Posted on 11/04/2004 2:13:23 AM PST by goldstategop
Sherry Lansing, the soon-to-be-retired Paramount studio honcho and friend of Sen. John Kerry, is said to be "depressed."
Actress Sharon Stone, who stumped for Mr. Kerry in Wisconsin, reportedly was "traveling" yesterday. It wasn't clear whether the "Basic Instinct" star had fled the country, as she had hinted that she might do if the Democratic nominee lost.
There were tears and tribulations. Long sighs and short tempers. Shock and bawl.
For a rich and powerful demographic used to getting its way, Hollywood was downbeat yesterday as President Bush — more heinous than a mid-February release date to so many celebrities and other bold-faced names — made his gracious victory speech.
Not only entertainers were said to be dispirited. The literary crowd in New York was crying into its Evian.
"Sure, I feel terrible," said New Yorker editor David Remnick, whose published endorsement of Mr. Kerry was a first for the magazine. "There are a lot of long faces today."
And "Fahrenheit 9/11" propagandist Michael Moore's Web site actually went silent.
That's the same Mr. Moore who only a couple of weeks ago had paused in his anti-Bush road trip to opine: "I have a feeling that slackers are going to rise up in this election. The slacker motto is: Sleep till noon, drink beer, vote Kerry."
George Soros, the Hungarian-born billionaire who went on his own 12-city speaking tour and spent an estimated $17 million on ads and get-out-the-vote drives to defeat the president, posted a message on his Web site describing himself as "distressed."
"I'll be back," he wrote.
Buoyed by early exit polls that put their candidate ahead, many in Beverly Hills dined together and waited out the night. Slowly, their leading man faded from the political screen.
"There's a lot of disappointment out here. A lot of apprehension," said Robert Dowling, editor in chief of the Hollywood Reporter. "People are comatose."
It was the right coast versus the left coast, and the morning-after mood was described by Mr. Dowling as "somber." It left many Kerry supporters reaching for their Prozac vials.
"Mine is already empty," joked a high-level publicist who counts A-list celebrities as his clients.
"Everyone's so down. All the studio execs are bummed. I have to tell you, when gay marriage becomes a bigger issue than the Iraq war, we're missing something."
Long decried as out of touch with "the real America," Hollywood woke up to its worst nightmare on Main Street.
"This is definitely Kerry country," said Gabriel Snyder, senior writer for Variety, the industry bible.
One can only imagine the despair of the Hollywood stars over the specter of glittery state dinners and policy lunches that could have been: Barbra and Moby,, Uma Thurman and Viggo Mortensen, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro, Bette Midler and George Clooney. Directed, perhaps, by Rob Reiner and Steven Spielberg.
Who knew "moral values" voters could triumph over production values?
Asked whether outspoken stars might regret their more vitriolic sentiments about the president, Mr. Snyder said he doesn't think there is a risk of backlash.
"My prediction is the political tenor will come down for a little while," the Variety scribe said. "I don't think anyone will say anything wild. Next week, of course, might be different."
Among the most shrill in past months: Jennifer Aniston, the "Friends" actress who called Mr. Bush "a [expletive] idiot." Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who stumped for Mr. Kerry in Oregon and Florida and appeared in an ad for the Democrat on the Internet. Singer John Mellencamp, who described Mr. Bush as "a cheap thug."
Cher also threw her wig in the ring, calling Mr. Bush "stupid and lazy" during a sparsely attended rally at a Miami Beach disco in Florida.
Al Franken is also a loser today; Dennis Miller a winner.
Sean Penn, Whoopi Goldberg and Meg Ryan: losers. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ron Silver and Angie Harmon: winners.
Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi lost their full-throated bids to play at an inaugural ball. Larry Gatlin and Brooks & Dunn, call your agents.
Rap impresario Sean "P. Diddy" Combs made his preferences known, without using the names "Bush" or "Kerry," in urging the hip-hop nation to "Vote or Die." Fellow rapper Eminem put in a belated appearance with the animated video for his venomous anti-Bush single "Mosh," in which his "army" appears to veer from violence in the streets to voting at the polls.
What proved to be a tonic: Building 429 and other Christian rockers who urged prayerful consideration of the stakes on their "Redeem the Vote" tour.
"It was a very gradual thing," the Hollywood Reporter's Mr. Dowling recalled. "First it was Puff Diddy, then Bruce Springsteen came along, then Ben Affleck came out and the bandwagon rolled. It was slow to engage, and I'm not sure if Kerry wasn't just a surrogate for anti-Bush feelings."
"Celebrity testimonials may help [sell] erectile-dysfunction products," Marty Kaplan, communications professor at the University of South Carolina, told Agence France-Presse, "but in politics, they're mainly eye candy for the media."
