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Actors Grammer, Priestley and Duvall Denounce Anti-War Celebs
Media Research ^ | CNS

Posted on 04/29/2003 5:36:34 PM PDT by RepPhil

At Saturday's White House Correspondents Association dinner, actors Kelsey Grammer, Jason Priestley, Robert Duvall and Ron Silver all told CNSNews.com reporter Marc Morano how they disagreed with Michael Moore's anti-Bush rant at the Academy Awards and wish their fellow celebrities would refrain from making comments about politics.

Priestley, Morano relayed, “lamented the excessive coverage of anti-war celebrities by what he termed the 'liberal media.'” And, Morano learned, “CNN's Bob Franken did not like Fox News's use of the phrase 'we' when covering the U.S. armed forces during the war.”

An excerpt from Morano's April 28 story about what the actors told him before the April 26 dinner at the Washington Hilton:

Hollywood celebrities attending the 89th annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner in Washington on Saturday night made it a point to condemn celebrity anti-war activists.

Actor Kelsey Grammer, who plays the lead role in NBC's "Frasier" sitcom, said he refused to watch this year's Academy Awards because of the anti-war "crap" that fellow celebrities spewed.

Grammer said he was spared filmmaker Michael Moore's anti-war acceptance speech and attack on the Bush administration at the March 23rd Academy Awards. "I didn't hear it because I didn't watch [the Academy Awards], Grammer told CNSNews.com.

"I wasn't interested. I knew that that kind of crap was going to be there and I thought, I am not interested," Grammer added.

While accepting an Oscar for his anti-gun documentary "Bowling For Columbine," Moore said, "We live in a time where we have a man sending us to war for fictitious reasons...Shame on you, Mr. Bush, shame on you."

Grammer called Moore's movie "a one-sided film" and blamed the media for giving so much publicity to Moore's anti-war speech.

"The media just loves to pay attention to whatever is happening that makes the most noise," Grammer explained.

Jason Priestley of "Beverly Hills 90210" television fame, agreed with Grammer and lamented the excessive coverage of anti-war celebrities by what he termed the "liberal media."

"I think more people should keep their opinions to themselves," Priestley said. He was particularly incensed by Moore's acceptance speech.

"It was shocking. I did not believe that was the forum to voice your opinions. Michael Moore is allowed to have opinions and his opinions are valid like everyone else's opinion, but I just didn't think the Academy Awards were the place to voice them in that manner," he explained.

'Keep their mouths shut'

Actor Robert Duvall said he is not a fan of Michael Moore, and he lashed out at Hollywood political activists.

"They should keep their mouths shut," Duvall said.

Asked if the media over-emphasizes celebrity opinions, actor Ron Silver emphatically agreed.

"I do, because at the end of the day, who cares? There are more important things on the table. But if they wanted to use Natalie Maines (of the Dixie Chicks) or Tim Robbins or me, or whomever, that is their business," Silver said.

Silver, a cofounder of the Creative Coalition, a generally liberal Hollywood activist organization, was an ardent supporter of the war in Iraq.

Asked if he has received any flak from other celebrities such as fellow Creative Coalition founder Susan Sarandon for his outspoken support of the war, Silver quipped, "Absolutely none, absolutely none, we just don't talk anymore."

Silver also dismissed Moore's acceptance speech,, saying, "I don't listen to Michael Moore...I didn't agree with him."...

CNN's Bob Franken did not like Fox News's use of the phrase "we" when covering the U.S. armed forces during the war.

"I disagree with the Fox approach to it. I believe it was jingoistic, but that's their approach to it. They would disagree with me, I suspect," Franken told CNSNews.com.

"We have to be remember and even those of us who are in the embed [program] have to remember, it is 'they,' not 'we'. It's just an important distinction. We serve our country by doing that," Franken explained....

END of Excerpt

For the story in full: www.cnsnews.com

For more about the celebrities quoted, see their bios on the Internet Movie Database site:

For Kelsey Grammer: us.imdb.com

For Jason Priestley: us.imdb.com

For Robert Duvall: us.imdb.com

For Ron Silver: us.imdb.com

Before the Screen Actors Guild Awards in early March Grammer told Access Hollywood that he supported the war: “I’m pro, that simple.” See: www.mediaresearch.org

CyberAlert readers should be familiar with Silver, who has an ongoing role as a political strategist on NBC's West Wing, from his frequent pre-war cable appearances going head-to-head with anti-liberation of Iraq celebrities like Ed Asner.

