Grammer: There is nothing more intolerant than a p.o.'d liberal

Fox & Friends

[William McKinley]

Too funny. Kelsey Grammer is on Fox and Friends. Obviously, he is much further to the right than most of Hollywood.

He had a great line about Ted Danson and company:

"He is from that Los Angeles group of intolerant tolerant people. There is nothing more intolerant than a pissed off liberal."

He said he loves him anyway, but...

It was pretty funny.

[ClearCase_guy]

I'm glad Grammer is vocal. He's rich and successful -- if he can't state his views, who could? I recall a few years ago when Tom Hanks (one of the most powerful men in Hollywood) made an anti-Clinton comment. He immediately retracted it and fell all over himself to praise Clinton afterwards. I have no doubt that Hanks meant the anti-Clinton comment -- but he was scared and felt he needed to backtrack. Grammer has the courage of his convictions.

[smith288]

Grammar should just jshut up like the rest of Hollywood. I like Grammars politics but they all just need to act and keep their political mouths closed.

[Lazamataz]

You have a point.

[Dog]

Great tagline...

[Captain Kirk]

Why? Citizens have a right to express themselves whether they are actors, millionaires, or lawyers.

[Lazamataz]

:o)

[Captain Kirk]

What point? That actors (Reagan was still one when he ran for governor in 1966) have no rights to express their first amendment views.

[trebb]

Agreed that we should not have to listen to Hollywood's politics, but as long as the left-wing commie-pinkos are getting press for their trashy statements, I'm glad to have the more conservative members speak out.

[FreedomPoster]

Agreed on the tagline. I must admit, I'll often read the first and last couple of paragraphs of a long article, then read the FReeper comments. I probably get 80% or more of the value in 20% or less of the time.

[smith288]

Then when do I get to go on Fox News and say my piece Cpt?

[Peach]

Liberals are the most intolerant people in America today.

[11th Earl of Mar]

PROUDLY POSTING WITHOUT READING THE ARTICLE SINCE 1999!

Boy, has that bitten me a few times. I skim the post and comment on something... only to find out that I missed the point of the article.

Kind of makes me feel like Rosanne Rosanna Danna.

["What do I think about "youth-in-asia"? Hey, if children are hungry, we should feed them. Who cares where they live...]

[Lazamataz]

Yes.

Yes, that is the point.

If you are an actor, you are excluded from First Amendment protections.

[I still care]

Unlike some others on this forum, I think actors have the right to express themselves and their political views all they want.

They just need to understand that when they do so they may devalue their product.

So few of them seem to understand this. Some truly don't care, and I say more power to them. But the ones that whine and cry about being "villified" over their political views, after they have been forward enough to open their mouths (usually in a strident manner), I only have to laugh at them.

The liberal ones live in a rarified atmosphere where everyone agrees with them, and are totally amazed to find out most of the nation does not.

My mother used to like George Clooney. Now she wouldn't consider seeing his movies. And that is the price of making yourself unattractive emotionally to your audience.

[Captain Kirk]

We agree. Most actors are idiots (but then too are a lot of lawyers who pollute our government) but they have a right to express themselves as much as anyone else.

[stuartcr]

But it's ok for us to open our political mouths?

[stuartcr]

Don't forget a lot of freepers too.

[VRWC_minion]

Most actors are idiots

On the contrary. Most are gifted individuals with above average IQ's who work very hard at what they do. I would honor the opinion of any person who is successful in his field. I may disagree with them but I wouldn't automatically assume that someone that is successful in a tough competive field is an idiot.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

I agree, but they have a platform not afforded other professions. When they gain access to that platform by the basis of their acting, the should (a personal choice, not a dictate) refrain from speaking beyond that area of interest if possible.

If a scientist were to be brought onto a show after winning a nobel prize and were to speak at length about the current political environment, it would raise questions like, "Why isn't he just talking about his work and the prize he won?" But actors, and other entertainment professionals, have carte blanche to speak on politics as if it is an extension of their career.

When Reagen ran for office, he had entered the realm of politics. If Barbra Streisand were to get her name on the ballot (or George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Tim Robbins, etc.), then they would have a clear reason to speak on politics.

As much as Jesse Ventura is disliked by many people, there are only a very few who think he shouldn't be speaking about politics. Why? He entered the arena and has participated in the process. Likewise Fred Thompson, he was an actor, entered politics and became a Senator, left politics and became an actor. His foray into politics gives him some gravity to be called upon to discuss politics. If Susan Sarandon would run for an office and open up herself to the brutal nature of politics, her voice would be accepted much more easily when it comes to discussions of politics. As it stands now, a plumber from Jersey City has as much right to get on a news show and talks politics as she does.

The point is, yes, actors have the right to speak out on any subject they want. But no, actors should not be given a platform to comment on politics that other non-political professionals do not have access to. This is not the actors fault, but the news departments of the various networks.

Ironically, I think this last year of intense "actor politicizing" will lower the amount of actor commentary we hear for quite some time. Most of the outspoken actors have lost money due to their outspokeness. They like having free speech, but they don't like others having the right to not pay them to speak their views.