Mr. Dowling agreed.
"It didn't work," he said of the Democrats' star-studded support.
Asked whether Mr. Affleck, who wasn't available for comment, would suffer any repercussions, Mr. Dowling laughed and alluded to the actor's latest box-office flop "Surviving Christmas."
"Ben Affleck," the Hollywood journalist said, "has more career problems at the moment than his political beliefs."
watch movie profits tumble IMO
Does anyone else feel a bit uncomfortable with calling the conservative victory "Red America".
Somehow it just doesn't sit right.
Can we also not begin to think about healing some divisions? And, being the party of adults, can we also not be the first to cool the rhetoric of division and start to think about how we can communicate to all Americans save a very slim minority of radicals?
"So this liberal on horseback goes into a bar..."
"Celebrity testimonials may help [sell] erectile-dysfunction products,"
MUHAHAHAHAHAHA
PRICELESSS...this and the ebay auctions for Bruce sprinsteens ego and Michael moore relevance
DOES IT GET ANY BETTER!!!
WHAT A DAY!!!!!!
I feel a little Schadenfreude coming on. Watching the 'beautiful people' snivel is fun.
:-)
Wasn't this a Dem ploy from 2000? I seem to recall that originally (and briefly) they were coloring Gore states red and Bush states blue, but apparently the media were afraid the "red" would carry the obvious connotations and switched them. Don't recall the details.
I use to feel it was a slight to assign 'red' to conservatives, since 'red' is the traditional color/name for communists. However, now I've changed my mind. Red is the traditional color of power and virility (consider the traditional sports car color). I can live with that!
Considering their homosexual inclination the blue color is a correct one.
Now is not the time to get soft. We won. We are winning. We can't let them up. Kick them while they're down. Step on their necks.
I got a suggestion for "America's artists".
If you're an actor, shut up and act.
If you're a singer, shut up and sing.
If your Michael Moore, just shut up.
I thought purple was the gay color.
Among the most shrill in past months: Jennifer Aniston, the "Friends" actress who called Mr. Bush "a [expletive] idiot." Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who stumped for Mr. Kerry in Oregon and Florida and appeared in an ad for the Democrat on the Internet. Singer John Mellencamp, who described Mr. Bush as "a cheap thug."
Tells you a lot about these elitists. I saw Joe Piscopo on FOX news one night and even though he backed Kerry he was very upset with the way his fellow actors were carrying on. When you see statements like the above you figure if they didn't live a life of luxury with too much to lose they'd probably be out slashing tires on cars, stealing Bush signs and anything else to show them be the cheap thug they say Bush is.
I feel so sorry for our Esteemed Liberal Elite. </ sarcasm>
"...I'm not sure if Kerry wasn't just a surrogate for anti-Bush feelings."
Good guess, brainiac. Now go snort some more coke, go back to making your garbage and being a cheerleader for sdodomy, and leave the rest of us real Americans alone.
Warped Hollyweirdos are swigging down gallons of purple kool-aid, popping mega-doses of Prozac, and repeating the Follywood mantra:
FOLLYWOOD'S TEN COMMANDMENTS
Christians are evil.
Woman are to be valued for their cleavage.
The traditional family is archaic, constricting, with no redeeming value.
We make films that preach morality. Our morality.
Parents that try to guide their children's choices are restrictive. Kids need to be "free".
Extreme movie violence and explicit sex for the thrill of it is good because it is profitable.
We firmly believe 24/7 of the sexually salacious and violent TV, movies and music we produce are not harming kids and the culture.
OTOH, we also believe----with the religious fervor of Tammy Faye Baker---- that a single 15-sec commercial will compel tens of millions of Americans into thousands of stores to buy billions of dollars worth of soap, soup, breakfast cereal and cars.
Victimization is our core belief by which we find others responsible for our own personal failures, then expect taxpayers, deep pocketed individuals, or the courts to bail us out.
It "feels good" being in the throes of "victimization" and either A) causing victims, B) concocting victims, C) playing victim, D) commiserating over victims, or E) creating another class of victims to bleed over.
Already been tried. Think Ted Kennedy education bill. To paraphrase Vince Lombardi, to liberals power isn't everything, it's the only thing. They will trash-talk and disagree with everything and anything so long as they are out of power. Quite simply, they are incapable of graciousness, of being the loyal opposition, of playing fair, or being honest and honorable. Anybody who witnessed the feminists roll over for Clinton's shenanigans knows this.
" ... apparently the media were afraid the "red" would carry the obvious connotations and switched [Democrats to blue]."
My memory is that in 1980 when Reagan swept the country, all his states were shown as blue. This election feels mighty like 1980 otherwise ... thank God.
LOL! I agree!
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