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CBS Nixed 'Reagans' Following Letter from Rock Hudson's Ex-Lover
NewsMax ^
| 11/4/03
| Limbacher
Posted on 11/04/2003 7:23:44 AM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
CBS's decision to pull the plug on its mini-series "The Reagans" came on the heels of a letter to the network from Rock Hudson's ex-lover, who complained that the portrayal of the 40th president as a virulent homophobe was provably false. "The notion that President Reagan was a homophobe strikes me as silly beyond belief," wrote Marc Christian, in a letter to CBS entertainment chief Les Moonves made public Tuesday by her friend, conservative commentator Tammy Bruce.
"Not only did he have several gay men on his staff when he was Governor of California," said Christian, "he called my lover, Rock Hudson when he was on his deathbed just weeks before he died of AIDS and wished him well and voiced his and Nancy's concern and prayers."
As Bruce reported in her FrontPageMagazine.com column, Christian's letter continued:
" . . . The Reagans had known Rock for years and knew he was gay [as did most in Hollywood]. The point is Reagan could have ignored Rock's illness and didn't. He could have just issued a public statement concerning his 'official sorrow' but made a personal phone call instead."
Hudson's partner slammed the Tiffany network for having become "the official arm of the Democrat party," adding, "I bet President Reagan's phone call to Rock Hudson isn't in the screenplay or should I say smearplay, is it?"
Wrote Bruce, "This note from Marc to Moonves is important for several reasons, mostly for the injection of the truth into a world ruled by vacant, malevolent leftists."
"Marc's letter, and the e-mails, letters and calls all of you made to CBS to register your protest and to support a great and decent man and his wife, obviously do make a difference," she concluded.
TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cbs; hudson; moonves; reagans; rockhudson; tammybruce; thereagans
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To: HitmanNY
The liberal caricature of Reagan as an angry, hateful man is nothing more than simple projection.
21
posted on
11/04/2003 7:55:52 AM PST
by
jpl
To: cwboelter
...as must be her husband, Mr. Streisand.
To: Eric in the Ozarks
It didn't hurt that Drudge sat in for Rush and presented excerpts to his million + listeners. Drudge was encouraging people to complain. I think Drudge should get a lot of credit for his part.
23
posted on
11/04/2003 7:57:57 AM PST
by
Alissa
To: Pan_Yans Wife
and in Europe when Hallmark sells this to the European Gov run stations that broadcast cable shows over the air?
There is no FR in europe. There is no drudge, no rush, no FNC. Thre is only CNN europe and euronews. Many of the antiamericanists (aka socialist and commies) would welcome ANYthing that puts reagan in a bad light. Lies/truth its all the same as long as Reagan's legacy is diminished.
To: laotzu
We didn't censor them. We made our voice heard. As President Bush said, the best form of censorship is to turn the channel. In this case, contacting the station worked just as well.
25
posted on
11/04/2003 7:58:38 AM PST
by
rintense
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
start the leftist smear machine against Marc Christian
26
posted on
11/04/2003 8:00:24 AM PST
by
InvisibleChurch
(Like sittin' on pins and needles, things fall apart, it's scientific.)
To: longtermmemmory
It's a free market. The Europeans can and will do what they wish. We have no control, there.
CBS passing this off to Showtime was a conservative victory. It was not censorship. Showtime can sell it, and people will watch.
But CBS is diminished by this entire episode, and that is a good thing.
27
posted on
11/04/2003 8:00:32 AM PST
by
Pan_Yans Wife
(You may forget the one with whom you have laughed, but never the one with whom you have wept.)
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
With Marc Christian's testimony in the libel suit, Nancy Reagan could end up being Les Moonves' boss.
To: Pan_Yans Wife; Huck; longtermmemmory
"Is it censorship when..." Har! har!!
I was just using a little 'Tim Robbins' lingo there.
29
posted on
11/04/2003 8:01:35 AM PST
by
laotzu
To: Pan_Yans Wife
We do have control here. Hallmark is distributing this. If they participate in the distribution, the will pay an ecconomic price.
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Smearplay bump!
31
posted on
11/04/2003 8:10:25 AM PST
by
Petronski
(Living life in a minor key.)
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
That was a kind and thoughtful act from Mr. Christian. He could have ignored it all but he chose not to. The love and admiration for President Reagan goes beyond mere politics. His life can be a model for us all.
32
posted on
11/04/2003 8:29:26 AM PST
by
whereasandsoforth
(tagged for migratory purposes only)
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
The sort of historical revisionism inherent in condensing Reagan's life this way is bad enough but inevitable; when it is further twisted to meet the criteria of a hostile political agenda, the character becomes unrecognizable. Reagan was, after all, an actor, author, union leader, and Democrat before ever he embarked on a conservative political career.
It's all very well to take an adversarial stance in politics, and accusing Reagan of being anti-gay is a perfect example. It serves to mobilize the troops in a political campaign and is normally understood to be hyperbolic and distorted. This is the sort of thing Reagan meant when he said that "we're all friends after 6:00." It's not supposed to be taken seriously.
This is quite another thing. For starters, the fellow is on his deathbed and hence no longer a player or even a factor in politics. This sort of smear does not function for anything but to validate and maintain an unremittingly hostile worldview, to propagate and keep alive an entirely artificial hatred. It isn't the mark of a healthy intellect at all.
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
"......a world ruled by vacant, malevolent leftists......"
I couldn't have put it any better myself!
34
posted on
11/04/2003 8:39:50 AM PST
by
DoctorMichael
(Thats my story, and I'm sticking to it.)
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
President Reagan is a TRUE humanitarian; a quality that eludes the hateful left, especially in the context of those with whom they disagree.
35
posted on
11/04/2003 8:45:17 AM PST
by
Spok
To: Graybeard58
Can someone tell me who the "her" is in this statement: "by her friend conservative commentator Tammy Bruce" ?
It seems that Carl Limbacher is either calling the gay man her or Les Moonves her.
Either way, its pretty funny.
36
posted on
11/04/2003 8:45:43 AM PST
by
dead
(I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
To: Lunatic Fringe
Reagan was a true compassionate conservative!When Reagan was governor of California, there was an initiative to ban gay teachers. Reagan came out squarely against the proposal and it failed. I'm sure that wasn't covered in the movie, either.
37
posted on
11/04/2003 8:49:42 AM PST
by
ItsJeff
(anyone know of a good tag sale?)
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Back in the early 80's little was known about AIDS, except that it was spread by sexual contact. The homosexual community wants to blame the epidemic on everyone and anyone EXCEPT where the blame lay: with themselves.
38
posted on
11/04/2003 8:58:57 AM PST
by
Hildy
To: Alissa
Agree. Drudge helped nail this hatchet job.
To: Alissa
Absolutely. Having Drudge expose this piece of garbage to such a wide audience is what really got this ball rolling. He is to be commended for this!
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