Rove in Hollywierd: What's He Up To? [my title]

Yahoo / Reuters ^ | November 11, 2001 | Bob Tourtellotte

[Ironword]

Karl Rove (C), a senior adviser to President Bush, speaks to reporters surrounded by executives of leading entertainment industry companies after a private meeting to discuss ways in which the industry can contribute to the war effort, at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills November 11, 2001. Shown (L-R) are: Sherry Lansing, chairman of Paramount Pictures' Motion Picture Group; Jack Valenti, president and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America; Jonathan Dolgen, chairman of Viacom Entertainment Group; Rove, Robert Iger, president of the Walt Disney Company and Sumner Redstone, chairman of Viacom. (Fred Prouser/Reuters)

Sunday November 11 6:26 PM ET

Bush Aide, Hollywood Execs Discuss War Effort

By Bob Tourtellotte

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (Reuters) - Over 40 top Hollywood executives met with a key advisor to President Bush (news - web sites) on Sunday to discuss ways they could contribute to the war on terrorism, but officials stressed there will be no White House involvement in creating movies or television shows.

``Content was off the table,'' said Jack Valenti, head of the Motion Picture Association of America, which represents Hollywood's major studios in Washington, D.C.

On the agenda in the two-hour meeting with Bush aide Karl Rove were ideas like mounting USO shows to entertain troops, getting first-run movies overseas quickly so soldiers and sailors didn't have to watch the same old films over and over, and producing TV public service announcements to reassure children and families during the war effort.

Rove laid out seven key themes of the Bush administration for executives like Viacom Inc . Chairman Sumner Redstone and Walt Disney Co . President Bob Iger to keep in mind as they gave the green light to upcoming movie and TV projects.

He said those points included the Bush theme that this war is not a war against Islam or any religion, but was a war on terrorism and a war against evil. Other topics were that this is a chance to issue a ``call to service'' for the United States, and that the deadly Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center affected the world and required a global response.

More than 4,500 people were killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon (news - web sites) and in a hijacked plane that crashed in Pennsylvania.

``Finally, we talked about no propaganda,'' Rove told reporters at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, where the meeting was held.

``The industry decides what it will do and when it will do it,'' Rove said. ``There was a lot of enthusiasm for a lot of activity, and we'll see what happens going forward.''

He added that about 20 ideas were discussed, but ``the concrete nature'' of what comes out of the meeting'' is going to be determined in the next few weeks.''

Valenti called the meeting ``unprecedented'' in his 35 years of dealing with the politics of show business.

Rove added that even during World War two, when the major studios cranked out numerous patriotic films, the U.S. government was not involved in helping develop content.

The U.S. entertainment industry distributes movies, TV shows, music, videos, DVDs and other products to hundreds of millions of people around the world, and Paramount Pictures Chairwoman Sherry Lansing said industry executives have wanted to aid the war effort in some way following Sept. 11.

``All of us have this incredible need, this incredible urge to do something,'' she said, calling the meeting a first step toward action.

Paramount sponsored the meeting, which was attended by 47 executives, Valenti said.

At the meeting were trade union leaders, top executives from all the major studios that include Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, Universal Studios, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. MGM.N, and DreamWorks SKG, as well as officials from all major U.S. broadcast networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, UPN and WB.

Paramount CBS and UPN are units of Viacom Inc. Disney Studios and ABC are owned by The Walt Disney Co., Warner Bros and the WB network are part of AOL Time Warner Inc, and the Tribune Co. is a part owner of the WB. NBC is owned by General Electric Co. . Universal Studios is a unit of Vivendi Universal, and Columbia Pictures is a division of Sony Corp (news - web sites).

[Ironword]

I strongly suspect, protests notwithstanding, the Hollywierdos are being asked to create propaganda for public consumption.

[Ironword]

Uh oh, typo, Hollyweird.

[Ironword]

On the agenda in the two-hour meeting with Bush aide Karl Rove were ideas like mounting USO shows to entertain troops, getting first-run movies overseas quickly so soldiers and sailors didn't have to watch the same old films over and over, and producing TV public service announcements to reassure children and families during the war effort.

I wonder what those "public service announcements" will be?

[Ironword]

Is there some reason why you removed my post from the Front Page sidebar?

[WOSG]

I strongly suspect, protests notwithstanding, the Hollywierdos are being asked to create propaganda for public consumption.

If Hollywood simply ceased in creating Left-wing and juvenile anti-morality agit-prop it would serve the U.S. enormously. When the rest of the world sees the U.S. as "decadent" they base it on our movies and cultural exports, exports that are filled with digs against Religion, grown-up values (like understanding that wishful thinking doesnt win the day) and morality. When's the last time Hollywood had a kind word for Southern Baptists or the Roman Catholic Church. Or for that matter any masculine non-feminized organization like the U.S. Marine Corps. Just a thought.

[Ironword]

``All of us have this incredible need, this incredible urge to do something,'' she said, calling the meeting a first step toward action.

Indeed, haven't these creeps done enough by their blind support of X42? Bush became president in spite of these people, and I see no need for the administration to insult Americans by tapping the Hollyweird craft.

