Jimmy Kimmel's Translating Honey Boo Boo For Foreigners- Video

Reality star Alana Thompson, better known as obnoxious Honey Boo Boo- of "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" fame- is set to take the world by storm. She's already uber-popular in Poland (it's the third most popular show there, in the short time it's been airing), and now TLC is exporting the reality TV show to Latin America, Australia, Italy and the Netherlands.

However, Discovery Networks is worried about foreigners understanding the redneck colloquialisms, some of which are Honey Boo Boo creations.

[snip] Honey Boo Boo's unique catchphrases - including 'a dolla' makes me holla' and 'you'd better redneck-ognize' - might prove a challenge for foreign viewers.

Discovery said that it is working on ways to overcome the lingo that might be lost in translation - as the show already subtitles for English-speaking audiences. Other options include dubbing voiceovers and developing a more in-depth glossary of terms.

So, Jimmy Kimmel has stepped in to facilitate getting over the redneck language barrier.



Do we really need to share Honey Boo Boo with the rest of the world?

Jackie Chan Claims The U.S. Is The Most Corrupt Country In The World

Actor Jackie Chan thinks the U.S. is the most corrupt country in the world. Oh really? I know we have corruption but we are hardly the most corrupt. And how about looking in your own back yard, Mr. Chan.

Hong Kong action hero Jackie Chan has once again provoked criticism, this time from an American blogger, after suggesting on Chinese television that the U.S. is the "most corrupt" country in the world.

"When you talk about corruption -- the whole world, is there corruption in the United States? The most corrupt in the world!" the Rush Hour star, who has made headlines recently for his controversial views, told Phoenix TV last month.

Chan reaffirmed his view after the show's host questioned him -- "Of course! Where did the great breakdown come from? The world, the United States started it," Chan said, referring to the financial crisis and gesticulating as he spoke.

His comments were rebuked Thursday by Max Fisher, a foreign affairs blogger for the Washington Post, who called them "anti-American" rhetoric that was rooted in China's insecurity.

"To the degree that Chan's comments were anti-American, they likewise reflect a common Chinese view of the United States, one that is rooted not just in attitudes toward America but in China's proud but sometimes insecure view of itself," Fisher said.

Jackie Chan also said China is a relatively young country, where in the first half of its history it was "bullied by so many people", and that it only achieved "real success" in the past decade.

"Our country's leaders admit they are corrupted, etcetera. We are improving -- I can see our country is constantly improving and learning," he said, adding that everyone is making an issue out of China because it is "powerful" now.

Overly Taxed Rich Leaving France Including Actor Gerard Depardieu-

The rich in France are leaving in droves especially after Socialist President Francois Hollande's administration has raised taxes on individuals making over 1 million Euros to an outrageous 75%, and they're taking their businesses with them. But it's not just income tax that has them in a tizzy:

..a sharp increase in taxes on capital gains from the sales of stock and company stakes is pushing most people to leave, according Didier Bugeon, head of the wealth manager Equance.

French entrepreneurs have complained vociferously against a proposal in the Socialist's 2013 budget to increase the capital gains tax on sales of company stakes, which they argue will kill the market for innovative start-up companies in France.

They say a stiff increase in capital gains tax would remove incentives to do this in France. They also argue that capital has already been taxed several times in the making.

The French government did wind up "backtracking" on the hefty tax increase on the sale of a company, and the 75% tax is now only for two years, but people are still packing up and moving. Actually they started moving in anticipation of an Hollande win, and are now following through with it.

And it's not just businesses, French actor Gerard Depardieu (a Nicolas Sarkozy supporter, it turns out) is planning on moving to Belgium where the taxes aren't quite so exorbitant. His decision so infuriated the French government, that its criticism led to Depardieu writing a scathing letter which was published in the Journal du Dimanche. Addressed to Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, who called Depardieu "pathetic" for wanting to move to Néchin, Belgium and take all his money with him, it said, in part:

"I am handing over to you my passport and social security, which I have never used," he said. "We no longer have the same homeland, I am a true European, a citizen of the world, as my father always taught me to believe."

