Posted on 04/12/2003 1:06:43 PM PDT by jonalvy44
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20030412/RVWEBB/TPEntertainment/TopStories
Hollywood halfwits v. the lynch mob
Mad as hell at antiwar celebrities, Americans who support the attack on Iraq are using the Internet to call for boycotts. Some are seeing shades of McCarthyism, SIMON HOUPT writes
By SIMON HOUPT Saturday, April 12, 2003 -
NEW YORK -- Jon Alvarez is feeling rather pleased with himself these days. Alvarez, 37, is a self-described "average Joe," a Syracuse, N.Y. computer salesman who works hard for every penny, supports his family, and thinks he just may have slain the beast of Janeane Garofalo.
You see, Alvarez is mighty upset with what he believes are Hollywood elites who are taking potshots at the Bush administration and the U.S. war on Iraq. He maintains a Web forum where he tracks their latest comments, and he has drawn up a long list of movie stars and other celebrities he's boycotting because of what he calls their "anti-American" attitude.
Among his targets, which also include Martin Sheen and Mike Farrell, is Garofalo, a vocal opponent of the war. Alvarez recently e-mailed ABC-TV to complain about the network's intention of using the comedian in a new television series. His letter was picked up by the right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, helping to spark a campaign against the network. This week, gossip columnist Jeanette Walls reported that ABC was having second thoughts about Garofalo's show.
Alvarez's forum is part of a new explosion of Web sites by Americans attacking and frequently urging boycotts against celebrities who are using their fame -- and sometimes their own Web sites -- to promote political causes. The anticeleb sites present a single-minded view of patriotism in which anyone challenging the U.S. administration or its foreign policy is anti-American or worse. Their names are as colourful and direct as the messages on them: FamousIdiot.com, HollywoodHalfwits.com, Hollywood-Hero.US, and Celiberal.com (okay, maybe that's not as clear: That's a conjunction of "celebrity" and "liberal").
"I'm just one of those average Joes that's tired of seeing people act like idiots," said Alvarez this week. "I've got a family, a nice house, I take care of my yard. I don't have time to go out and protest. These antiwar protestors don't seem to have jobs, or have any kind of responsibilities."
But the stars do have publicists, who may be choking down extra Xanax trying to figure out how they're going to resurrect their bosses' careers once the dust settles. Over the last six months, hundreds of actors and musicians have spoken out against the war, or at least voiced their confusion over it, which apparently amounts to the same thing.
Some are using their own Web sites to publicize their views. On Barbra Streisand's personal site, the singer and actress -- who struck an unusually demure tone at the Oscars last month -- has been posting almost daily links to newspaper articles that challenge President Bush's policies. The Beastie Boys Web site offers a free download of the antiwar song In a World Gone Mad. John Mellencamp's site also offers a free download, of his song To Washington.
Michael Moore has stayed busy since his Oscar speech, continuing to post anti-Bush screeds in which he simultaneously attacks the war and promotes himself. Woody Harrelson's site is primarily concerned with environmental issues, though it does include some very affecting photos and first-person accounts from the front lines of the Iraq war.
For this activity, the stars are all but labelled treasonous. HollywoodHalfwits.com is a frequently updated Web log currently boasting a list of more than 60 actors and TV newsmen who have said something the managers of the site deem anti-American.
Who's on the list? Just about anyone who's ever made a comment related to politics, it seems, not just those who have spoken out against the war or the administration. Actress Rosario Dawson is quoted as saying, "I'm frightened by the patriotic mood sweeping the United States. Any dissenting opinion is considered unpatriotic. It makes me upset. I'm embarrassed. It's my hope that Americans won't jump on anyone having a dissenting opinion." HollywoodHalfwits gives the contact information for her agent and publicists, for those who want to shut down comments like that.
Some actors complain that these Web sites are reminiscent of McCarthyism. In fact, when actress Melissa Gilbert simply raised the spectre of the blacklist, she was placed on a list herself.
Alvarez insists there are no parallels to the 1950s. "This isn't censorship," he laughs. "They're not being arrested or being told they can't speak out. We're just saying that loyal Americans aren't going to support them with our dollars."
"Obviously, Garofalo has her right to speak her mind, but it's our feeling that in this time of crisis that it's best to either support your country or stay in the shadows," he says.
"I've got a list of about 125 people that have in various forms trashed our country, attacked President Bush, and in this war on terror they've sided against America, so they're not going to see our dollars. In this ABC example, we're letting them know how we feel. We're also going to let the sponsors know we're not going to buy their product if they put these guys on the air. The entertainment industry is afraid, and they rightfully should be."
Interestingly, those who deride the Hollywood elites for using their unique platform -- like the North Carolina mom who set up a Web site called Citizens Against Celebrity Pundits -- are often happy enough to support the elites when they agree with their point of view. HollywoodHalfwits features praise of Dennis Miller, who has been a frequent and spiky talk show guest over the last few weeks, attacking those he sees as soft on Saddam.
Hollywood-Hero.us (HERO is an acronym for Hollywood Empowers Republicans Organization) harks back to a different time in American life. "Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Gary Cooper, Glenn Ford, Henry Fonda and Elvis Presley, Lee Marvin among others, donned our nation's uniform and served their country with pride. They put their careers on hold to defend our country and our freedoms," it reads. A Hall of Fame section on the site praises Dennis Miller, Ron Silver, John Travolta and Rob Lowe for their support of the war.
(Many of the sites take snide shots at the B-list status of the many stars, but fail to point out the similar career swoons suffered by their own heroes, like Travolta, Silver and Lowe.)
Does any of this have an effect, or are the sites simply preaching to the converted? It's tough to know. The manager of the Dixie Chicks, a band which remains on the watch list for many of the war's supporters after singer Natalie Maines's anti-Bush comments last month, said the troubles for the band all started with a campaign orchestrated by the Web site FreeRepublic.com. Many of the anticeleb Web sites claim the Dixie Chicks have suffered enormously. While radio play did suffer for a couple of weeks, sales of the Chicks' latest album are back up and the band's concerts are all but sold out.
Those who want their entertainment to be certifiably clean of any potential anti-American smudge can check out PatriotMovies.com. The site, which features a tin-whistle audio recording of Yankee Doodle Dandy, is dedicated to organizing an American Patriot Film Festival that will promote movies that don't denigrate conservatives, Republicans, or religious Americans.
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good heavens.. 'frightened by the patriotic mood'.. are these people living in the US or in France..?
If Stardom = success in the entertainment industry,
and success in the entertainment industry = the enjoyment and admiration of the consumer,
then stardom = the enjoyment and admiration of the consumer.
If a = b
and b = c
then a = c
You piss off those who buy your product, you get taken down a notch or several notches.
This guy seems to be helping Hollywood spread their message to the masses!
What more could they ask for?
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