DOWN AND OUT (AND FREEPED) IN BEVERLY HILLS [LA Chapter FReeps Dan Rather!]

Cinnamon Girl

[Cinnamon Girl]

What have you got when a bunch of right wing extremists are standing on a corner in North Beverly Hills, in front of the Beverly Hills Hotel, wearing crazy costumes and holding signs while a nearly endless stream of RICH, OLD, WHITE GUYS IN SUV's and luxury sedans pull up the driveway? Why it must be a GOP FUNDRAISER, RIGHT?!?!!?? After all, if it was a gathering of progressive, environmentally concerned, liberal people of conscience celebrating the achievements of DAN RATHER, they'd all be driving hybrid vehicles or riding their ten speed bikes up the driveway, RIGHT?

Welcome to the land of celebrity activists, and DNC activists-- otherwise known as journalists. Tonight was the big night for Dan Rather, who is being honored for his "steadfast commitment to fair and accurate news reporting" by the Museum of Television and Radio. How apropos that Dan's big night is taking place on SUNSET BOULEVARD.

Freepers RonDog, DoughtyOne, diotima, DavidDennis, absalom1, DoctorZin and Outraged were there with some fabulous signs: "CBiaS", "Losing Share? Try the Truth," and RonDog was dressed as Sadam being pitched "softballs." I was dressed as Blind Justice holding a scale with one side reading "left" and the other reading "far left." Hopefully, DavidDennis will be putting up the pictures soon, and he also took video.

We were standing right at the foot of the driveway, on the intersection of Beverly, Crescent and Sunset so we got a lot of traffic, and the attendees not only drove by us, but sometimes the cars on the driveway got backed up and they were forced to be at a standstill next to our signs. One lady started waving her hand at us as if to say, "oh stop it, just go away." As I think Diotima pointed out (along with the SUV issue), they would just love to get rid of the 1st Amendment when it comes to us.

[JFC]

I have a new name for Dan Rather...... BUTTER TEETH!

[RonDog]

And...

THANK YOU for those EXTRAORDINARY images, D1!

Your "group shot" images posted at reply 130 are PERFECT!!!

EXCELLENT composition and framing!

(You da man!)

[RonDog]

And, we got a LONG interview with the EDITOR of TelevisionWeek...

That would be THIS guy:

It appears that Alex Ben Block's column comes out every MONDAY.

Let us hope that Mr. Block's article about the LA Chapter on Monday (11/17) is as thorough as THIS wonderful story about the DC Chapter was:

June 23, 2003
Volume 08, Number 40

Hillary Goes to Wal-Mart
The latest skirmish in the Clinton wars.
by Matt Labash - senior writer at The Weekly Standard.

"...The Wal-Mart parking lot is shaping up to resemble an old-school gang fight. Except instead of knives and chains, the combatants use placards and really weak song parodies.

The Hillaryites' tormentors are the Freepers, a fierce, warlike tribe from the Free Republic organization--a fire-breathing conservative band of Internet brothers who often call each other by their screen names, even in person..."

[RonDog]

This just in, from www.ratherbiased.com/whatsnew.htm:

2003-11-12 11:32:55 ET

• Rather Gets Award, Protestors. Dan Rather was in California Monday night receiving an award from the Museum of Television and Radio but not everyone shared the museum's enthusiasm. The award ceremony, which also honored the producers of the show Friends, was protested by members of the Web site FreeRepublic.com.

  It made for a dichotomy certainly befitting Rather who is highly regarded by many for standing up to Republican presidents but panned by others for having a liberal bias. Inside the Beverly Hills Hotel, Rather was toasted by liberal Hollywood while outside he was being roasted by conservative average Joes.

THANK YOU, RatherBiased.com!

[FIT-AIM-ACT-1]

Well done to all...

[Doctor Raoul]

Baghdad Bob returned to the scene of the crime last night. After attending Laura Ingraham's live radio show at the Museum of Radio & Television, firebrand and I went to Ollie's Grill down at Times Square. Coming out of Ollie's, I realized that the movie theater from that Freep was right across the street.

[WaterDragon]

I am so impressed! Congrats to you all! And thanks!

[DoughtyOne]

Glad you liked them RonDog. That large photo with the full hotel sign was a composit of four different photos. That allowed me to pull in the best shot of everyone for one sign.

Until next time...

[fatima]

Bump RonDog.

[RonDog]

And now, HERE is the "new and improved" story now posted on www.ratherbiased.com/whatsnew.htm:

2003-11-12 21:05:47 ET

• Rather Gets Award, Protestors. Dan Rather was in Beverly Hills Monday night listening to celebrity serenades in his honor. But not everyone shared the enthusiasm at the annual Museum of Television & Radio gala where Rather was feted for a "steadfast commitment to fair and accurate news reporting."

  Accepting his award, Rather repeated a line he often uses to defend himself, saying that he had always held a desire "to be accurate and to be fair--as much as humanly possible--and when there's heat, face the furnace and take it."

  Before Rather came onstage, Kiether Sutherland of Fox's 24 introduced a video highlight sequence from the veteran anchorman's career. One of the clips was Rather's "legendary" (in the words of Hollywood Reporter) "Take your hands off of me" episode at the 1968 Democratic National Convention where as a young floor reporter Rather was thrown to the ground by security goons. See the clip.

