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-12-13 6:57:41 PM |
| #23 Here's a surefire growth industry: an integrated production and distribution chain featuring both low-budget paranoid lefty agitprop crap and low-budget obscene funamentalist Opus Dei crap. Huge margins and a lock on the over-25 true believer market. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-12-13 6:56:59 PM |
| #22 The Passion is obscene. A smut flick. An embarrassment to Christians, and intellectually dishonest as well: note how Mikey, er, Mel lied about removing his anti-jewish insertion that recalled the blood libel. He removed only the subtitle, not the aramaic spoken words, which means that every foreign distributor is free to retain the blood libel portion, whether it be subtitled in arabic or polish or russian or whatever. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-12-13 6:54:10 PM |
| #21 Not that either F911 or that SM fetish romp, The Passion, were aimed at intelligent adults that was the single most unintelligent thing I've heard - classing them in the same sentence and disparaging Christians and their history. Nice job, even for an atheist |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-12-13 6:47:45 PM |
| #20 What struck Hollywood types about both F911 and the Passion was that these movies were bringing into the theaters millions of adults who had not attended a movie in years. Heh, I haven't been to the local theaters in years myself, and neither one of these was compelling enough to cause me to break my streak. :) |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-12-13 6:12:40 PM |
| #19 Not that either F911 or that SM fetish romp, The Passion, were aimed at intelligent adults... |
| Posted by: lex 2004-12-13 5:48:18 PM |
| #18 The other aspect of Hollywood is that most of their revenue derives from an audience of subliterate teenagers and uneducated young adults. They're out of touch with normal people because very few of them create works that normal people over the age of 22 have any interest in. Films for intelligent adults are a dying business. What struck Hollywood types about both F911 and the Passion was that these movies were bringing into the theaters millions of adults who had not attended a movie in years. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-12-13 5:46:54 PM |
| #17 TW, Times? Places? Links? |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-12-13 5:44:55 PM |
| #16 people like us who are least likely to be infected with an unamusing disease, or to have spouses who would object to the activities. ah, so now we know what "trailing" refers to |
| Posted by: lex 2004-12-13 5:43:17 PM |
| #15 A largely unoticed trend is that Hollywood now gets most of its movie revenue from outside the USA and the TV industry is going down the same path. Hollywood is merely reflecting the prejudices of its market. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2004-12-13 4:37:31 PM |
| #14 Apparently, a surprising number of the younger creatives are conservative and Republican. They keep silent in order to be able to have careers, but it will be quite interesting in that part of the world within twenty years. As for the orgies, it isn't the 1920's any more, or the '60s, or the 80's. Nowadays, I imagine they are small, private affairs, with carefully picked guest lists -- people like us who are least likely to be infected with an unamusing disease, or to have spouses who would object to the activities. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2004-12-13 2:25:00 PM |
| #13 conservative masses, why do they hate us? |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-12-13 2:00:08 PM |
| #12 Not all are nuts. Roger Simon's cool, an ex-liberal, OSacr-winning screenwriter and part-time blogger. He's also friends with Charles Johnson. Check out his site: www.rogerlsimon.com |
| Posted by: lex 2004-12-13 1:10:24 PM |
| #11 When I think of Hollywood Elites I think of Actors and Directors, not screenwriters. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2004-12-13 1:07:26 PM |
| #10 My wife and I are friends with several gay couples, many of whom have been together for 20-plus years. And I'm friends with Pentacostals, many who have been together for 20-plus years. Gets which groups gets treated better by your side? |
| Posted by: Pappy 2004-12-13 12:21:42 PM |
| #9 These kids are likely to be every bit as confused as their old man. Heh, I had to look at that twice myself. :) Seems to me this guy is probably just mouthing the words. If he knew what he was talking about, he wouldn't be contradicting himself like that. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-12-13 11:48:02 AM |
| #8 There are actually two Hollywoods (as soon to be former Senator John Edwards might say) 1- the list people: leading script writers, actors, directors, producers 2- employees: the stunt personnel, the grippers, the costume personnel, the set personel The people in #1 have numerous residences, go to parties all the time (maybe orgies) and are about 90% democratic The people in #2 work hard just like blue collar people anywhere do; many of them live in Simi Valley and vote republican |
| Posted by: mhw 2004-12-13 10:50:08 AM |
| #7 Hollywood's in the same business as schoolyard dope dealers: same target market, same type of product, same business ethos |
| Posted by: lex 2004-12-13 10:20:09 AM |
| #6 We teach our children compassion, charity, honesty and the benefits of hard work. We teach them to help those who aren't as lucky as they are. Well, which is it? Do they benefit from the wages of hard work or the whims of fortune? These kids are likely to be every bit as confused as their old man. |
| Posted by: BH 2004-12-13 10:14:22 AM |
| #5 "Free Clinic" sounds so high and mighty. Let's see what they actually do: 1) Free showers for the homeless. I don't think any homeless actually take them up on that. 2) HIV testing for gays. Well that was an obvious one. 3) Legal advice for illegal aliens and juvenile hooligans, so they can avoid jail and continue to break the law. 4) Women's Health. STD cures and abortion referrals. 5) Dental care. Well, no argument here. 6) Integrative medicine. Chinese herbs and yoga. These are treatments for real disorders? Hello, placebo effect! Pretty much every page on their site has HIV status emphasized. Some people are more equal than others, eh? Volunteers needed: Attorneys, law students, every single dental specialty (well I take back the positive statement about dental services...evidently they don't have enough dentists, and the openings are for 3-hour shifts), Spanish translators, and assorted admin staff. Job opening: Grant writer. Well, that was obvious...the Hollywood types aren't getting the bills paid, they need more free money. Job requirement: "Willingness to commit to the philosophy and goals of The Los Angeles Free Clinic." I wonder how those apocryphal Bush voters would fit in here. In short, this clinic, while admirable, panders to the liberal leanings of its elitist Hollywood sponsors, and mostly dispenses treatments that adhere to their liberal views. |
| Posted by: gromky 2004-12-13 10:00:36 AM |
| #4 I am reminded of a comedian's routine about how a gang-banger behaves when he's outside of his 'hood: overly polite, even ingratiating, and with very precise English. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2004-12-13 9:43:53 AM |
| #3 Steven Levitan is an Emmy Award-winning writer and executive producer of television comedies. He created the long-running NBC series Just Shoot Me and is developing two series for next fall. None of this impresses his wife and kids in the least. Or me, either. Ask them today if they would have financed Passion knowing then what they know now, and youâll see enough green lights to make Hollywood look like a Christmas tree. We're supposed to be impressed that greed kicks in where there are no principles people are willing to stand up for? Pfeh. This guy is self-satirizing. |
| Posted by: too true 2004-12-13 9:24:03 AM |
| #2 Iâm going to try to better understand the so-called Christian Right He should start by dropping the "so-called" insult. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-12-13 9:19:37 AM |
| #1 I have never been invited to an orgy. That's why he's pissed. |
| Posted by: Spot 2004-12-13 9:16:23 AM |