Rob Reiner plays to type--he's still "Meathead"

Rob Reiner, now 76, played to type in the 1970s, Meathead, a thickheaded liberal who if he didn't jump to conclusions or fall for lies, he would have no exercise at all. Now he's going after "Christian Nationalists." Not sure what he's trying, but is he criticizing Christians who believe in borders? Christians who wave flags and sing the national anthem at parades? Christians who believe all lives are worth living? Christians who believe in honest elections? Christians who don't buy into the anti-Christian climate chaos? Christians who worship Jesus instead of humanist agendas? Are these the Christians who deliver his goods, keep his plumbing working, and build his lavish homes? Are these the Christians who do his gardening and prepare his food and clean his homes? Prepare his taxes, fix his teeth, repair his automobiles, check out his library books, ring up his groceries, laugh at his movies so he can make money? Are these Christians who support Trump and therefore snobs like Reiner can claim they shouldn't be allowed to vote?

 
Rob Reiner is worth $200 million, not exactly NFL territory, but probably he never lifted a finger to do real work--both his mom and dad were successful Hollywood types. His only talent was picking the right parents. Reiner is a secular Jew criticizing people of another religion. Typical Hollywood hypocrite.

Hollywood's new Red Scare

"Another writer, who, like most of the writers we interviewed, was afraid to speak openly for fear of never working again, said: “I get so paranoid about even phone calls. It’s so scary. My close friends and my family are just like, ‘Don’t say anything.’ It is one of those things, ‘Will I be able to sleep at night if I say anything?’ Getting jobs in this town is so hard, and I’m very grateful to have a great job. If there’s any so-called ding on my record, that would just be an argument against hiring me.” "

Sounds like something right out of the 1950s, when Hollywood feared the HUAC, the Red Scare, and the Blacklist. Ironic that now it's WOKEISM, just another form of Communism that is causing fear, anger and lost jobs for Hollywood. MeToo meets George Floyd meets diversity quotas. Well, we hadn't been to a movie theatre in years. Never too early to give up on a dying Hollywood altogether.

https://bariweiss.substack.com/p/hollywoods-new-rules?

Hollywood's New Rules, they are so woke

https://bariweiss.substack.com/p/hollywoods-new-rules?

"Hollywood had always pushed boundaries—from the 1947 “Gentleman’s Agreement,” which confronted antisemitism, to “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” (1967), which tackled interracial marriage, to “All in the Family” (1971-1979), which grappled with race and women’s liberation. The original run of “Will and Grace” (1998-2006), did more to advance the cause of gay marriage than anything else pre-Obergefell.

And then there were the villains: The vast majority—from the Terminator to Hannibal Lecter to Gordon Gekko—were uber-white: an Austrian (robot), a Lithuanian, a WASPy, pinstriped capitalist. (For the insider’s list, see this from The Hollywood Reporter.) . . .

Then came George Floyd, and, in the summer of 2020, everything that had been happening in slow motion started to happen much faster."

The new rules (no white men allowed as actors, directors, screen writers--their agents are dropping them) definitely are being applied to TV advertising.

Exercising in the morning

 Saturday morning TV/radio is rather. . . boring and bland.  Rehashes of the week's news and garden shows.  So while riding my indoor cycle this morning (6 miles) I brought up Cheddar, a channel that seems to specialize, at least on Saturday early a.m., short documentaries and films.  Week-days it's a  regular news and technology channel and the target is millennials (obviously, not me). It was founded in 2016 by Jon Steinberg. Today I watched one on suspension bridges vs. cable bridges, their design, span and replacement; two on music how brain-sound researchers are manipulating the background music for exercise, shopping, workings, etc. and the changes in hip-hop and rap (and I assume pop and country-western) by young producers using the internet to sell "beats"; and two more on the military, the use of drones primarily during the Obama administration in military targets, and how the military, particularly the Department of Defense has had a cozy relationship with Hollywood ever since Wilson needed to convince the American public to go into WWI. All very interesting, and I can see how the millennial crowd becomes very jaded and cynical.  Especially with the stories about drone strikes.  Until someone investigated (in 2017) not much was known about the U.S. military branches helping Hollywood.

