ABC News Invokes McCarthyism, Blacklisting Re Boycott of Hollywood Leftists

ABC News.Com ^ | 4/20/03 | ABC News Staff

[Diogenez]

Celebrities Targeted For Anti-War Stances

Updated 4:43 PM ET April 20, 2003

- Most Americans who've opposed the war are anonymous faces in the crowd, and their protests haven't cost them all that much.

But for famous faces like actor Martin Sheen, freedom of speech could be costly to his career. And he says it ought to be.

"You have to pay something," he said. "It has to cost you something, otherwise you have to question what it's worth.

Stars Hit Hard, Amid Controversy

He and other anti-war celebrities, including Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, have been labeled "unpatriotic," or "un-American."

The Dixie Chicks, for example, won several Grammys this year, but their criticism of President Bush still has radio listeners calling for stations to quit playing their music, and many stations have.

Columnist Richard Johnson of the New York Post headlined more than a dozen entertainers as "Saddam Lovers" and urged readers to boycott their work.

A Florida appearance for Sarandon was canceled, as was a celebration of her and her partner Robbins' film Bull Durham at the Baseball Hall of Fame. The president of the museum, who worked in the Reagan White House, decided their views might endanger American troops. He did not explain how.

"A chill wind is blowing in this nation," Robbins said.

In Washington, Robbins criticized the political climate in which his right to express his views has come under attack.

"Isn't it what we were fighting for there ... to spread democracy, to give the Iraqis the right to express their opinions in a public forum?"

Return to McCarthyism?

All this reminded some of the McCarthy era's blacklist that barred those even accused of communist sympathies from working in films or on television.

Actor Mike Farrell believes it could happen again.

"We know there have been organized attempts to get people fired from their jobs," Farrell said.

For showbiz people, it's no idle concern, says historian Steven Ross.

"Movie stars who get bad publicity, who are thought to be unpatriotic, are going to be perceived as box office poison," he said.

The bad publicity is a fact. How the public responds at the box office remains to be seen.

[Diogenez]

These Hollywood Leftists did not simply take an anti-war stance, they preached in front of as many as they could, as often as they could. They lied about our President. They lied about the motives of their country (it really isn't their country).

The Hollywood blacklist was and is condemnable only for the fact that it was done in secret by film executives who had every right (and moral duty) to condemn and refrain from employing members of the Communist Party - people who were slavishly taking orders from a totalitarian government that was at the time engaged in a silent holocaust of 10s of millions of its "enemies".

[ChadGore]

Do us non-limo-libs prostitute our politics to sell our latest project?
No.

Do us non-limo-libs have our own private publisist cutting every angle to get us face time in the press, no matter how vile our views?
No.

Do us non-limo-libs have our own personal fortune to buy full page adds with our own money and call it a "movement"?
No.

Do us non-limo-libs go out of our way to divide this great nation and demoralize the troops who are laying their lives on the line for us?
No.

What can us non-limo-libs do in the face of such an onslaught of ignorance?
Speak out. conservativly, in our own little ways, we speak out. weather it's a simple "naaa, how about something else" when your wife suggests renting Bull Durram, or quietly skipping over the Dixie Chix CD in the bin, or flipping the channel when someone is prostituting their politics to schlep their latest project, we speak out.

All of these individual voices would have *zero* effect on an ignorant artists bottom line if there weren't so many of us, and isn't that the thing ?

The Dixie Chick CD dropped over 40% in juust a few days because of the slow, patient, quiet, conservative way one person at a time decided to speak out in the only way they can, in the only language a limo-lib understands,
a sock to their pocket book.

What's more? They were wrong.

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

"A chill wind is blowing in this nation," Robbins said.

In 1998, it was Monica Lewinsky. Now, it's a chill wind. It's always something!

[ChadGore]

They were wrong, and they should appologize to the family of every military member in this great nation.

[Doctor Raoul]

It's not a boycott against Sarandon, it's Karma. See's getting the same treatment she gave Dr. Laura.

