Sunday, January 25, 2009

Hollywood Conservatives: Should They Just Shut Up and Entertain?

That's what La Shawn Barber over at Pajamas media wants to know.

"Right-leaning actors and decision-makers do exist, though they’re not as vocal as their liberal counterparts. Perhaps Big Hollywood will encourage conservatives in Tinseltown to talk about their views loud and often. Just shut up and entertain, you say? Like it or not, political ideologies shape the entertainment culture and influence what’s produced in Hollywood.

Having said that, complaining about liberal Hollywood is pointless, but it’s easier than doing something about it. In that regard, I agree with Entertainment Weekly’s Gary Susman:
"[I]f conservative Hollywood wants to make more openly ideological movies, it should stop whining and make them."

Agreed. But, obviously, Hollywood is already making ideological movies. Left leaning ideological movies, and lots of 'em. Not only is Hollywood very left leaning, but so is the majority of their audience which pays to see their product - and that includes a huge foreign audience.

That’s the rub. Foreign money finances a lot of Hollywood productions, and it paid off, too. Hollywood grossed a record overseas box office in 2008.

For many in Hollywood, it's a match made in agitprop heaven. Hollywood's sentiments aren’t full of quaint lil provincial notions of ‘God Bless America’. Lefties want the world to love ‘em, and are truly perplexed that Americans don't. That’s why these primping hollyweird loudmouths went overseas to spout off against ‘the chimp’.

It’s also why they flocked to produce & star in BOX OFFICE BOMBS like Rendition, Redacted, Lions For Lambs, In The Valley of Elah, War, Inc., Taxi To The Darkside, Stop Loss, etc. Oh, and let’s not forget Bill Maher’s lil piece of religulus bigotry. (Can Bill spell ‘hate speech?’)

For conservatives, the best solution not to be abused by these duplicitous adolescent celluloid screeds is to simply not pay to see them. But others do pay - especially overseas. This grates & beguiles on a global distribution stage. Yet, it's conservatives who are routinely condemned for being mean and divisive. For many critical thinking Americans, it is the most unkind cut of all from some of our own.

The people of the U.S. of A. don’t mind folks speaking out; it’s simply that some folks - do to opportunity & fame - have a greater ability to do so. But the people of the U.S. of A. do mind these folks who act like ungrateful punks, and show no respect for the blessings imparted by that opportunity & fame in order to indulge in self-absorb tirades.

Conservatives are antithetical to that hollweird ungrateful punk mentality. And, apparently, it won’t be tolerated by those who claim to be so tolerant.