Hollywood Heads in the Sand

Laura's Weekly E-Blast ^ | 3/4/2004 | Laura Ingraham

[kellynla]

Can anyone remember the last time Hollywood seemed so bummed out over a film making a boatload of money at the box-office?

The Passion is poised to make $350 million in North America alone—making it undoubtedly one of the biggest smashes of all time--and yet studio heads still don’t get it. They haven’t stopped grumbling and grousing—Dreamworks executives Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen told the New York Times that they are angry over the film. Other studio chiefs privately vowed never to work with Gibson again.

Now who’s blacklisting whom?

Entertainment honchos are busy convincing themselves that the main reason the film is doing so well is the pre-release controversy. It was all just a big marketing ploy by Mel Gibson. (And we know how Hollywood dislikes hype!)

Some of my friends who saw The Passion with me speculated that its success might inspire more religiously-oriented film projects, perhaps exploring the amazing lives of some of the saints—Peter, Paul, Luke, Matthew. But here’s where Hollywood’s anti-religious prejudice rears its ugly head: it doesn’t matter if there is a huge market out there for such films, traditional film studios don’t seem interested.

“I don’t think this will set off a rash of movies about the Bible. This is just the one that will break the rules,” speculated Variety editor Peter Bart in USA Today. Since when did Hollywood ever take that attitude? It lives off sequels, remakes, and copy-cat productions.

We are used to hearing the elites in the entertainment and media worlds complain that conservatives like President Bush are “out of touch” with the real world, they don’t identify with the lives of real people. But real people are showing up in droves to see The Passion. Real people hunger for entertainment that speaks to their souls, that confronts the consequences of sin, that takes on the new aggressive secularism. Real people are weary of having their values and beliefs derided by the Big Thinkers in the entertainment industry as backward and ignorant.

Tom Shales bemoaned the fact that at the Oscars “someone was sitting with a finger poised on a sanitizing switch,” all because of Janet Jackson’s breast. Apparently Shales thinks that the artists should have an unimpeded right to express themselves, but that the people who actually own the airwaves (you and I) should just sit still, be quiet, and take it in silence. He sees us troublemakers as “fostering a climate of suppression and fear.”

Salon.com’s Ciantra Wilson spat more of the anti-Gibson bile in her dissection of the Oscars. “I think the horrendous cash success of the Passion of the Mel was responsible for all possible fun being extracted from this year's ceremony,” she wrote. “Cranky old Oscar figured out that most of America hates sex, dancing, gay people, ethnic people, ribald or drug-related humor, and opinionated or irreverent takes on current political events….” Now that’s a woman in touch with the values of Middle America.

Mel Gibson made an important film. And its importance is not just what it shows on screen, but what it brings out in people off screen. Hollywood may not have learned much from the success of The Passion. But we’ve learned a lot about Hollywood.

[kellynla]

"Go Kerry yourselves." LOL...although real Irishmen by the name of "Kerry" and my relatives in Kerry, Ireland might take offense.

[wayoverontheright]

God has always been threatening to socialists.

[vpintheak]

If Mel gets blacklisted, I say he should just say "Screw you Hollywood Idiots!" He then could go about making more of religious oriented movies without the Hollywood censors, and continue to make a lot of money and just keep up the process. Mel has proved you don't need the leftist idiots to be a success in the movie making business.

[TheBigB]

Heh. No offense intended towards the good folk of County Kerry on the Emerald Isle. :)

[50sDad]

At one time, Hollywood gave us Biblical epics that inspired us and didn't belittle us, and had a "galaxy full of stars" that while they wern't angels, at least didn't flaunt their sins and pretend they were qualified to tell us rubes out here in the Midwest what jerks we were. Frank Capra made a bunch of money. Maybe we are wising up and stepping away from the trough. Maybe Hollywierd will notice when the money dries up.

[50sDad]

At one time, Hollywood gave us Biblical epics that inspired us and didn't belittle us, and had a "galaxy full of stars" that while they wern't angels, at least didn't flaunt their sins and pretend they were qualified to tell us rubes out here in the Midwest what jerks we were. Frank Capra made a bunch of money. Maybe we are wising up and stepping away from the trough. Maybe Hollywierd will notice when the money dries up.

[Hildy]

THis has all to do with the business of movie making and less to do about religion or politics. A man Hollywood made rich(like so many others) took their money, went off without them, and is making a boatload of money. What do actors and directors want most? Creative Freedom. The studios are shaking in their Gucci Boots that others will soon follow. And I hope they do. Maybe we'll get some good old fashioned movie making instead of the crap we get today.

[kellynla]

"No offense intended towards the good folk of County Kerry on the Emerald Isle"...None taken. LOL Now back to our regularly scheduled bashing of the liberals and the lying traitor wannabe Irishman, Kerry! Semper Fi, Kelly

[doubled]

My fear is that Hollywood will start making religious films. They will look at the passion, see nothing but the violence, and start making films of saints and martyrs that contain none of the soul of these people, but only the torture. Don't forget that hollywood is good at ruining any good story.

[50sDad]

[lilylangtree]

Sorry. After I pushed "Post", the computer took a long time to deliver the post. Then my computer screen indicated "Satellite Outage" so I back-arrowed and pushed "Post" again. That's how I got the same message posted twice.

[stands2reason]

H'weirdos are insulated in their own little world that they forget about the REAL world. These same H'weirdos complain, whine and deride people and their values outside of their own.

And then they whine because ticket sales are "inexplicably" dropping each year for the disgusting crap they continually put out. Inexplicable, my butt.

[kellynla]

No problem. LOL We all take those three martini lunches once in a while. Now back to our regularly scheduled bashing of liberals in general and the lying traitor Kerry in particular.

[lilylangtree]

You're right there! I used to love to go to the movies. Loved the atmosphere, sense of excitement and of course, the popcorn. Since mid-90s, my attendance at any theatre has dropped to nothing. For 2003 I went to view just one movie and that was "LOTR Return of the King." For 2004 I want to see "Passion of the Christ" but I know I'll cry my eyes out. And that's the only reason I'm holding back in not attending.

[Seruzawa]

My fear is that Hollywood will start making religious films.

Double bump! Remember that shudderingly bad TV miniseries on The Flood? Knowing Hollyweird they'll make a biblical movie where King David, with his action-wife Queen Ruth, routs King Nebuchadnezzar and saves Job from the firey furnace. Uriah the Hittite and Joshua will lead the charge. Meanwhile big buff Daniel is wrestling lions at the top of the Tower of Babel.

I can't wait. We're talking "Plan 9 from Outer Space" quality plotting here.

[Guenevere]

bttt

[Choose Ye This Day]

Laura Ingraham PING!

[SAMWolf]

[Choose Ye This Day]

You can tell I'm not on the ball today. I didn't post the e-blast to start the thread, so it took us 37 postings before we finally got some Laura photos on this thread. Shameful. Thanks for your contribution.

[Choose Ye This Day]

Where did you get that twisted tagline?