How the U.S. Military Influences Hollywood on Cheddar

How Focus Music Hacks Your Brain - Cheddar Explains - VoiceTube

Hip Hop's Underground Beat Economy on Cheddar

Trump supporters are compared to KKK and Nazis by—who else—failed entertainers

The latest was Jeff Daniels who hasn’t been seen since Full House emptied.

What is it about smaller government, lower taxes, a vibrant economy, a secure border, honest judges, employment for minorities and ex-felons, a growing conservative black middle class, babies who survive womb warfare, and more freedom that terrifies Democrats and they lapse into "Nazi" and "racist" when faced with the successes of the last two years?

One would think they knew nothing about their own history!! Jim Crow, pushing fathers out of the home, ignoring crime, bringing in drugs over the border to destroy the young, destroying small businesses with regulation to protect the big corporations from competition. Wake up!

Gosnell and Searcy

Nick Searcy who both directed and acted in the Gosnell movie writes,

"I realize, looking back, that I was quite naïve about how this film would be received. I truly believed that if we did it the right way, even the so-called Hollywood Left would appreciate our fairness in telling the story, see its value, and, furthermore, share our goals in getting this important story before the public.

Sadly, I was wrong. As I said, this town runs on fear — the fear not only of failure but, more insidiously, of being shunned because of your political opinions. I was gratified by the talented people in this industry, many of them who differed with me politically, who did believe in our script and were willing to come on board. But many people, some of them good friends of mine, declined to work on this film, not because of its quality but because of the fear of reprisal or even ostracism by the groupthink herd in Hollywood. More than once, I was asked questions like “Are you crazy?” or “Are you sure you want to do this?”"

I had read and reviewed the book, “Gosnell, The Untold Story of America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer” by Ann McElhinney and Phelim McAleer. I have volunteered in a pregnancy crisis center for 5 years and on the prayer call list for 15—so I was not as shocked as others by this movie.  I contributed money to have this film made. I was very reluctant to see it, but I did, and it is an excellent film. A first class story with excellent production values. You won't be sorry if you see it.

We like to say we have free speech in this country, guaranteed by the First Amendment.  And to an extent, that’s true.  But we don’t have the right to a job, career, family or friends after we exercise the right. And Searcy’s disappointment in his friends is so true.

Golden Globes 2018

Hollywood (film, TV, indies) told us that adultery was exciting and OK, that religious values were out of date and stuffy, that marriage was a waste of good sex, that divorce was the answer for a less than ideal relationship, that having children would interfere with a woman's career, that the pill was always available, that abortion was a cause for sympathy not reproach, that same sex marriage was just about loving someone, and that transgenderism was actually possible for anyone who felt like joining the sports team or using a different locker room at school.

So now the #metoo movement has brought the chickens home to roost. Women have been objectified, nullified, pacified and ridiculed for 80 years in this industry which has changed our culture at home and abroad. So the same industry that led the culture down this dark, murky road is saying No More? I think it's a little late to return to Mayberry (TV sitcom, Andy Griffith, 1960) or ring the Bells of St. Mary's (movie, Bing Crosby, 1945)

We bought the tickets; we made them rich

For decades the entertainment industry has been pushing and eroding respect for sexuality, parenthood, women, men, children, family, and church, inserting its values into sit-coms, dramas and violent crime shows, until they convinced the world their values were normal. And all along, the men were pawing and raping boys and women, and the females were keeping quiet to protect their careers while performing the roles the men controlled and the women wrote in the screen plays. The industry glorified violence and crime while demanding gun control for the average person. They push dropping pronouns, changing the language and opening bathrooms in the name of "social justice." Sick. Too late now; we bought the tickets, we didn't change the channel, we laughed at their smarmy jokes. We made them rich.

The women blame power imbalance, the men blame their fathers for poor behavior modeling? Richard Dreyfuss calls it flirting and thought it was consensual. She let it go on for decades; I can see why he might get it wrong. So after 40 years of "I am woman hear me roar" it's still all about sex? Apparently, the Marxist message underlying much of the Feminist movement just didn't have much appeal for the ladies.

http://www.vulture.com/2017/11/richard-dreyfuss-accused-of-exposing-himself-to-woman.html?