He concludes: "Despite my excesses, my appetite and love for life, I am a free being, Sir, and will remain polite."

He also wrote:

"Unfortunately there's nothing left for me to do here, but I will continue to love the French, the public with whom I've shared so many emotions! I leave because you consider that success, creation, talent, difference, in fact, should be sanctioned."

Bottom line Depardieu doesn't want to live in a socialist country that is going to tax the bulk of his earnings, which is unfortunate for France since he had 80 people working for him.  Plus he claims he has paid over 145 million Euros in taxes during the past 45 years that he's been working. He also allegedly paid 85% tax on his 2012 income. That's a lot of tax monies that France will no longer have.

Naturally the leftists would be apoplectic, after all, who else is going to fill those coffers to pay for all their social programmes if all the rich bail. Some call those leaving 'traitors'. Socialist Aurelie Filippetti, minister of culture, likened Depardieu's abandoning ship to:

 "deserting the field in the middle of a war against the [economic] crisis," and that "French citizenship is an honour, and includes rights and also duties, which include the ability to pay taxes."

The conservatives there, however, know the consequences of overly taxing the rich.

"We're losing the rich, like Gerard Depardieu, and the poor feel betrayed," said Rama Yade, a former Sarkozy minister, and vice president of the moderate conservative Radical Party, referring to workers at factories expected to close down. "France is the one getting weakened, and its future is being sold off cheaply," she said.

Sound familiar? The U.S. should take heed before the mass exodus of our rich, since that has already started to happen. 

Ironically, a bunch of the rich and famous of France had banded together to petition to be taxed a higher percentage:

“We are conscious of having benefited from a French system and a European environment that we are attached to and which we hope to help maintain,” wrote the group, which included the chief executives of Air France-KLM and Société Générale, and the billionaire heiress to the L’Oréal fortune, among others. “When the public finances deficit and the prospects of a worsening state debt threaten the future of France and Europe and when the government is asking everybody for solidarity, it seems necessary for us to contribute.”

That is, until they realized how high.

Jamie Foxx on SNL Jokes About "Killing all white people" In His Movie

Jamie Foxx is back in the news, once again, in a not so favorable light.  Last month Jamie was criticized by many for calling Obama "Our Lord and Savior" at the Soul Train Awards, this time it's about his Saturday Night Live (SNL) not-so-funny joke about "killing all the white people" in his latest movie "Django Unchained".

Transcribed by Newsbusters:

JAMIE FOXX: My name is Jamie Foxx. Give it up, give it up, New York City, Saturday Night Live. Come on, make some noise, man. New York City, New York City, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, it’s crazy. I'm black, and I’m dressed all black cause it's good to be black. Black is the new white. I’m telling you, how black is this right here? Nice fly, I’m saying. You know how I know black is in right now? Cause the Nets moved to Brooklyn. How black is that? They got black jerseys, black court. I mean, how black is that? And Jay-z is the owner, a rapper. How black is that? And Jay-z only own about this much of the team. But he act like he own all of New York. How black is that?

And I got a movie coming out, "Django," check it out. Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson. “Django Unchained” I play a slave. How black is that? And in the movie I had to wear chains. How whack is that? But don't be worried about it because I get out the chains, I get free, I save my wife, and I kill all the white people in the movie. How great is that? And how black is that?

But I'm going to tell you right now, speaking of blackness, my President, President Obama is back up in the White House four more years. How black is that? And not only that, he’s so black, he was playing basketball during the Election Day. How black is that? But he was also late for his acceptance speech. Okay, all the white people, this is your turn - how black is that?

But he going to be extra black this next four years. He going to get everything black, and white people, don't get nervous about that because he is mixed. Now the first four years was the white side of him, because I don't know if you saw him on Ellen when he was dancing and everything. I don't know what this is. That wasn't President Obama, that was President Barry Gibb Obama. But the next four years he's even changing his name from to President Barack Dikembe Mutombo Tupac Mandela Hussein Obama X. How black is that? And the next time you see him dancing on Ellen, he gonna be dancing like this.

