"C-List" Casting Call: Will Hollywood Conservatives Come Out to Play?

Dear Prudence, Won’t You Come Out to Play?

During the Beatles’ 1968 spiritual sojourn to India, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s more corporeal quest for “oneness” with his female acolytes quickly disillusioned John Lennon. As was his wont, Lennon tooled the clay-footed sage in the jaunty Sexy Sadie then sauntered about the ashram for other inspiration. Following his muse, he knocked on the hut of Mia Farrow’s shy sister, Prudence. Alas, the lass wouldn’t open up for him. Nevertheless, while this bird hadn’t flown her coop, she did move Lennon to pen:

Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play?

Dear Prudence, meet the brand new day

The sun is up, the sky is blue

It’s beautiful and so are you

Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play?

Today, at this crucible of American history, Congressional Republicans call upon Big Hollywood’s “C-List” of cloistered conservatives to come out to play.

It’s Beautiful and So Are You

True, the Congressional Republicans rapping at your doors aren’t standing in the clothes that we once wore: our majority was emaciated by electoral liposuction; our bold re-branding initiative put speed freaks to sleep; and our approval rating nose-dived faster than Bozo on a bender.

But some things haven’t changed. We still like long walks on the beach, faith, family, community and country; and we still dislike taxes, dieting and terrorists. Most importantly, we still share with you the bonds of camaraderie, universality, and creativity.

Look Around, Round, Round

Our camaraderie stems from our shared suffering as conservatives. Conservatism being the negation of ideology, our existence threatens the Left’s dogmatic ideologues, who revile, repress and retaliate against us: Congressional Republicans are targeted for political extinction; and Big Hollywood’s cloistered conservatives are targeted for professional ostracism.

Of course, there is an important distinction. Congressional Republicans voluntarily incurred Leftist attacks by entering politics. Republican oriented artists, however, have been involuntarily subjected to Big Hollywood’s new version of the old “blacklist’: the “C-List” of conservatives who are marked for censorship and career ruin for deviating from Left-wing orthodoxy. Nonetheless, though our specific struggles differ, we are equally embattled and immutably bonded, because we suffer for our love of America.

You Are Part of Everything

Mirroring Wordsworth’s description of poetic vision – “With an eye made quiet by the power of harmony, and the deeper power of joy, we see into the life of things” – we conservatives also accept human nature’s universality. We acknowledge each of us is frail, flawed, and blessed by God’s grace with dignity; we empathize with our fellow human beings’ existential challenges in the face of their imperfections; and we reject ideologues’ schemes to coerce humanity into an arbitrary, unobtainable image of perfection.

Let Me See You Smile Again

Finally, conservatives share a duty to channel empathy into creativity. For example, legislators must create just laws that reconcile the people’s need for order and freedom; and artists must create works that reveal the enduring human truths needed to preserve and renew the culture. Neither endeavor can succeed alone: an unjust country’s laws and culture impel death and decay; a just country’s laws and culture cherish life and truth.

Meet the Brand New Day

Bonded by camaraderie, universality, and creativity, Congressional Republicans and Big Hollywood’s cloistered conservatives must build a bridge across the counter-cultural divide of Big Washington and Big Hollywood.

This is no tranquil work. An enraged Left will intensify their attacks, and some conservatives could be hammered down the memory hole into political and professional oblivion before our bridge is finished.

Daunted, some conservatives may deem the chasm too wide and the risk too great. Yet, as has always been the case in freedom’s defense, others of us know courage has its cost, but silence has its price – Social censorship is a cultural sin; self-censorship is spiritual suicide.

These are the stakes and your choice. Will you defy Big Hollywood and break your silence to strike one true note in hope’s dissonant chorus? Will you unite with us to ensure America remains a community of destiny, inspired and guided by the virtuous genius of our free people and forever blessed by the unfathomable grace of God?

Will you come out to play?

United States Representative Thaddeus G. McCotter (MI-11) Chairs the Republican House Policy Committee