Union "Warns" Movie Execs Not To Pick On Antiwar Actors (my quotes)

WRAL.com / AP ^ | March 4, 2003 | The Associated Press

[Constitution Day]

LOS ANGELES -- The Screen Actors Guild is warning the entertainment industry that it better not blacklist people who speak out against war with Iraq.

The statement released Monday champions free speech, and said, "Even a hint of the blacklist must never again be tolerated in this nation."

[Constitution Day]

I saw one just the other day, but I don't have the link.

[MizSterious]

"Even a hint of the blacklist must never again be tolerated in this nation."

Really? There is already a "blacklist" in effect--conservative-leaning actors and performers really don't get the same consideration from the studios that lefties get. (I'm just jaded enough to think that this fact alone is one motive for being anti-war.) But why hasn't the union taken action about that?

As others here have stated, let the doofuses (doofii??) speak out, as is their right, and hire them at will--we do not have to go to their movies, buy their dvds and cds, or watch their television shows.

I have a lot of reading to catch up on, so if the teevee remains dark, it's not a big deal for me. But if many of us do the same, it might be a big deal for the doofuses. They'll no longer make money for their employers--and their employers are not in this for the philanthropy.

[finnman69]

Clearly we know which side the SAG is on.....

[finnman69]

This also means the actors are getting nervous about all the negative PR and hatemail they are receiving regarding their anti-American stances.

[carlo3b]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/855963/posts?page=10#10

[Constitution Day]

LOL. All this time, I thought John Belushi was dead.

[Constitution Day]

Great list. Thanks!

[Constitution Day]

Tough luck.
Maybe when they have a hard time getting roles, they will think of the silent majority of Americans who support the war.
Ultimately, WE pay their salaries.

[ricpic]

So, a producer MUST hire Sean Penn or Julia Roberts to act in his film, even if, in his opinion, they are not the actors who best fit the roles available in the film, in
order to maintain his politically correct credentials.

This, from the people who rail about artistic freedom at the drop of a hat.

[Constitution Day]

My household has its own "blacklist" of misinformed actors.

Regards,
CD

[jetson]

E-MAIL THE ACTORS UNION AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE FIFTH COLUMNIST TRAITORS THAT THEY EMPLOY.
http://www.sag.org/

[Happygal]

Is that the same Steven Bing who is the illigitimate father of Liz Hurley's child?

[Constitution Day]

Yes.

[Happygal]

Well whatever about him 'reneging' on a deal with Sean Penn, his reneging on his own child was reprehensible.

[GunsareOK]

Caption: Did I party hardy or what!

(This guy looks like $hi_ warmed over.)

[politeia]

Yes, I have found that it has become increasingly hard to find movies to rent or go see without being revolted by the liberal themes of the stories and/or the leftist political sentiments of the actors.

I wish there was a conservative alternative to the existing extreme left/liberal movie and TV offerings. Perhaps the time is right to start a media company that is focused on classical liberal (or what is now called conservative) values and dedicated to explaining and spreading the message of our founding. Mel Gibson and other prominent conservative actors might be interested. I think lots of ordinary people would invest in such an endeavor and there is every reason to expect it would be financially successful. For example, Fox news stock has done well since Sept 11th even in the overall declining stock market.

A conservative media company would select stories and actors that advance the conservative agenda, just as the current leftist/liberal media companies have selected stories and actors for their allegiance to their own leftist political belief system. Conservatives have been ostrasized and blackballed in Hollywood for a very long time now. Its time "we" had our own entertainment industry.

Also, so many American stories that reinforce the values of the founding have never been told in the movies, Benjamin Franklin's story for instance. The classical liberal basis of the American founding is no longer taught in government monopoly "schools" and young people no longer understand these values. The movies have been an effective tool for furthering leftist political belief systems for the past 40 years, it is time they had some competition.

[coydog]

On some other forum, somebody remarked that this esteemed gentleman looks a lot like what gay men refer to as a "Daddy Bear". I thought he looked a lot like an old, fat male porn star myself - Ron Jeremy, perhaps? He certainly does bear a resemblance to "The Hedgehog"

[bootyist-monk]

SAG is just kicking up dust here.

They know that the only controlling authority in Hollywood is the marketplace. As long as people are willing to go to the theater, or watch them on TV, then these actors have nothing to worry about.

However, I was having lunch a few days ago with a director who had one of the larger movies to come out last year, and he said something to me that I hadn't really noticed before. That is, all of the really hot young actors have basically kept their mouths shut, regardless of the feelings on Iraq. That's career protection, as they all understand that their futures depend on the audience, and they are smart enough to know that the vast majority of the public supports the president.

BTW, this may be hard to believe, but a lot of Hollywood is more conservative than you think. The town practices a type of capitalism that tends to polarize views on both sides, but as in life, the left tends to be extremely vocal, while the right is more interested in action. Also, Israel is a very big issue for Hollywood, and the Democrats have really stepped in it on this one.

Bootyist

[nhbob1]

Exactly. What is so wrong with a blacklist? No one is getting arrested and thrown into jail. No one is getting killed or tortured. They are just getting denied the celebrity status that allows them to publicly attack their country and its leaders in a high-profile way. Yes, you have a right to voice your views and opinions. Your boss also has a right to reject those views and opinions. To listen to these libs rail about the evils of "McCarthyism" you would think that people were being rounded up and killed.

[DoughtyOne]

I'm in complete agreement.