Yes, SNL folk must have known and approved of his monologue, but it's not funny at all, it's just sad and pathetic.

Way to go Jamie for perpetuating the racial divide.  What little respect I had for him has gone, bye-bye.

Jamie Foxx Calls Obama "Our Lord and Savior" At Soul Train Awards

I like actor Jamie Foxx. I thought he was incredibly funny during his stint on "In Living Color", and his portrayal of Ray Charles in "Ray" well deserved the Oscar, but dang, the man's an idiot.

At the Soul train Awards on Sunday in Las Vegas the man actually said:

"It's like church over here. It's like church in here. First of all, give an honor to God and our lord and savior Barack Obama. Barack Obama."

"Our Lord and Savior"? Wow.  He's lucky we live in a country where people are free to say stupid things, and blasphemy isn't met with a death sentence.

Interesting though, if you look closely, there wasn't as much enthusiasm on the part of the audience as one might expect, then again it was a pretty stupid thing to say.

Yes, I know he was probably joking, but still....   dumb.  However, I'm sure there are plenty who do look at Obama as a Lord and Savior, and Santa Claus, to boot. And Obama's attitude, in many ways, fosters that adoration.





Source: Examiner

Bill Maher To Romney Voters: "Black people know who you are and they will come after you"

Wow. Bill Maher (who only has it right regarding the problem with Islamic extremism) tells Romney supporters:

"If you're thinking about voting for Mitt Romney, I would like to make this one plea: black people know who you are and they will come after you"

I find that terribly racist, am I the only one?  Liberals obviously have no problem with that statement.





H/T Drudge Report

Lebanon Thinking Of Suing Showtime's "Homeland" Producers

Unfortunately, I've never seen the Emmy award-winning "Homeland" since I don't have Showtime, but it looks really interesting. Based on an Israeli TV series "Hatufim" (Prisoners of War), the U.S. version is obviously quite different. Our "Homeland" deals with the return of an American prisoner of war, and the possibility that he was "turned" by Al Qaeda while in captivity.  Shot mostly in Charlotte, NC- subbing for Virginia and Washington DC-  some scenes have been filmed in Israel- subbing for Lebanon. That happens all the time, for various reasons. In the case of Charlotte, all the NC film incentives wooed the production there. As for Lebanon, well that's quite obvious- Israel is a much friendlier and safer country to film in than Lebanon, these days, especially since the co-creator Gideon Raff is Israeli.

But not everyone is thrilled about the 'thriller'. Lebanon is actually threatening to sue the production company because they feel the series shows them in an unflattering light.

A tourism minister told multiple media outlets this week that Lebanon is considering suing the Emmy-award-winning Showtime series because of its unflattering portrayal of Lebanon.

This kind of film damages the image of Lebanon — it is not fair to us and it’s not true, it is not portraying reality,” Fadi Abboud told the Beirut-based Executive magazine. “We want to take action, we want to write to the filmmakers and producers and demand an apology. And we are planning to raise a lawsuit against the director and the producer.”

Abboud pointed to a recent “Homeland” episode that featured snipers on Hamra Street in West Beirut, which according to the Associated Press is a lively neighborhood filled with cafes, book stores and bars.

“It showed Hamra Street with militia roaming in it. This does not reflect reality,” he told the AP. “It was not filmed in Beirut and does not portray the real image of Beirut.”

It's called a  'TV SERIES' folks, not a documentary, and they can portray Lebanon in whatever manner they choose.

They are also pissed off that the Lebanon scenes have been filmed in Tel Aviv.

A Lebanese woman told the AP it’s “insulting” for Tel Aviv to stand in for Beirut, saying, “Israel destroyed our country. Israel invaded and occupied our country.” 

Hezbollah leaders have never heard of the production, but will look into it.

Good luck with that law suit.

Tim Allen Gets To Rag On Obama In New Sitcom

Tim Allen is one of the few Republicans on the left coast open about his politics, and he gets to play one on TV in his new ABC sitcom "Last Man Standing."

