The Spoils of antiwar-For some celebrities, a dissenting role has turned into a good career move

MSNBC/Washington Post ^ | April 22, 2003 | Paul Farhi

[T Lady]

April 22-Janeane Garofalo sounds energized about her whole antiwar thing: "I knew when I started speaking out that it was going to be unpleasant," say the actress-comedian, "and I've taken my punches. But the positives have far outweighed the negatives."

SUCH AS? Such as all the unsolicited offers Garofalo has received-speaking engagements, stand-up gigs, stage roles-in the weeks since she proffered her antiwar opinions on news programs. Such as the bundles of attagirl letters and the hearty congratulations of strangers in the street. Such as the sitcom pilot she's making for ABC. The other day, after a decade and a half of doing comedy, she made America Online's "Comedians to Watch" list.

"Before this I was a moderately well-known character actress," she says. "Now I'm almost famous." Not to be too cynical about it-Garofalo and other celebrities say they've been speaking from the heart-but dissent, it seems, can be a pretty good career move. In the weeks preceding or during the war, some entertainment figures took flak for their outspoken opposition. Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, perhaps Hollywood's foremost anti-warriors, have both been publicly rebuked and disivited to events organized by the Baseball Hall Of Fame and a Florida United Way chapter, respectively. Martin Sheen has been assailed by critics for his views. Sean Penn alleges in a lawsuit that he lost a role in a movie as a result of his antiwar stance and his prewar trip to Iraq. And, of course, a handful of radio stations launched well-publicized "boycotts" of the Dixie Chicks after lead singer Natalie Maines said at a concert in mid-March that she was "ashamed" that President Bush was from her native Texas (she later apologized).

NOT MUCH LASTING DAMAGE But it's hard to find much lasting damage. All told, widespread publicity about celebrities' war views hs helped, not hurt, the careers of the famous. In the weeks after Maines's comments, for example, sales of the Chicks' latest album, "Home," fell out of the tope spot on the country charts-before bouncing right back into the No. 1 position last week. After his outburst at the Oscars last month ("Shame on you, Mr. Bush!"), author and filmmaker Michael Moore saw his book, "Stupid White Men" return to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. Two days after the Oscars, he roported on his Web site that his doucumentary, "Bowling For Columbine" had received more video orders on Amazon.com than the Oscar winner for Best Picture, "Chicago." Moore also reported that he's received funding for his next documentary and has been approached by an unnamed network to revive his old show, "TV Nation." Even Robbins, who frets about a "climate of fear" for lesser-known actors, can't really complain. "I'm okay," he says in an interview. "I just finished two films," including one with Clint Eastwood. "I don't believer there's fallout. If there was, I don't think anyone would say, 'We're not hiring you for political reasons.'"

[T Lady]

roported=reported.

Apologize for the error.

[linn37]

sad to hear that Clint made a movie with Robbins,first Eastwood movie that he has made that I will miss.

[Mister Baredog]

This sounds like spin to me.

[T Lady]

That's just what it is. Pure spin. That's why I posted it so FReepers everywhere could hit it like a pinata.

-Regards, T.

[Psycho_Bunny]

The more these people made asses out of themselves, the more press-time they got.  For many of them, they simply took their natural leftist cynicism and turned it into free publicity; and the uproar against these people helped, more than hurt them.

There is no reason for most of them to apologize.

[Lost Highway]

When it all boils down it was a career move. Nice.

[happydogdesign]

Are you a poor, befuddled nobody in Flyover Country
or one of those dreadful "Red" Bush states and have
trouble understanding what your betters are really saying?
You need the Hollywood Left to English Translator:

[TomB]

a dissenting role has turned into a good career move

Somebody needs to show the author of this piece the ratings for Sarandon's Sunday night movie.

She lost to the test pattern.

[Studebaker Hawk]

Forget Clint... He hosted a Grey "RED" Davis Celeb Golf Tourney to raise money for the worst governor of KALIFORNIA, a few years back.

He's in the dustbin of history, IMHO...

[T Lady]

See post#5-He says it all.

-Regards, T.

[LurkedLongEnough]

Wishful thinking on their part. It's pitiful when Hillary Clinton sets a better example than they do.

[NutmegDevil]

I won't go to any of their movies/shows. I will switch the channel when I see any of their faces in ads or promotions. I won't do MCI, etc. They're toast in this household. Could be other households will support them

[samtheman]

The spin might be true for that loser Garafula. Who was paying attention to her before she started her loud public hate-Bush donkey braying?

[ewing]

That's a great graphic..I love the 'has been' category for Sandy Duncan

[BSunday]

It's pitiful when Hillary Clinton sets a better example than they do.

My thoughts exactly

[squarebarb]

What this article is saying is
'we have put down the brief peasant uprising, now they are obedient again and will buy and watch what they are told. The common villeins cannot touch us'.

[T Lady]

"...'The common villians cannot touch us.'"

Maybe not, but we sure as heck don't have to fork over 8 or 9 bucks to watch any of your filthy garbage. In your dreams, Tim, Susan, and Janeane. In your dreams.

-Regards, T.

[T Lady]

"...'The common villians cannot touch us.'"

Maybe not, but we sure as heck don't have to fork over 8 or 9 bucks to watch any of your filthy garbage. In your dreams, Tim, Susan, and Janeane. In your dreams.

-Regards, T.