CBS Nixed 'Reagans' Following Letter from Rock Hudson's Ex-Lover

NewsMax ^ | 11/4/03 | Limbacher

[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.

[ClancyJ]

If Hallmark distributes this, they are ruining the reputation they had of only promoting high quality productions. This is a soap opera - sleaze.

Hallmark - only if you want to send the very best. Well, they are proving Hallmark does not understand what the very best is.

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

Reagan would have been made into a cartoon character for the Left

He has always been one anyway to the left

[Lib Buster]

This entire situation essentially boils down to the fact that the Left believes, TRULY BELIEVES, the outrageous lies that they put out. Think back to the 80's, when AIDS was a new, mysterious disease. Groups like ACT UP made ridiculous, irresponsible claims against President Reagan. Obviously, there were some dimwits out there who didn't bother to check the facts then, and don't bother to check them now. After all, a radical fringe group like ACT UP made the claims, so they must be true, right?

Remember when the book "And the Band Played On" came out, no one really challenged its content. It was subsequently made into a movie shown on cable. We must be vigilant in challenging such material, because there are people out there who take these things as a representation of the TRUTH. Lord knows, they aren't getting the facts presented in school.

This should serve as a reminder to us all of how things used to be. Outrageous lies at that time went largely unchallenged. Phil Donahue ruled daytime TV talk, and talk radio had not yet experienced the Limbaugh age.

We must NEVER go back.

[Britton J Wingfield]

ping.

[mhking]

Did we do the right thing.....censoring CBS?

We didn't censor them, we held their feet to the fire. We forced them to admit that they were wrong to consider airing lies and presenting them as truth.

[cateizgr8]

That is awesome that he is helping to set the record straight :)

[Uncle Hal]

I think you are right this is pure BS so they can look good to the gays and AIDS activists. Simple as that.

[laotzu]

"We didn't censor them..."

It was sarcasm.

[laotzu]

"We didn't censor them..."

It was sarcasm.

[Legerdemain]

Did we do the right thing.....censoring CBS?

hmmmmm.....did we censor CBS, I do not think so....we have a right to voice our displeasure with a slanderous movie a network broadcaster was planning to show. I do not see it as censorship, as the conservatives voiced their opinion, and CBS still could show the show if they wanted. However it is interesting, the economics of the situation, corrected an injustice.......nothing wrong with that

[mewzilla]

With Marc Christian's testimony in the libel suit, Nancy Reagan could end up being Les Moonves' boss.

Oh, here's hoping...

[Sloth]

It seems that Carl Limbacher is either calling the gay man “her” or Les Moonves “her”.

LOL, that's what I was thinking.

[laotzu]

"did we censor CBS..."

But, Tim Robbins would call this censorship.
He's very tall.

[jjm2111]

Bump to listen to Howard later.

[StoneColdGOP]

1. Don't tell the rest of Hollywood, they'll never know how to react to this.

2. Don't tell the Talibornagain of FR, they won't know how to respond to a conservative who didn't want homosexuals rounded up for "treatment".

God bless you, President Reagan...

[chimera]

Good to see there are people on the other side who value the truth. Reagan held strong beliefs and passionately defended his views, but that does not mean that he was lacking compassion for those who suffered illness and misfortune, particularly friends he felt loyalty to. Any portrayal that contradicts this character trait is dishonest and should be condemned.

[Vinnie]

Barbara Streisand must be deeply saddened at this news.

She just can't seem to be able to keep her husband employed.

[jackbill]

Did we do the right thing.....censoring CBS?

We didn't censor CBS. We gave them a free-market choice. They chose profit over "principle". And wisely so.

[presidio9]

But, Tim Robbins would call this censorship.
He's very tall.

Plus politically neutral broadcaster Ted Turner plays his mediocre film about the (evidently) unrequieted love affiar between two men in prison 20-25 times a month, so he must be an expert on our Constitution, right?