Posted on 04/18/2003 10:34:51 AM PDT by dalereed
Joseph Perkins
THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
Tim Robbins doesn't get it
The Hollywood lefty thought he could take to the streets against his country – even as American troops were in harm's way in Iraq – and suffer no public backlash.
He was wrong.
Last week, the baseball hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., withdrew an invitation to the C-list actor and his wife, er, live-in partner, Susan Sarandon, to appear at an event marking the 15th anniversary of the film "Bull Durham."
Hall of Fame President Dale Petroskey was concerned, rightfully so, that the activist couple would use the event as a backdrop to further criticize the war and bash the nation's commander in chief. (Not unlike lefty director Michael Moore's boorish rant at the recent Academy Awards.)
"Mr. Robbins and Ms. Sarandon have every right to express their opinions," he stated. "But the Baseball Hall of Fame is not the the proper venue for highly charged political expressions, whatever they may be."
Robbins threw a hissy fit. How dare Petroskey disinvite him and his wife, er, significant other, just because of their anti-war activism. It was an affront to the quisling couple's "constitutionally guaranteed rights."
Well, sure, the First Amendment guarantees Robbins the right to free speech, to hate on his country (which is viewed as a "rogue state," he said this week) and its duly elected president. Even during time of war.
But the Constitution hardly immunizes Robbins from the consequences of his free speech. Since he chose to publicly oppose the war – which is supported by eight of 10 Americans, according to a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll – he should be prepared to accept the public backlash.
So what that he was blown off by baseball's Hall of Fame (much as Sarandon recently was dissed by the United Way in Tampa Bay, Fla.)? That's the price they pay, and rightfully so, for their unpatriotic activism.
Robbins, Sarandon and their fellow Hollywood lefties need to understand that the rules have changed since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. The American people no longer are willing to give them a free pass for comments, for actions that border on sedition.
I, for one, will never pay to see another movie featuring Robbins, Sarandon or any other outspoken anti-war actor. Not even at matinee prices. Nor will I purchase another CD by any outspoken anti-war musical artist.
And I am not alone. Millions of Americans have had it with the anti-American sentiments of the entertainment industry. And they are punishing the biggest offending "artists" at that box office, in the Nielsens and on the Billboard charts.
Like actor Sean Penn, who recently whined that his anti-war activism cost him a promised role in a coming film titled "Why Men Shouldn't Marry." He accused the film's producer, Stanley Bing, of "borrowing a page from the dark era of Hollywood blacklisting."
But why should Bing or any other producer jeopardize the financial success of a film project by casting an actor, like Penn, who has turned off so many potential filmgoers with his anti-American conduct?
Same goes for Janeane Garofalo. ABC has been developing a sitcom with the anti-war comedienne in which she reportedly plays a producer for a TV newsmagazine program.
The only way the show, titled "Slice O' Life," will generate more than token ratings, will last more than a few episodes, is if Garofalo makes good on her recent promise to Fox's Bill O'Reilly. That is: if the Iraqi people welcomed U.S. troops, if troops found "all kinds of bad, bad stuff" in Iraq, she would "go to the White House on my knees on cut glass and say, 'Hey, you were right, I shouldn't have doubted you.' "
Well get those knees ready, girlfriend.
Then there are the Dixie Chicks. Lead singer Natalie Maines told a London audience last month that the country music trio was embarrassed that President Bush hails from their home state of Texas.
Now the Chicks are crying that people who support America's commander in chief are being really, really mean to them. "We've gotten a lot of hate mail, a lot of threatening mail," complained Martie Maguire, adding that fellow Chick Emily Robison "had the front gate of her ranch smashed in."
Meanwhile, country music fans, most of whom happen to be quite patriotic, continue to boycott the Bush-bashing trio. Their current CD, titled "Home," sold a mere 51,000 copies last week, less than half as many as it sold the week after the group's verbal blast against the president.
It's about time that the American people started to hold left-wing entertainers accountable for their words and deeds.
And if Robbins and Sarandon, Penn and Garofalo and Maines, Maguire and Robison can't stand the backlash, they should concentrate on their acting and singing and keep their cockeyed political views to themselves.
Perkins can be reached via e-mail at joseph.perkins@uniontrib.com.
Copyright 2003 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
Something tells me she has been on her knees before.
Tee-hee.
Actually, I gather the term is "life partner." Du jour, of course.
what backlash?
the only backlash i've seen is against petroskey, who is getting slammed by from espn to the jim rome show. dale has done the anitwar movement a huge favor.
Millions of Americans have had it with the anti-American sentiments of the entertainment industry. And they are punishing the biggest offending "artists" at that box office, in the Nielsens and on the Billboard charts.
again, what backlash?
http://www.billboard.com/bb/charts/country.jsp http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/20/books/bestseller/0420besthardnonfiction.html
Either put up or shut up, that's what I say.
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