 The Clinton News Network (CNN) last night at the Pub was featuring Putin and Trump meeting, making a big deal about it instead of pointing out the latest revelations from the entertainment industry, and all the people who knew all about Louis C.K. who could fill Madison Square Garden and masturbate in front of women and make films about 14 year olds and sex. And they all kept quiet while pointing fingers. I guess the late night comedians are not covering it either--comedians need to stick together, plus the Democrat Party hasn't given them the script.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/arts/television/louis-ck-sexual-misconduct.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/01/business/media/mike-oreskes-npr-sexual-harassment.html

You've got to read Tinseltown Travelogue

Tinseltown Travelogue is a three-part series exploring Hollywood's stunning hypocrisy and institutionalized bigotry. This story, months in the making, comes on the heels of the explosive New York Times exposé of alleged sexual misconduct over decades by Tinseltown's most celebrated producer, Harvey Weinstein, and further unmasks an industry in the midst of an ethical unraveling. http://www.breitbart.com/tinseltown/2/  (Part 3 isn't on the website yet)

So what should we call this lack of diversity, a gap or -ism?

"When reviewing publicly published data for all actors nominated in 2017 for best actor/actress in a lead or supporting scripted role for the Oscars, Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the Primetime Emmys, there wasn’t a single publicly verifiable right-of-center nominated actor out of the 240 potential awards. Not one. These are some of the most vocal stars in Hollywood because they are interviewed by media throughout the ...year as a result of their nominations. With the most prominent celebrities being almost uniformly liberal – Republicans are largely the only faction meaningfully affecting box office revenues based on politics. To Middle America, Hollywood has long been considered the enemy – and they’re acting on that relationship by closing their wallets." Tinseltown Travelogue, pt. 1.

The black-list of conservatives, and particularly anyone who voted for Trump or is even sympathetic, is bigger and badder than when it was a Communist witch hunt 60 years ago; now it's a black-list of any conservative except the old icons like Clint Eastwood by the left and the Communists in Hollywood. Everyone else has to hide in the closet; they don't dare speak freely or they'll never work again.

"When blacks claimed a lack of diversity approaching this level of disparity for just one award show, a national debate branded #OscarsSoWhite swept the nation. Not so much as a peep has been heard from the media about Movie City’s snub of rightwingers."

Here's the lack of political diversity: 76% left wing, 3% right wing, 21% unclear (based on campaign donations, public statements, and verifiable social media accounts). So that makes it about 90% left wing.

So minorities, women and conservatives have been abused by the liberals in Hollywood, who only love and respect their own. Jason Hall, the director of "Thank you for your service" is an anti-Trumper according to this personal account and ridiculed the author's wife on social media (a Mexican immigrant).

"In early January 2017, an anonymous email went out to members of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) suggesting that they would be blacklisted if they worked on the TV broadcast of Trump’s inauguration. Recipients thought the message was sent from someone of rank at the DGA. A union spokesperson confirmed with Breitbart News that they performed an investigation and were unable to identify the perpetrator of the email.

"When actress Nicole Kidman made the fairly benign statement days before the Inauguration that Americans should move on from the election and unite in support of the new president – third-generation TV writer Joss Whedon played the enforcer of Hollywood’s one-party system by mocking Kidman’s looks, and labeling her a “Puppet for Trump. Seemingly fearing further retribution, Kidman quickly backed off her statement." Tinseltown travelogue, pt. 2 

"In March 2017, when asked by Jimmy Kimmel if he’d attended Trump’s inauguration, actor and self-professed conservative Tim Allen hesitantly replied yes, joking that he had to answer carefully in a Hollywood that was acting like 1930s Germany. The liberal mainstream media savaged him for his statement, and his TV show, Last Man Standing, with the second highest viewership for a comedy on ABC, was canceled within months." Tinseltown Travelogue, pt. 2.

Let's educate the right, says the left

"We need to educate people on the right" said some Hollywood actor (never heard of him). Like having all broadcast media and cable news outlets, plus the major newspapers, the entire entertainment industry, political control of the largest cities, most of the colleges and universities and public libraries is just not enough for progressives/leftists.

Top 10 actresses compared to top 10 actors

Hollywood hypocrisy

Ohio State University and the Annenberg Public Policy Center surveyed gun violence in top-grossing movies, finding that the frequency of gun violence had more than tripled in PG-13 films since 1985. The PG-13 rating was introduced in 1984.