Set to air 4 days before the election, Tim's character Mike Baxter gets to sock it to Obama. Surprising as that might be considering it's on prime time on a major network in liberal Hollywood. I'm not fond of sitcoms, but I just might check the first episode out.

In the episode, airing four days before the election, Allen’s uber-conservative character, Mike Baxter, tries to persuade his impressionable 18-year-old daughter to vote for Mitt Romney.

“The Democrats will tax [your] inheritance and probably use that money to throw gay weddings for illegal aliens,” Allen’s character tells the Kardashian-loving teen, who thinks Bill Clinton’s mother is secretary of state.

“Democrats love spending other people’s money. Free health care for everybody . . . Whoopee! Now lazy people can go around licking doorknobs.”

While Allen squeezed some jokes in at the president’s expense, he wasn’t given an unlimited leash to bite into Bam.

Allen told The Post that the Disney-owned network scrapped numerous jokes, including one in which his character calls the president “a communist.”

“I love communist jokes,” Allen said. “The right sees everything as a communist.”

“We also had this line about the Clintons where I say, ‘They’re like shingles; just when you think they are gone, they pop back up.’ ”

That, too, got cut.

Among the lines that survived:

* “Romney is a doer. It’s easy to be consistent, like Obama, when all you have done is ‘organize communities.’ ”

* “He did a great job with that South Side of Chicago. It runs like a watch down there. Of course, you can’t wear one.”

Allen said there are plenty of jokes aimed at Romney — because the network thought it was necessary to give the show some balance.

Jon Lovitz Blasts The Left For Playing The Race Card

It started back in April- when former "Saturday Night Live" star Jon Lovitz blasted Obama (with some choice words) for saying that the rich don't pay their taxes.

Then, according to Twitchy Entertainment, he took  a lot of flak from liberals after he berated Obama for his “If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen” comment.

Lovitz posted on his Twitter account:

Jon Lovitz‏@realjonlovitz

Anyone who starts a business takes all the risk, financially. The government taxes your business. And if it fails, the owner loses his money

and

Jon Lovitz‏@realjonlovitz

Amazing! The picture I tweeted of Obama is a joke! Sarcasm! BTW, if a business goes under, does the government give you a refund? Nope!

In response, the ever classy Ellen Barkin tweeted:

Ellen BarkinVerified‏@EllenBarkin

John Lovitz maybe I met you a few times back in the day,but now you're just an ignorant asshole.Shut the fuck up.Long live our president.

His twitter feed was also littered with comments from followers not too happy with his calling a spade a spade. (And no, that is not meant to be racist!) Yep, liberals aren't so much into freedom of speech thing when it comes to their messiah. Though conservatives are definitely fair game, as Lovitz admitted.

Jon Lovitz‏@realjonlovitz

“@6ixty2wo: @realjonlovitz did u get this much flack when u joked about President Bush?” Nope! No one said a word!

Of course, no-one said a word because it's perfectly okay to joke about and/or vilify conservatives.
Then Lovitz defended himself from the usual asinine 'you're a racist if you criticize Obama' accusations.'

Jon Lovitz‏@realjonlovitz

Because I criticize the President, they say I don't care about black people. So when I made fun of Bush, that meant I dislike white people?


Jon Lovitz‏@realjonlovitz

Amazing how many"liberals" see Obama as a black man who became President. I see him as the President. Period.

Lovitz keeps declaring he's still a Democrat (and he did vote for Obama), but I think he's just saying that because he doesn't want to totally alienate his fan base, and those who might hire him.  But somehow, I doubt he'll be voting for Obama this time around.  It's hard for liberals to admit they've had a change of heart in an uber-liberal industry,  although some do. There's David Mamet, and Jon Voight, who has been very vocal about his conservative views. 

But to demonstrate how fear runs deep for liberals who don't toe the Democratic Party line, Twitchy posted this Twitter conversation between patriot_prophet and Lovitz:

Prophet Patriot@patriot_prophet 20 Jul 12


Sorry @realjonlovitz you may be a Democrat, but your recent tweeting puts you in the old school Dem group, more Libertarian than leftist.




