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| The Shame of Hollywood By Tammy Bruce
FrontPageMagazine.com March 21, 2003
I write this as war with Iraq has begun. Like the rest of us, my main concern rests with the men and women who have made the greatest sacrifice by sending their loved ones into harms way in order to make the world a better place. I think of the men and women in uniform, all over the world, now on the front lines of the righteous liberation of Iraq, and their extraordinary gift to us and the rest of the world by volunteering to risk their lives to help others. And then I think of Hollywood. Why? As our troops, many on the front lines from 19 to 24 years old, march forward and gallantly face death to end the oppression of Iraq by one the world’s most pathetic tyrants, the big news here in Los Angeles is the fact that the red-carpet pre-show for the Academy Awards has been eliminated. You know, where the celebrities walk down a red carpet to be admired by their fans and interviewed by reporters as they enter the building for their for themselves-once-a-year-love-fest. Yep, it’s off.
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Of course, the appropriate thing for the producers of Oscar program and the ABC
network would be for them to cancel the entire program in light of the start of a war where American soldiers will be killed. But, as of this writing, the show will go on. The Barbara Walters special, however, will not. Making one of the more appropriate statements I’ve heard, Walters said, “With such serious issues facing the nation, it was the right decision to postpone the special.” Uh, ding ding ding goes that trolley.
But of course, this war, despite the hysterics from the Hollywood anti-war elite
that it will cause death and destruction heretofore unknown to mankind, their
show will go on! Yes, ABC will be replacing the now postponed Walters program,
which runs after the Oscars, with war coverage. Yes, it seems anti-war gnat Susan Sarandon’s George Bush’s Hell-On-Earth-Criminal-Genocidal-the-Sky-Is-Falling-War can be put off until after the actors play dress up.
While most of us are disgusted by the hypocritical attitudes of actors during this time of life and death, it really shouldn’t surprise us. They’re what I term in my new book The Death of Right and Wrong “malignant narcissists.” People like Susan Sarandon, Dustin Hoffman, Selma Hayak and others cannot see beyond themselves, while they then wrap their fear, self-obsession and hate in the banner of “peace” or “justice.”
The fact that the Oscar show isn’t being cancelled is only one indication of the absurd hypocrisy the Leftists in Hollwyood represent. The awards producer has insisted that the truncation of the pre-show red carpet extravaganza is to de-glam the proceedings, but people in this town know the real reason.
The privately acknowledged reality is that the actors are afraid to be in public and afraid to be asked questions about the war. At first, scores of celebrities demanded to be allowed to enter the back door of the Kodak Theatre because of concerns of terrorism, and the risk it posed being too close to “regular” people.
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So, the too-dangerous front door entrance has been eliminated, and the stars are
receiving what can only be considered security considered worthy of the president. The LAPD Homeland security office is sparing no expense to make sure the actors are in the safest place in the nation. “On that night, in that place, they are probably safer than any other place they can be," said John Miller, head of the LAPD's new homeland security bureau. I’m sure the heroes and good people of New York and Washington, DC are happy to hear that.
Even the National Guard, which is trained in dealing with bio-chem threats, will be there to ensure the safety and peace of mind of people like Dustin Hoffman and his pals. In addition, more than 1,000 local, state, federal and private security personnel will be involved in keeping people like Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange safe.
In the meantime, the San Onofre nuclear plant off the coast of San Diego also got some extra security. A “few more” Coast Guard cutters have been added to the usual patrols. Maybe it’s just me, but gee, wouldn’t it be nice to have an additional 1,000 security personnel at a target like a nuclear facility instead of making sure Sarandon doesn’t get too close to a “regular person”? Hmmm….
Besides the farcical nature of this entire situation, it exposes how foolish and disgusting the anti-George W. Bush celebrities really are. Think of it--these same people agitating against the war, and no doubt salivating at their chance at the Oscar® podium to bash Bush, are too afraid to be in a crowd because of the risk of a bio-chem attack which exists because of terrorism supporter/bio-chem producer Saddam Hussein. They condemn the very man working to eliminate that threat and with him the young people who will be dying to remove it and free Iraq’s tortured people.
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The lesson to be learned from all of this is one for us. The anti-Bush Hollywood
Elite know what they’re doing and they’re never going to change. They have
always thought of themselves first and this is no different. We, on the other
hand, have a terrific opportunity to reassess what’s important in our lives, and
how we choose to show our support (or lack of it). Actors do have every right to
speak their minds. And so do we.
Freedom of expression does not mean that everyone should remain silent in
deference of a few malignant narcissists who happen to get news coverage. Actors
have lived in a Wonderland we have given them. Perhaps it’s time to remind them
about decency in the real world, and that their ride to wealth and fame has been due to our generosity. Taking that for granted and attempting to move their selfish and destructive message while riding on our backs is unacceptable.
Make no mistake, the actors who dare to make anti-America, anti-George Bush,
anti-war statements while our troops are in harms way, especially to a worldwide
audience, have every right to do so, and we have every right, in fact a duty, to reject them.
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