Gun violence in PG-13 movies has rivaled the frequency of gun violence in R-rated movies since 2009, and actually surpassed it in 2012, according to the study. (CS Monitor, Nov. 12).

Not only does this mean the rating system is meaningless, but that Hollywood celebrities and entertainment investors are total hypocrites about gun control and the 2nd amendment because they are trafficking in guns and directing it to children and teaching them how to use guns and resolve conflicts. http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/moviegunviolence.htm

Twelve reasons Hollywood can’t hide from the blame

I was reading the Columbus-Dispatch Week-ender this morning—looking for movies I’ll probably not see.  Here’s what I found in the Now Screening section (I’m leaving off the evaluations for sex, nudity, crudity, and rude).

1.  Broken City—violence.

2. Django Unchained—strong graphic violence through out, vicious fighting (this is the one where Jamie Foxx jokes about killing all the white people and his audience just laughs)

3.  Hobbit—fantasy-action violence

4.  The Impossible—disturbing injury images

5.  Jack Reacher—violence

6.  The Last Stand—bloody violence through out

7.  Lincoln—war violence, carnage

8.  Mama—violence and terror, disturbing

9.  Les Miserables—violence

10.  Texas Chainsaw 3D—strong grisly violence

11.  Wreck-it-Ralph—violence

12.  Zero dark Thirty—strong violence, brutal, disturbing.

That said.  You’ve bought the tickets that bought their mansions, sports cars and designer clothes.  What’s your excuse?

Did You Know--Hollywood films share the Gospel

One such film is Warner Brothers' 1979 film "Jesus." Based on the Gospel of St. Luke, the film, funded in part by money raised by Campus Crusade for Christ founder Bill Bright, did poorly at the box office. But in 1981, Campus Crusade began translating it for use in the mission field. Known as "The Jesus Film," the movie has now been translated into more than 1,100 languages. Seen by literally billions of people around the world, it is arguably the most watched film ever—with many millions of viewers professing faith in Jesus Christ as a result. It is still being shown world-wide today. John A. Murray, WSJ, April 22, 2011.

Tony's Ready to Move the Party from Las Vegas to Los Angeles with the purchase of a Hollywood Hills Vacation Home

I love to watch HGTV--programs are "reality shows" just a tad unreal if you've ever owned, remodeled or purchased a house, but they are fast paced, well-produced, and the advertising is appropriate for the programming. Some times I yell at the set--especially when a young woman is buying a home and planning to be a landlord to her boyfriend of 3 years. Oh lordy lady, how dumb can you get? If you break up, you may not be able to move him out of the house without legal action.

But last night they had the story of Tony Chau of Las Vegas on House Hunters buying a second home in Hollywood. He is a Vietnamese immigrant (name sounds Chinese to me, but there are Chinese families living in Vietnam, called Hoa ), but came to the USA at age 10 and is now 26 and a millionaire. He has some sort of marketing company on the internet. He was house hunting with his decorator who has done several houses for him. What he ended up with was fabulous--and we heard several times during the program how much he likes to party. Well, maybe so, but I do like success stories about immigrants because they are visible, physical evidence that America is still the land of opportunity and dreams if you want to work hard and have a marketable skill.

Tony's Ready to Move the Party from Las Vegas to Los Angeles with the purchase of a Hollywood Hills Vacation Home : House Hunters : Home & Garden Television

Ed Asner--a very hate filled man

My little converter box here at the lakehouse works great--except I get programs I'd never watch at home. This morning in the background (can't see the TV from this angle) I can hear Tavis Smiley interviewing Ed Asner who is spewing the most hateful, anti-American drivel I've ever heard from the Hollywood left. It's enough to make you stop watching old re-runs. This man desperately needs to retire.

Hollywood lefties will change their tune

when Obama tries to cap and trade their salaries and spread their wealth. Although, he probably won't do that. The suit may be empty, but the wallet knows where the money came from.

“You know, the last eight years I was the loyal opposition and now there’s another loyal opposition,” Carter told CNSNews.com at the Green Door gala. “The only problem I really have is the spreading of hate by right wing, you know, super right – the spreading of hate, I don’t get it. I don’t understand it.”