As recounted in the February 11 CyberAlert, on FNC's Beltway Boys actor Ron Silver recounted his negative reaction to anti-Americanism in Europe and rejected the idea that it's Bush's fault. He even suggested that imposing U.S. values on the world isn't “a bad idea by the way, I kind of think our values are fairy universal and might be helpful.” See: www.mediaresearch.org


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: antiwar; hollyweird; hollywood; jasonpriestley; kelseygrammer; robertduvall; ronsilver
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To: RepPhil
We need a list of others like these guys!
41 posted on 04/29/2003 7:48:08 PM PDT by KeyLargo
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To: RepPhil
Well, isn't it a shame that the cable news station that is kicking their ass aren't purist like CNN.
42 posted on 04/29/2003 7:53:40 PM PDT by RJayneJ
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To: LJPenney
"Frasier" producer David Angell (and Angell's wife) were on one of the planes that went down on 9/11. Kelsey Grammer KNOWS that this is war...
43 posted on 04/29/2003 7:58:09 PM PDT by hunter112
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To: RepPhil
Huh. Now I feel kinda bad that Kelsey Grammer bugs me.

Oh, well. I'll get over it.

44 posted on 04/29/2003 8:44:44 PM PDT by Texas Eagle
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts
FRASIER RULES!

Although I haven't watched it in years.

I think I'll start watching it again.

45 posted on 04/29/2003 8:49:31 PM PDT by Bullish
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To: RJCogburn
Duvall was also great as "The wealthy Frank Harlan" who hired "Joe Kidd" after he paid Joe's fine and got him out of "community service".

*<:-)~
46 posted on 04/29/2003 8:56:31 PM PDT by JoeSixPack1 (POW/MIA - Bring 'em home, or send us back! Semper Fi)
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To: hunter112
Kelsey's been a closet Bush supporter all along...he defended Bush's stance during the post election nightmare, on Politically Incorrect...and attended the inaugural celebrations.
47 posted on 04/29/2003 9:02:47 PM PDT by Katya
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To: just looking
Most excellent....I suppose I can come clean and admit, not only did I watch Beverly Hills 90210, I had a huge crush on Jason Priestly.
48 posted on 04/29/2003 9:03:53 PM PDT by Katya
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To: Bullish
I think I'll start watching it again.

You really should. It hasn't lost its edge at all.

(Pssst. Daphne and Niles are an item in a big way.)

49 posted on 04/29/2003 9:04:35 PM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (®)
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To: LJPenney
Just this weekend "Down Periscope" was shown on the tube with Kelsey Grammer as a Sub commander and he was impressive!

OOPs that's not Frazer! That's Lauren Holly! Probably a lib! :-(

But who cares!!!! :-)

50 posted on 04/29/2003 9:06:53 PM PDT by JoeSixPack1 (POW/MIA - Bring 'em home, or send us back! Semper Fi)
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To: All

51 posted on 04/29/2003 9:12:29 PM PDT by dighton (Amen-Corner Hatchet Team, Nasty Little Clique, Vulgar Horde)
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To: RepPhil
Looks like a list should be made of those actors that we want to watch and support with our dollars.
52 posted on 04/29/2003 9:15:15 PM PDT by right way right
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To: just looking
....always thought Jason Priestley was another hollywood liberal.

And he's Canadian.

53 posted on 04/29/2003 9:15:16 PM PDT by Bullish
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To: RepPhil
Bull Meechum loves to kick whiney spoiled hippie ass for breakfast!

54 posted on 04/29/2003 9:20:46 PM PDT by wardaddy ("If I had me a shotgun, I'd blow you straight to Hell"...from Candyman by the Dead)
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To: All

55 posted on 04/29/2003 9:21:03 PM PDT by dighton (Amen-Corner Hatchet Team, Nasty Little Clique, Vulgar Horde)
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To: wardaddy
GMTA

;-)

56 posted on 04/29/2003 9:22:22 PM PDT by dighton (Amen-Corner Hatchet Team, Nasty Little Clique, Vulgar Horde)
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To: dighton
Too funny....
57 posted on 04/29/2003 9:24:28 PM PDT by wardaddy ("If I had me a shotgun, I'd blow you straight to Hell"...from Candyman by the Dead)
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To: expatpat
In my humble opinion, and speaking as a woman, some of the sexiest men in Hollywood are not the drop dead gorgeous hunks. Except for Tom Selleck that is. I think Duvall, Sam Elliot and Dennis Franz are real men. Forget Brad Pitt and all the other pretty faces with egos to match.
58 posted on 04/29/2003 9:26:49 PM PDT by barker (If you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything.)
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To: Bullish
I think I'll start watching it again...you should - a local channel has a nightly hour of "Frasier" reruns between 7 and 8 - I must have seen them all by now at least a half-dozen times - witty, intelligent, perceptive, at times tender, it's a great show that never gets stale....
59 posted on 04/29/2003 9:29:07 PM PDT by Intolerant in NJ
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To: Dr. Thorne
Barbra Streisand won't go to Colorado because they passed a law that was prejudicial to gays, but I'll bet she'll go to Havana where they quarantine gays."

LOL

I'd love to hear what Duvall thinks of the Sinkmeister and Hitlery.

60 posted on 04/29/2003 9:34:06 PM PDT by F16Fighter (Democrats -- The Party of Stalin and Chiraq)
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