Conservatives in Hollywood?!

City Journal ^ | Brian C. Anderson

[KeyLargo]

Conservatives in Hollywood?!

Brian C. Anderson Autumn 2005

It was hard to parody Hollywood’s loony limousine liberalism this summer. “I’m coming out,” trumpeted actress Jane Fonda about her plans for an anti-Iraq-war bus tour (thankfully later canceled). “I have not taken a stand on any war since Vietnam”—if “stand” is the right word for her 1972 lovefest with the enemy. Paramount announced that conspiracy-minded director Oliver Stone, who described the 9/11 terrorists’ “revolt” as a legitimate “fuck you, fuck your order” to culture-controlling American movie corporations (of all things), will helm Tinseltown’s first large-scale drama about the attacks. David Koepp, co-writer of Steven Spielberg’s remake of War of the Worlds, likened the movie’s ravaging aliens to the U.S. military in Iraq. And on the Huffington Post website, such celebrity lefties as Rob Reiner and Laurie David huffed daily about President Bush’s outrages against civil liberties, Mother Earth, and all that’s proper.

But guess what: ever more Americans are shunning Hollywood’s wares—and disgust with Left Coast politics, both on and off screen, clearly plays a part. In a time of declining moviegoing, what gets people out to the theaters, it turns out, are conservative movies—conservative not so much politically but culturally and morally, focusing on the battle between good and evil, the worth of heroism and self-sacrifice, the indispensability of family values and martial honor, and the existence of Truth. Hollywood used to turn out a steady supply of such movies—watch just about any film from its Golden Age of the thirties and forties—and it still makes them once in a while (sometimes thanks to off-screen lefties like Steven Spielberg). We may soon see a lot more of them....

[KeyLargo]

"Hollywood owes its best recent years—2002 and 2003, when it cracked the 30 million ticket mark again for the first time since 1966—largely to the massive box-office success of a handful of conservative, family-friendly movies, including the first two Lord of the Rings installments, Finding Nemo, and the low-budget smash My Big Fat Greek Wedding, virtually an ethnic Father Knows Best. The non-R movies draw more children to the theaters, as you’d expect, and more moviegoers 40 and up, too—their parents. “The largest consumer segment in America is mainstream families with traditional values,” emphasizes Dove chairman Dick Rolfe. National Association of Theater Owners head John Fithian concurs: “Family values sell tickets.”

This article was published in the Chicago Sunday Sun-Times, titled: "HOLLYWOOD'S LIBERAL LOSSES", but it was not in the online version of the Sun-Times. I found the article at The City Journal website: http://www.city-journal.org/html/15_4_urbanities-conservatives.html

[calrighty]

"“I have not taken a stand on any war since Vietnam”—"

You don't NEED to take a stand in public, you ignorant moonbat...we all know where you STAND.

[peyton randolph]

Family values sells tickets...then the profits from these movies are used to fund projects about lesbian serial murderers and gay cowboys eating pudding.

[ClearCase_guy]

“Family values sell tickets.”

It's so obvious. For me, the scariest thing is that a major business -- the entertainment business -- deliberately avoids the strategy which is most likely to generate profits. Of course, they have a different goal in mind. Quite odd for a major business.

[son of caesar]

lol, thats just to dam funny. name me the movie actor and i can tell you where they stand on any issue. if a position is against the usa, god and apple pie, that actor will defend it. case closed on these ignorant anamolies of a bizarre communistic industry anyways

[calrighty]

: )

[Blood of Tyrants]

So, how do you think the homosexual cowboy movie "Brokeback Mountain" is going to sell at the box office?

[Blood of Tyrants]

I suspect that there are more than a few conservative actors and such, but they are not secure enough in their star status to make their position public.

[ConsentofGoverned]

what if they gave a Movie and nobody came? sar
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
The entertainment industry accountants are delivering the News every qtr, Hollywood is moribund, Newspapers and MSMTV,are on life support..when will capital refuse to send them more funds? Will Viacom and GE (nbc/msnbc), News corp (fox) stockholders stay with the stocks?
Sad to see an industry commit suicide, and the Wall street press only sees GM as a poorly run co. Stock holders better wise up and get out of entertainment co's..stop supporting the commies who live on our dime.

[calrighty]

About 30%, and yes, they lay low.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Perhaps movie moguls see their industry going the way of the tobacco industry; sort of a federally managed, profits insured agency.

[KeyLargo]

It gives new meaning to; "Gay Caballero"

[calrighty]

I don't think it will break even as their market is S F, West Hollywood, and Provencetown...................

ROTFLMBO!

[april15Bendovr]

I was thinking that someone should do a book on all the Republicans in Hollywood? then I though it really wouldn't be any bigger than an Irish cook book, Book of Jewish sports legends or a book on recent Italian and French war victories.

[BonnieJ]

I really think that once my generation (the baby boomers) lose their hold on Hollywood, the conservatives will have a better chance to be open and maybe true quality will return. I hate to say it but the older end esp. of the boomers (and I'm in that direction) have had a horrific influence on just about every aspect of our society, and we'll be better off when they're out of politics, the universities, the media, entertainment, business, ETC!!

[Rutles4Ever]

I had no idea Adam Sandler was a conservative (or at least conservative for a Hollywood star)...

[Alex Murphy]

I'm convinced that the voluminous negative reviews for the summer blockbuster STEALTH was because it was a pro-military action film that also left out the obligatory sex/nude scene seemingly mandated by a PG-13 rating. Positive depiction of the military, and no casual sex/nudity? What a let-down for the liberal movie watcher! The movie was a lot better than the reviews made it out to be.

Remember how some reviewers castigated The Passion for it's violence, then praised Sin City for the same?

[Long Distance Rider]

The story of the hero in Cast Away and his former love reminds me of a Hollywood story I read somewhere. Alan Ladd and June Allison were very attracted to each other when they were filming a movie back in the early 50s. Both were married and wanted to stay that way. So by their choice, they never worked together again. If true, it is one heck of a contrast to most in Hollywood. Hell, it is a contrast to darn near anywhere.

[KeyLargo]

BonnieJ, Many of us freepers are baby boomers and part of the silent majority during the 1960's era of hippies and druggies.

Then as now the most vocal wackos got all of the media attention while the rest of us went to work every day, served in the military and loved our country.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

"David Koepp, co-writer of Steven Spielberg’s remake of War of the Worlds, likened the movie’s ravaging aliens to the U.S. military in Iraq."

Someone tell Mr. Koepp to extend his sophomoric analogy to include (radical) Islam as the viral agent...