Interesting, isn't it. When she disagreed with Bush, it wasn't hate. But when we disagree with her guy, it's hate. The Bush haters were just bizarre and deranged, but now when we've got a really dangerous guy in the White House, they see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing. I doubt that anyone younger than 40 remembers her, but she played Wonder Woman and looked just like my daughter, who was actually prettier. LinkOh yes, and she thinks it's kinder to let mentally ill homeless wander the streets with their prescription drugs than to provide supervised shelter. Now there's a big heart.

The Politics of Hollywood

Chris Matthews observed in an interview this morning that since the beginning of the Cold War in 1947, Hollywood hasn't made a single anti-Communist film. I had just turned on the radio, so I don't know the context. I suppose he meant Hollywood in the genre or form sense, not the place. I have no way of checking that information--even with Google that would be tough, because anymore, what is "Hollywood?" Someone would be sure to find something anti-Mao or anti-Stalin (although that's not anti-marxist, just the person) on film that got swept up. And they even make movies in Ohio--that's flyover country that liberals only visit during presidential campaigns. However, it does make some sense. There have been a lot of movies about WWII, Nazis, and blacklisting Hollywood communists. The Nazis killed far fewer people than the Communists did. Of course, the Communists have been in power longer, and killed millions upon millions of their own citizens (and it continues through starvation in North Korea), not just "others" like Jews, East Europeans, gypsies and the disabled.

But American liberals have out done even the Soviet, Chinese and North Korean Communists. We Americans killed probably well over 40,000,000 unborn babies since the early 70s, and untold millions of Africans by taking DDT off the market--our own Rachel Carson holocaust. Add to that record, our global warming hysteria and regulations which will bring death to people in undeveloped countries. Already our regulation-crazy Democrats have pushed the Iraqis to sell their oil to the Chinese rather than mess with our rules. And in case our warm and fuzzy liberals have forgotten, the Chinese are still Communists who need oil. So, who am I, or Chris Matthews who raised the issue, to criticize the blood money of rich Hollywood investors, producers, directors and actors?

The Greening of the Rich

Andie MacDowell (movie star, 50) is taking a page from the home and gardening handbook of Al Gore and John Edwards, trading her 2.5 acre lot in the Blue Ridge Mountains (354 homesites) for one 3.5 acres. This way she can have a pasture and barn and more sq. ft. than she can possibly use. Of course, it wouldn't be Hollywood if it weren't eco-friendly. . . with riding trails and a golf course designed by Arnold Palmer. Seen at "Private Properties" in WSJ, but is also at Ecorazzi which seems to track this behavior by celebrities.

My great grandfather used to own land in the Smokies area (Dandridge), but sold it for a chance to make a living for his large family in Illinois. Back then (very early 20th century) it was just a hard scrabble living trying to farm on the sides of mountains. The story I was told, which might be apocryphal, was that he knew someone in Texas and someone in Illinois, but the train to Illinois came first.

I'm at risk

of sounding like Mama Obama, but I'm not proud of my country when I experience our entertainment industry, which seems to define us around the world--TV and film and popular music. I walked through the living room in time to hear Jon Stewart making Hitler jokes at the Academy Awards last night, and left in disgust. My husband and I disagree on how to waste time. I went back to reading blogs. Molly Willow of the Columbus Dispatch didn't mention it--just said he was better than last year. That must have been excrutiating or her decency meter is screwed up.

Three of the best ensemble casts you'll ever see are found on the sets and story-lines of Ugly Betty, House, and Boston Legal. However, they are so anti-Christian and left leaning, I've stopped watching them. The assaults on sexual morality in Ugly Betty became very predictable even while clever and "fresh," gay jokes having been pushed aside for transexual. On Boston Legal, only the partner with dementia is allowed to make a conservative or sensible, practical comment. And B.L. isn't even subtle about bimbo women lawyers. I've lost track (haven't watched in about 2 years) of the female actors, each with fabulous looks and ever more plunging blouses and unbuttoned shirts--they were furniture designed to enhance the male leads.

Dr. House? He thinks people who talk to God are religious, but those who hear God's voice are crazy. As though Hugh Laurie would know God if he stepped out from behind a burning bush. Yes, Michelle, there are times we aren't proud of our country either.