PrintSeptember 18, 2008
Election 2008: Hollywood Redux
You know election time is drawing nigh when celebrities flex their intellectual muscle:
- The ever-classy Pamela Anderson -- known for her breast implants and sexcapades with former husband Tommy Lee -- eloquently stated that Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin can "suck it."
- Expat Madonna, who's looking scarier and scarier these days, played to anti-American sentiments overseas by comparing John McCain to Hitler and Robert Mugabe in a pictorial during a recent concert in Cardiff.
- Celebutante gadfly Lindsay Lohan unloaded on Palin on her MySpace page.
- Matt "I'm not a genius but I played one in the movies" Damon used a debunked myth about Palin's religious beliefs in what he expected the rest of us would see as a thoughtful discussion about the VP nominee's qualifications.
- On the red carpet, Susan Sarandon parroted a leftwing talking point comparing Palin to Pontius Pilate and Obama to Jesus and is threatening to move to either Canada or Italy if McCain is elected. (Oh, please, dear Lord...)
- Rapper Sean Combs of the ridiculous nickname issued a profane YouTube rant about Palin. (Remind me again how guys like this ever became mainstream?)
- Noted political analyst Barbra Streisand has declared that McCain's pick of a running mate "is a transparent and irresponsible decision all in the name of trying to win this election."
- While shilling for La Raza on their recent Alma Awards broadcast, Eva Longoria quipped, "After four years of sex and treachery in Desperate Housewives, I thought I was a perfect pick for vice president."
Welcome to Election 2008, where Hollywood has declared "once more unto the breach." And once again, Hollywood is showing how little it has in common with the rest of America.
Before they were stars, many of today's glitterati were once part of the unfortunate, mouth-breathing, plebian masses, and continue to play them on the big screen for big bucks. But upon their induction into the moneyed, sycophantic world of big name entertainment, many of them have lost their perspective on how regular people live and think. You can't blame them, really. With millions of adoring fans worldwide, scores of dedicated "yes men" who tend to their every need, and a social circle of like-minded political travelers, it's easy to see how - in their minds - they have transcended from "average Joe" to "enlightened being." It's good to be the king.
Yet keep in mind: despite being helped by the success of Iron Man, Indiana Jones and The Dark Knight, Hollywood is enduring an overall slump. So now is not exactly a good time to tick off those who pay the bills. (One might say the same thing about Congress.)
But they can't help themselves. Being "enlightened beings," they feel the need to spread the good word with the rest of us, hoping to convert the "heathens" into saved members of the politically correct flock. It's amazing how much the left has in common with the evangelical Christians whom they so openly despise - especially when it comes to comparing Obama to Jesus or asking silly questions like, "Who would Jesus bomb?" The only things that are missing are the revivals, although anti-war movies like Stop-Loss, Redacted and In the Valley of Elah are perhaps the next best thing. Unfortunately for Hollywood, the "heathens" aren't buying.
Average Americans wouldn't deny that movie stars and pop singers their First Amendment rights. That would be, after all, un-American. But many of us resent this small, privileged group using their celebrity status to urge the rest of us to think the way they do -- especially since Hollywood is seen as being out of touch with the rest of Americans as far as values are concerned. We especially resent it when you talk smack about us overseas, where anything anti-American gets Europeans salivating like Pavlov's dog.
See, average Americans really aren't that stupid. They've cottoned on to the fact that bias does indeed exist in the news media. They also realize that celebrity political views don't just exist in the public sphere, but that these views also make their way into movies, television shows and even commercials. You know, like the knuckle-dragging buffoon married to the smart, funny, attractive woman who solves their problems with flair and aplomb, "desperate" suburban housewives, and radical right-wing Christians who behead Muslims.
As someone else aptly put it, "Shut up and sing."
So keep it up, Hollywood. Keep ignoring the fact that 60% of Americans consider themselves to be very or somewhat conservative, and feel free to continue to badmouth us while you're sucking up to foreign audiences.
Remember how well that worked back in 2004?
Pam Meister is the editor of FamilySecurityMatters.org. The opinions here are her own.