Jon Lovitz✔
@realjonlovitz

@patriot_prophet I agree! It seems like the parties switched. Whatever President Kennedy was, I'm that.

It's no longer on Jon's feed (unless I missed it), but still on patriot_prophet's.

As a side note, JFK was actually more aligned with Republican philosophy, and were he alive today, he'd probably be a Republican, or at the very least a Blue Dog Democrat.

Kudos to Jon, though, for having the cojones to tell it like it is.

Support A Republican Singer and A Novelist

It takes a lot of courage for people in the arts (be they actors, writers, musicians, singers or artists) to speak openly about their non-liberal politics, since it can often adversely affect their livelihood. So when someone does, we should do what we can to support them.  And, since the holidays are the time for giving (be it Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa), I thought I would share with you a few opportunities to support two of those brave souls, especially since I know them.

Jeff Gurner, of the comedy singing duo Joberg & Gurner, also happens to be a great actor that I have worked with. Their lyrics are irreverent and often racy, but very funny. Comedy Central just released their album "MANHOOD", of which the following 'family friendly' video is one of the tracks included.  You can download the CD from i-Tunes and CDBaby. 




Roy M Griffis is a long-time reader who just shared with me that he finally published his novel, which is now available in paperback and on Amazon Kindle.  I haven't read the book yet, but the synopsis sounds wonderful.

A single spontaneous act of charity on the battlefields of France during WWI will change the life of English Lieutenant Robert Fitzgerald forever. Scourged by the war's brutality, his faith in God and man nearly gone, Fitzgerald follows a soldier out into no-man's land on a mission of charity to euthanize two maimed donkeys. Under fire by the enemy, shamed by the suffering of the only innocent creatures on the field, Fitzgerald unsuccessfully risks his life to aid the poor animals, becoming wounded in the process.


A young nurse, Charlotte Braninov, encounters Robert, first at a front line Casualty Aid station, where he helps her save a dying man, and then at the main hospital, where he is ignobly consigned to Supply Officer, blackballed by the Army for his "lunacy" over the stricken animals. At the hospital, the Russian nurse and English officer slowly find in one another peace from the suffering they have seen, healing, and a meaning to their lives; each act of service or sacrifice building a foundation of love as they have never known, a love they believe strong enough to withstand the hammer-blows of evil and fate.

So, there you have it. Two Republican in the arts you can support, and get something in return.

And as Joberg & Gurner would say:  Happy Chrismanukkah to one and all!

John Lennon A Closet Republican?

Hard to believe that John Lennon, pacifist hippie extraordinare for the bulk of his adult life, actually admired Reagan and, had he been able to, would have voted for him in the 1980 Carter/Reagan elections.  But, according to John Lennon's  assistant Fred Seaman, for the final two years of his life Lennon was apparently a "Closet Republican" and would have done just that. 

"John, basically, made it very clear that if he were an American he would vote for Reagan because he was really sour on (Democrat) Jimmy Carter. He'd met Reagan back, I think, in the 70s at some sporting event... Reagan was the guy who had ordered the National Guard, I believe, to go after the young (peace) demonstrators in Berkeley, so I think that John maybe forgot about that... He did express support for Reagan, which shocked me. I also saw John embark in some really brutal arguments with my uncle, who's an old-time communist... He enjoyed really provoking my uncle... Maybe he was being provocative... but it was pretty obvious to me he had moved away from his earlier radicalism. He was a very different person back in 1979 and 80 than he'd been when he wrote Imagine. By 1979 he looked back on that guy and was embarrassed by that guy's naivete."

Quoted in a Toronto Sun article, Seaman divulges this information in a documentary film called "Beatles Stories".  Of course, after Jimmy Carter's tenure as President, it's not hard to understand why he might have made that choice.

As for his contrition and embarrassment over his past 'radicalism'-  he was an avid 'give peace a chance', anti-war political activist (remember the Bed-In with Yoko?), but he did not seem to advocate violence, unlike many others of his generation. Even the Beatle's song "Revolution"  (written in 1968) makes that pretty clear.

