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Tuesday morning Nikki Finke posted Andrew Klavan’s online interview (above) with CNSNews where the successful novelist and screenwriter (and my pal) — who just had his Homelander series optioned by Summit — discussed, among other things, the difficulties conservatives face working or looking to work in a very liberal Tinseltown. Finke’s opening comment pretty much confirm Klavan’s:
Sure, this has long been the complaint from Hollywood Republicans. But I’ve witnessed the atmosphere out here becoming far less toxic for politically conservative or religious right or other non-liberal Industry types.
“Less toxic.” What a relief. Tolerant, open-minded Hollywood sure has come a long way.
Of course, Finke then goes out of her way to contribute to this admitted toxicity, closing her piece with the spreading of the provably false claim that Klavan “characterizes his liberal biz counterparts as ‘Anti-American’.”
That’s a helluva charge to make against Klavan. But…
Watch the video. Not only will it make you smarter but Klavan says no such thing. Not even close. The closest he comes is when describing one of those awful meetings filled with Hollywood Lefties who weren’t raised by parents who taught them the concept of mixed company:
“[Liberals] can speak very openly, even in business meetings. So that it makes it very hard, so that when you go into sell something — if I sit down to sell something to you, you can start making remarks; anti-American remarks, anti-military, anti-religious remarks. I’m the kind of guy who’s gonna say, ‘No, I disagree.’ But that’s pretty much the end of my sale.”
Obviously, all Klavan’s saying here is that he’s heard people make anti-American statements in business meetings. Does Finke really want to argue that over a decades-long career Klavan’s never heard such things? Regardless, no reasonable person would interpret that observation as anything near Finke’s characterization which intentionally makes it sound as though Klavan made some kind of sweeping indictment labelling all Hollywood liberals as anti-American.
Anyone who’s anyone in this town devours Finke’s site on a daily basis and unless they take time they don’t have to watch Klavan’s interview in full, thanks to Finke’s irresponsible twist of a perfectly reasonable statement, they’re certain to walk away believing this conservative writer named Andrew Klavan is running around characterizing Hollywood liberals as “anti-American.”
So ask yourself; after reading this are Hollywood liberals more likely or less likely to hire Klavan?
And so ends today’s lesson in how the new blacklist works.
Side Note: Be sure to check out the comments that Finke’s post generated. I’m not sure which is more revealing: those who agree and/or sympathize with Klavan, or those whose snarky, seething dismissal of his claims go a long way towards proving his point.
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