[longleaf]

Hollywood has never had any problem with demonizing Arabs and Muslims, for obvious reasons. I could even imagine Rove telling them to knock it off in order to appease the vaunted "coalition."

[Ironword]

Hollywood has never had any problem with demonizing Arabs and Muslims, for obvious reasons. I could even imagine Rove telling them to knock it off in order to appease the vaunted "coalition."

I rather see a lack of trust by the administration in the staying power of Americans (and the essential justness of the cause), hence a need to reach out to the propagandists. Simply by Rove having this meeting, the media moguls have been told, "Get to work: spin America."

[Miss Marple]

Actually, this is a good thing, in my opinion. Notice that Rove met with the heads of the major studios and the heads of the Guilds and the heads of the networks. They were given a courtesy briefing (which means they were told things that are not classified) and they were given some respect.

A little respect goes a long way with these people. The bottom line is the most important thing for the studio heads, as they surely know if they LOSE MONEY they will be out of a job.

Now, a lot of people are PO'd at the Hollywood set and are not going to movies or theme parks (note Disney's drop in profits). Rove is doing them a favor by letting them be part of the war effort. It is up to them whether or not they do this productively. I think they will.

The reason I think this is that they know public attitude has changed, and they need to get with the program or they will be out of jobs.

[Ironword]

At the meeting were trade union leaders, top executives from all the major studios that include Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, Universal Studios, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. MGM.N, and DreamWorks SKG, as well as officials from all major U.S. broadcast networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, UPN and WB.

Paramount CBS and UPN are units of Viacom Inc. Disney Studios and ABC are owned by The Walt Disney Co., Warner Bros and the WB network are part of AOL Time Warner Inc, and the Tribune Co. is a part owner of the WB. NBC is owned by General Electric Co. . Universal Studios is a unit of Vivendi Universal, and Columbia Pictures is a division of Sony Corp (news - web sites).

Dang, look at that list. It's going to be flying thick from all directions.

[Ironword]

MM, IMHO, the president is a decent man, but this is obviously a foray into dissemination of propaganda in the homeland. Maybe he got some bad advice -- Rove is a closet liberal.

I wouldn't trust these dogs.

[Cicero]

It depends what you mean by propaganda. If Rove can persuade Hollywood:

a. To be more patriotic
b. To be nicer to Christians and meaner to Muslims
c. To give more money to Republicans and less to Democrats

--that's fine with me.

[Ironword]

It depends what you mean by propaganda. If Rove can persuade Hollywood:
a. To be more patriotic
b. To be nicer to Christians and meaner to Muslims
c. To give more money to Republicans and less to Democrats
--that's fine with me.

Ha, sure, but I doubt it. I foresee more of a mind-numbing "pro-gubmint" message.

I wasn't joking above -- I'm genuinely insulted by this. Maybe Michael Deaver had a hand in boosting the meeting also.

[Miss Marple]

First of all, Rove is not a closet liberal. On some issues he is to the right of the President.

Secondly, I saw the press conference with Jack Valenti today and he said there was NO discussion of content. Anything that the studios do will be of their own volition, as was done during WWII. The government did not control movies or radio broadcast during WWII....the studios simply did what patriotic people did then...supported the war effort.

If you think that these people are going to put out pro-Bush propoganda, you don't know Hollywood very well.

I think this is a GOOD thing, and I think you are still burned by the Clinton years and don't realize that the country changed a lot on September 11. Remember, there are a lot of Jewish people in Hollywood, and they are big-time targets for these nutball Islamicists. They have an interest in defending freedom as well.

[Sueann]

Actually, some people have already stepped up to the cause: the Ad Council has produced the most powerful spot I've seen in a long time. It's nothing more than pictures of every type of person that lives in America, and each of them says 4 words - I am an American. There is no black-American, no Hispanic-American, no hyphenated Americans at all. Just - I am an American. It's very, very powerful!!

[Ironword]

The government did not control movies or radio broadcast during WWII....

Then why did the American public not know about the death camps until 1945?

Or do you think Edward R. "This is London" Murrow told all the truth all the time?

It's not going to be about pro-Bush propaganda, as I said, it will be "pro-gubmint" propaganda.

[Ironword]

Just - I am an American.

Consumer culture, IMHO.

But really, we don't need the degenerates at the Ad Council to suggest our thinking for us.

[speekinout]

American made movies are shown around the world. It wouldn't hurt to have some of them show the US in a positive light.
In recent years, Americans have been shown as vicious, depraved, violent, etc. That makes good movies, but we're the only ones who know it isn't America.

[Ironword]

American made movies are shown around the world. It wouldn't hurt to have some of them show the US in a positive light.

I agree there, but notice that the list of attendees at the meeting includes not only all major movie makers, but also all major broadcast networks -- that is, TV and radio.

Thus, there appears to be a primarily domestic purpose here.

[Cinnamon Girl]

There is NO WAY that Rove would be able to push a context agenda (i.e. dictating what should be in films) to the industry. There is no reason to think something secret or subversive is going on here-- the industry execs. would be all over the media screeching about the Right Wing Fascists is any such thing had been suggested. No, I think Rove is opening the lines of communication. It's a good thing.