  
  Rather chatted with Hollywood insiders while protestors gathered outside.
  
  

  But while Rather and Friends were being toasted inside, a group of protesters from the Web site FreeRepublic.com was busy roasting the anchorman outside. It made for a very fitting dichotomy for a man whose career has been marked by liberal admiration and conservative dislike.

  Dressed up as a cartoon-gloved Saddam Hussein (ready for more "softball" questions from the CBS star) and Dan Rather's version of Blind Justice (balancing left and far left), the protesters held large signs and shouted out to attendees about a certain rather biased anchorman.

  Jay Leno emceed the event and many celebrities attended. Also applauded were three producers from the long-time NBC hit "Friends."

[fatima]

Hi Doctor Raoul,Put me on you ping list for the Phila.area if you have one,it was nice to meet you.

[MissAmericanPie]

Thanks for the heads up, the pictures, and the feeling of pride in my fellow freepers.

[RonDog]

Baghdad Bob returned to the scene of the crime last night. After attending Laura Ingraham's live radio show at the Museum of Radio & Television...

Hey...

How does THAT happen?

The EAST coast branch of the Museum of Television and Radio (yours) sponsors Laura Ingraham, but the WEST coast branch (ours) sponsors Dan Rather?!?

Do you want to TRADE with us, so that WE get Laura, and YOU get Dan?

[RonDog]

See also the NEW thread:

"Television Week" editor Alex Ben Block to write about Free Republic:
Want to HELP him do it right?
DOWN AND OUT (AND FREEPED) IN BEVERLY HILLS [LA Chapter FReeps Dan Rather!] ^ | Noovember 13, 2003 | RonDog, and YOU?
Posted on 11/13/2003 6:02 AM PST by RonDog

I just got an e-mail from THIS guy:

...from:

www.tvweek.com

Alex is the editor at "Television Week" who interviewed members of the Los Angeles Chapter at our "RatherBIASED" FReep earlier this wewk - outside the Beverly Hills Hotel.

He wrote to me to confirm the proper spelling of the names of the people in the photograph that he took, so I assume that they will at least be running HIS version of THIS image taken by FReeper daviddennis:

The gang, posing for a reporter
(Click on this picture to see the LARGER version.)

Mr. Block interviewed Cinnamon Girl, Doctor ZIn and yours truly for quite some time, so I would imagine that he will also write extensively about us (and our FReep) in his weekly column for Television Week.

Naturally, we cannot know exactly what he currently has in mind to write about us, but perhaps we can HELP him write the story by showing him what this forum is REALLY all about. :o)

In his e-mail, he did ask for my telephone number, presumably to get further input from me (as leader of that FReep) - prior to publication.

So, let's give him some INPUT!

Please help us tell Television Week editor Alex Ben Block about Free Republic!

I know that he was amazed when I told him that I personally have not watched television for over four years - even though I DO own a television set, and have one in my home.

(Confession to Mr. Block: While it is true that I have not watched television IN MY HOME for over four years, I do occasionally watch OPT (OTHER PEOPLE'S TVs) - when something REALLY important is televised, like a speech from the President, or coverage of a major event like 9/11 - or the California wildfires.)

Now it's YOUR turn:

What does Free Republic mean to YOU?

(In twenty-five words or less. :o)

CLICK HERE for the rest of that thread

[Doctor Raoul]

Will do. Pleasure to meet you too at Hillary's signing. I was on the road that night to Freep her again in Baltimore and missed Dom G's show. Did he play the tape of his encounter with that moron who we were calling the cops on?

[Joy Angela]

re: Post 45
Wow, that's a scary picture of Rather and Larry King !

**Fabulous Freep Bump!**

[Greg Weston]

Wow stand around with signs....The excitement must be really something.

[RonDog]

Wow stand around with signs....The excitement must be really something.

It is difficult for me to imagine how someone who has been a member since May 13, 1999 can be so consistently NEGATIVE.

One would think that hanging around all of the positive vibrations from this wonderful forum for such a long time would have improved your attitude after all this time. :o)

If you have never felt the passionate need to get off your butt and out into the streets to "stand around with signs," you may not understand the noble purpose behind our style of FReeping, but HERE is one of my favorite quotes about what we do - and why - from the Warlord of the DC Chapter:

"...Costumes and schtick are an integral part of how we get our message out.
Sometimes acting the fool and lighthearted gets your message across more effectively than maintaining stoic dignity.

We do both--and we're quite effective.

Just ask Al Gore.

112 posted on 06/14/2003 9:40 AM PDT by kristinn

What have YOU done lately, Greg Weston, to make this world a better place for truth, justice and the American way?

[metesky]

Perhaps you should change your screen name to ColdWater.

[Greg Weston]

>>>What have YOU done lately, Greg Weston, to make this world a better place for truth, justice and the American way?<<<

Watch the waves, play solitaire, check out the Paris Hilton vid, eat a bag of Doritos, Watch grass grow....Anything beats carrying around signs getting laughed at.