One of the most laughable moments in the history of Hollywood was this unforgettable “Vanity Fair” profile of George Clooney, who was still riding high among the bubbled elites after his box office flop, “Good Night and Good Luck,” won him an Oscar. The year was 2006 and Hollywood was already in the middle of crafting (between features and documentaries) over a dozen suicide box-office bombs specifically and intentionally designed to give aid and comfort to al Queda in furtherance of Tinseltown’s unholy and evil quest to undermine the war in Iraq and therefore our troops: [emphasis added]
Good Night, and Good Luck was shot in black and white (so that old news footage could be blended with new scenes) and was righteous in an Ezekiel-in-the-desert sort of way, a retelling of the prime-time battle between Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy, which was really a thinly disguised fable about Fox News and the Bush administration–a cry in the face of barking dogs.
Clooney was cool and sharp in his acceptance speech, but what he said was less important than what he was doing–he was surfing, riding the crest of outrage that was pouring out of Hollywood. Here was a man who had stood up and was not scared by the power of Washington or the madness of Republicans or the madness of war.
This bears repeating: “Here was a man who had stood up and was not scared by the power of Washington[.]”
And what exactly did the uber-wealthy Clooney who sits atop the freest and most prosperous industry in the history of mankind have to be afraid of? Clooney is also an affirmative action baby; someone handed superstar status, not because of a starpower that puts butts in seats (he lost that a decade ago), but because of his identity — his politics and the way he looks.
Oh, but he’s so brave to make the kind of movies that make no money but still win him awards and “Vanity Fair” profiles.
Whether he said it or not, Clooney is famous for a quote about Bush’s “chill wind” of censorship and oppression over Hollywood.
Listen, I don’t mean to pick on Clooney (okay, I do) but where is that bravery now? Where is “Vanity Fair” now? Where is all of that Hollywood who posed as victims of Bush’s non-existent censorship during the aughts and awarded and gushed over themselves for displaying a non-existent bravery in their silly, self-serving narcissistic fight against it? And yet…
Hollywood is truly being censored today.
Hollywood is truly being forced by The State to alter its product to suit The State today.
Hollywood is truly doing business with a country responsible for the worst human rights abuses of our time today.
The result, however, is compliance and rolling over and complicit silence, even from the sycophantic left-wing entertainment media that gushed over the likes of Clooney’s bravery during the “awful” Bush era.
But don’t you see? It’s okay to roll over and beg for The State when The State is a communist one:
Censorship has afflicted America’s most recent blockbuster. The Chinese government censored between three and 13 minutes of Men in Black 3 because a memory-wiping device is used on a group of Asians. Chinese officials saw the scene as a commentary on the regime’s censorship policy, according to the Los Angeles Times.
American filmmakers have also begun to abide by China’s cultural agenda, citing James Cameron’s endorsement of Chinese censorship when Titanic 3D premiered in Beijing in April, Currie said.
“I’m not interested in their reality. My reality is that I’ve made two films in the last 15 years that both have been resounding successes here, and this is an important market for me,” the Academy Award-winning director told the New Yorker. “And so I’m going to do what’s necessary to continue having this be an important market for my films.”
Cameron is just the latest American mogul to fall into line to buy Chinese loyalty, Yang said.
You might say to yourself that in the end, censorship is a small thing; a snip here, a clip there — merely frames of film, so what ‘s the harm, it’s only a movie.
Well, what about Tibet? What about Clooney’s undeniably important work in the Sudan?
What about human rights, women’s rights, and forced abortions.
Where’s your Liberal Hollywood now:
One Hollywood insider, who wished to remain anonymous to avoid blowback from the film industry, said entertainers and film executives have purposefully avoided uncomfortable conversations about China’s history of human rights violations, as well as political corruption and censorship.
“They’re the type of folks who will do good work helping people from Tibet, but they don’t see the big picture that China is the one oppressing Tibet, or they reveal themselves to be just as greedy as the Wall Street guys they hate,” the insider said. “Katzenberg, he’s trying to cut deals to promote his own agenda, and China’s open game to him even if it means promoting its agenda.”
Hollywood interests and Chinese human rights violations clashed in May when a standoff erupted over blind activist Chen Guangcheng’s escape from house arrest outside of Linyi, where Relativity Media was filming the comedy 21 and Over. The studio had heaped praise on the historic city during its shoot, while Guangcheng was held under house arrest nearby.
Activist group Human Rights in China called on the studio to withdraw from filming in the city, saying, “It is a place where the local authorities are responsible for the egregious, ongoing, and widely reported human rights violations against one of the most prominent human rights advocates in China.”
You see, Hollywood doesn’t give a damn about being censored or about human rights. All they care about is money, power, control, and being part of the exclusive country club.
Twenty years ago, speaking out against Chinese oppression of Tibet was all the rage. Today, it’s “in” to embrace Tibet’s oppressor.
Hollywood has spent decades congratulating themselves for overthrowing censorship.
Now embracing censorship is the “in” thing.
Undoubtedly, there are those in the industry horrified by the fact that their own industry is selling its soul, but they themselves say nothing because access to the country club is more important. So, I guess they’re not that horrified, are they?
Under Bush, at least Hollywood pretended to have principles with respect to censorship and human rights. Now, it’s a community so far gone, no one even pretends anymore.
Maybe when they wake up in Hell, the Devil will explain all of this to them.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC
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