[ChadGore]

Re: In 1998, it was Monica Lewinsky. Now, it's a chill wind. It's always something!

They both blow, no doubt.

[Windcatcher]

Hypocrites, all. I'm sure they'd just *love* to scare our employers into sanctioning us for our pro-America stances.

Screw 'em. Not one more cent in tribute will they see from me.

[OpusatFR]

I wish they'd knock this off. I don't even visit my relatives if they cause problems. I don't buy them gifts and I don't compromise if they have offended me.

Why would I treat completely offensive strangers any differently...or better?

[dennisw]

How about the blacklisting of conservatives from professorships at universities? How about the blacklisting of conservatives from ABC NBC CBS NPR BBC PBS?

If you are conservative and want to advance, you keep your mouth shut in universities and the mass media.

[InABunkerUnderSF]

If there is a 'Black List' in Hollywood its purpose is to keep performers who are know Conservatives from getting meaningful roles.

When I don't go to a movie or don't buy a CD I am just exercising MY free speach rights.

[ez]

Why this analogy (McCarthy) breaks down. During the McCarthy era, hollywood activists were targeted by Government. These days, Janeane et al are not being targeted by government, but by the people.

If government was telling them they could not speak, I would side with them, but private citizens are perfectly within their rights to boycott, and write letters threatening to withhold their business.

[cksharks]

ABC news invokes McCarthism and blacklisting because of the Anti gay retoric of Dr Laura. They just detest the way all the hollowood gays and liberals went after Dr Laura. OOPS I was dreaming!!!!!!!!!

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Sounds to me like ABC & their leftest allies want to stifle debate and shut up regular citizens who should dare critize their prima donnas.

[hnorris]

While the rest of America gives thanks and celebrates a victory int he war on terror, while we re-discover our core American values and pride, the left wing is now whining that we aren't paying them enough attention.

Today, they are loosing the war of ideas in America, despite having control of the culture.

There is no blacklist of left wing Hollywood culture. All of Hollywood is left-wing. It is the American consumer that is rejecting the product.

This is just another consumer boycott.

[Nick Danger]

3rd June 2000: Susan Sarandon has joined the growing chorus of voices critical of Paramount Television for its plans to produce a television talk show hosted by radio personality and anti-gay activist Laura Schlessinger.

Susan provided the following statement to StopDrLaura.com for inclusion on the group's website, along with her photograph:"Dr. Laura has a right to her opinion, but I think it's irresponsible of Paramount to not give equal time, at the very least, to a person with a more enlightened and contemporary perspective."

"I'm totally against wasting the airwaves giving visibility to a person who is clearly in dire need of compassion, education, and a good shrink herself."

[Drango]

ABC News Staff = embedded Pravda Journalists

[Radix]

I was unaware of her involvement in the Dr Laura controversy. Dr Laura does not air in the Boston area that I know of.

These people are nothing more than hypocrites who will not acknowledge the irony of their own grievances being aired so prominently.

[Hildy]

I don't know why these people don't understand what a 5 year old would understand:

If I stand outside my store, and tell all my customers that Bush is evil, that America is evil I know the government won't come and take me away. However, I shouldn't be surprised either if my customers don't shop in my store and tell their friends not to shop in my store. That's not McCarthyism, that's the American Way.

[CrazyIvan]

Just try being a 2nd amendment advocate and a Republican and working in a school system. I may be losing my job while having the lowest cost and most dependable transportation system in my entire district.

[Congressman Billybob]

You hit the nail on the head. In my latest UPI column I discuss the "pockets of resistance" which need to be mopped up, now that the War is generally won. Those "pockets" are:

Hollywood
Columbia and other universities
Dan Rather and other "news"men

Bringing down the careers of Sarandon and the Dixie Chicks are only the beginning of the process, not the end. (Of course, CBS has dropped 15.3% in viewership, since the war began.)

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, not yet up on UPI, and FR, "Who's Next?"

Latest book(let), "to Restore Trust in America."