You say you want a revolution

Well you know

We all want to change the world

You tell me that it's evolution

Well you know

We all want to change the world

But when you talk about destruction

Don't you know you can count me out

Don't you know it's gonna be alright

Alright Alright

You say you got a real solution

Well you know

We'd all love to see the plan

You ask me for a contribution

Well you know

We're doing what we can

But when you want money for people with minds that hate

All I can tell you is brother you have to wait

Don't you know it's gonna be alright

Alright Alright

You say you'll change the constitution

Well you know

We all want to change your head

You tell me it's the institution

Well you know

You better free your mind instead

But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao

You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow

Don't you know know it's gonna be alright

Alright Alright

And who doesn't want a world at peace? 

Perhaps the seeds of change were planted back then, and it took another 10 years or so to come to fruition, but it just proves there's hope for all.  I know there are many who are  critical of the fact that, if he was indeed a conservative of sorts, he did not openly admit he was.  Obviously, I can relate.  Not everyone has the courage in the entertainment industry to be open about their politics, and that's certainly understandable.  At least we now know.

L.A. Union StageHand At Obama Rally Fired For Wearing USS George H. W. Bush T-Shirt and Hat In Honor Of His Navy Son

AS a union actress I don't consider myself anti-Union. At least not anti-actors' unions. SAG, AEA and AFTRA, for the most, have created working and safety standards that were and are very necessary. However, I have never appreciated the fact that unions often get involved in politics where they have no place, but they often do, and unfortunately some of my union dues goes to issues that I am opposed to.

That said, the stage workers' union, IATSE, just fired an L.A. stage hand, Duane Hammond, because he happened to be wearing a USS George H. W. Bush T-Shirt, which he refused to turn inside out, and a cap that he refused to remove. The union took offense, apparently, to the fact that he was wearing wardrobe that mentioned the "Bush" name at a location that was setting up for an Obama rally, in spite of the fact that it wasn't a pro-Bush logo, but simply the logo of the ship his son happens to be serving on in the U.S. navy. All this poor man wanted to do was honor his son's service for the past 3 years on the ship that was named after Bush senior. Even though he tried to explain the reasons for wearing the shirt to his union bosses he was unceremoniously sacked.

According to an update, and obviously after much unwanted publicity, the union apologized to Hammond and apparently are "bending over backwards" to make up for their reprehensible actions. This should never have happened, even if Hammond had been wearing a pro-Bush T-shirt. This is a free country, at least I thought it was.

Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg Walk Off "The View" Set In Unprofessional Hissy Fit

When I heard the news that Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar walked off "The View" in protest, I couldn't imagine what hideously offensive comment Bill O'Reilly might have made that would prompt these women to leave in such a huff. A very unprofessional turn, I might add, to walk off a show you are co-hosting, but I was curious to know what terribly 'bigoted' remark O'Reilly actually made that warranted such action. I cringe, at times, with some things some of our conservative talk show hosts say, but when I eventually found out what this so-called 'bigot' said I was totally shocked. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, considering the sources, but it would have at least been understandable had it been justified.

While trying to explain Barack Obama's low approval ratings, O'Reilly brought up the whole polarizing 'mosque near Ground Zero issue'. Not buying that the polls state 70% of the American population oppose it, the women questioned the validity. When questioned further, O'Reilly revealed that the reason was "Because Muslims killed us on 9/11." Whoopi called it "bullshit" and after some shouting both Whoopi and Joy, like angry children, walked off the set.

Since when is calling a spade a spade bigotry? And since when do we have to qualify our statements every time we speak about "terrorism"? Oh, of course, we're not really supposed to be using the word 'terrorist' (according to Obama) or associating Islam with terrorism, when the majority of terrorists these days just so happen to be Muslims. Or, in this case, we're supposed to refrain from saying that Muslims flew planes into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania? I think most of us assume when someone refers to Muslims killing us on 9/11 that they're referring to extremists and radical Islam. When we spoke of the IRA (Irish Republican Army) and all their terrorist activity during their violent heyday, should we not have called them Irish?

The fact is, it was Muslims not Catholics, not Buddhists, not Hindus, not Jews (although lunatic, delusional Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seems to think they had something to do with it) Muslims rammed those planes into the Twin Towers in the name of their religion. Yes, they were extremists, but that doesn't change the fact that they were Muslims, and telling people they aren't allowed to mention that is absolutely absurd. Walking off a show because someone mentioned that is even more absurd. Barbara Walters did berate them for walking off, not because she agreed with Bill O'Reilly's statement, but because in this country we should be allowed to debate without being censored or throwing hissy fits.

Whether one agrees with what O'Reilly said or how he said it, he had every right to opine. That's what makes this country great, our freedom of speech which is slowly being whittled away by people like Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg who call us bigots for having opinions that differ from their own.

Grow up and wise up. Being pc about the whole radical Islam issue is not going to make it go away, it's just making its ranks grow stronger.



Source: NYDailyNews

On John Cusack and his "Satanic Death Cult" for Fox News and GOP leaders Tweet

There are some actors who make me totally ashamed to be affiliated with the entertainment industry, and now you can add John Cusack to that ever growing list of liberal idiots who don't think before they speak. Or, in this case, tweeted, or twitted, or whatever you call it.

On Sunday night Cusack twittered to his well over 210,000 followers:

“I AM FOR A SATANIC DEATH CULT CENTER AT FOX NEWS HQ AND OUTSIDE THE OFFICES ORDICK ARMEYAND NEWT GINGRICH-and all the GOP WELFARE FREAKS,”

Very smart and classy, Cusack! With all the wackos in the world, some of whom are probably your faithful followers, you come out with such an obscene and violent call to violence? As if we don't have enough of that already, with all the teen violence, gang violence and terrorist threats. And according to some L.A. psychiatrists it's not so totally far fetched.

“His provocative tweets could easily incite a rabid fan to commit violent acts against Fox News Headquarters and others he names," said Dr. Carole Lieberman, a Beverly Hills-based psychiatrist and author of "Coping With Terrorism: Dreams Interrupted."

Fans could not only be influenced because of their devotion to Cusack, the man, but also because of their love for one of the characters he plays,” she told Fox411.

Cooper Lawrence, the author of “Cult of Celebrity” told Fox 411: “The fear isn't that a celebrity will influence someone to do something violent or out of character due to the sheer devotion to the celebrity, the fear is that someone who is already vulnerable, mentally disturbed, already considering something dangerous, may be encouraged to do so if it is advocated by their favorite star,”

Lawrence explained that while celebrities don't make healthy people do things they wouldn't normally do, they could impact someone who is on the fence or mentally unstable.

“John Cusack has to know that his words carry weight because he is an actor beloved by many generations of folks who may not get his humor and might think he is calling for something more sinister. The responsibility is on him to not abuse his fame to influence something negative on the off chance that even one person takes his words to heart,” Lawrence said.

And they complain about our few fringe wack jobs who have made hateful comments, but at least they're not in the position to influence others, like Cusack.

There are those who believe that by saying such vicious things he might start losing fan base. Well, not that I was necessarily a fan, but if I was he lost this one.

We all have the right to free speech and to condemn those whom we find lacking, but we do NOT have the right to incite violence against them. I know many are fed up with Fox News, I have seen the zillion petitions and posts on my personal Facebook page calling for boycotts of Fox News, but I respectfully propose that if they find Fox News so offensive, then turn the dang channel off or switch the TV off. No-one is forcing them to watch Fox News, anymore than anyone is forcing non-liberals to watch Keith Olbermann on MSNBC.

But I suppose as long as celebrities like Cusack have an audience, and a large one at that, they will continue to shove their proverbial feet in their mouths, and mouth off when they should just stick to acting.

"The Conversion Of David Mamet" on Commentary Magazine

There's an interesting article in Commentary Magazine on David Mamet, playwright, screenwriter and director of blockbusters like, GLENGARRY GLENN ROSS, SPEED THE PLOW, THE VERDICT, WAG THE DOG and a slew of others. He's one of the few who has had as celebrated a career on the stage as on the big screen. So when he first came out as an 'anti-liberal' I, along with most everyone else in the entertainment industry, was shocked to say the least. For my part, quite pleasantly. Of course, he wasn't always that way, as he explained in that 2008 article in the Village Voice entitled- David Mamet: Why I Am No Longer A 'Brain-Dead Liberal- an election-season essay'.

The article in Commentary Magazine by Terry Teachout, talks about a new book of essays that Mamet published (and yes, he's still not a liberal)called "Theatre", which apparently marries his new worldview with the world of theatre.

Although Theatre is not so much a political treatise as a professional apologia, it seems likely that those of his colleagues who write about it (to date, most have ignored it completely) will focus on its political aspect, in which they will doubtless find much to outrage them. Indeed, he offers a working definition of theater that is bound to fill the vast majority of his colleagues with horror:

The theatre is a magnificent example of the workings of that particular bulwark of democracy, the free-market economy. It is the most democratic of arts, for if the play does not appeal in its immediate presentation to the imagination or understanding of a sufficient constituency, it is replaced. ... It is the province not of ideologues (whether in the pay of the state and called commissars, or tax subsidized through the university system and called intellectuals) but of show folk trying to make a living.

Conversely, Mamet dismisses state subsidy for the theatrical arts as no more than a means of propping up incompetent “champions of right thinking” whose work would otherwise be incapable of attracting an audience. Such playwrights, he says, are purveyors of politically correct “pseudodramas” that “begin with a conclusion (capitalism, America, men, and so on, are bad) and award the audience for applauding its agreement.” For Mamet, such plays are the opposite of true theater, whose power lies not in its willingness to coddle our preconceptions but its unparalleled ability to shock us into seeing the world as it really is. “In the great drama,” he writes, “we follow a supposedly understood first principle to its astounding and unexpected conclusion. We are pleased to find ourselves able to revise our understanding.”

Read the rest of "The Conversion Of David Mamet" on Commentary Magazine. It's worth the few minutes to see into the mind of an ex-liberal, entertainment industry maverick.

Michael Douglas Refuses To Sign Roman Polanski Cannes Film Fest Petition

Actor Michael Douglas seems to have some sense of integrity, other than his political persuasion which is typical Hollywood. When his son was arrested for drug dealing and sentenced to 5 years in jail, he didn't bitch and moan about the fact, he simply pleaded for leniency. His son could have faced a possible 10 years in prison, but felt the 5 years was an "adequate amount of time." Most celebrity parents would have tried to keep their offspring out of jail completely, but Douglas said

"Look, my son was a drug dealer and he's been trying to kill himself for a while and I can't condone his behavior," Douglas said on the morning show. "So I think the court recognized his drug addiction as well as the crime he committed ... and the best part of it is he will be able to start his life afresh."

Prior to Cameron facing his prison sentence, his father submitted a hand-written letter to the judge, asking him to be lenient with his son. He wrote, "I love my son, but I'm not blind to his actions. ... I don't want to see him break."

He told Lauer, "The fact is, with all the mistakes and the disease that Cameron has, he's a great young man and I wouldn't be supporting him if I didn't feel that way. So yes, I think the judge was put in a difficult position."

Douglas also happens to be one of the few celebrities who has refused to sign a new petition to release convicted child molester Roman Polanski. Last December a slew of entertainment industry celebs signed one. Now there's a new petition, coinciding with the Cannes Film Festival, sponsored by wacky French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy (on his website) once again calling for Polanski's immediate release.

Signatories of the petition include French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard, French actor-director Mathieu Amalric and Cannes best director laureate Bertrand Tavernier.

Douglas, who has a film in the fest, "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps", has also refused to sign this one, claiming in an interview that

it would be "unfair" for him to sign a petition for "somebody who did break the law."

In the interview with RTL radio broadcast on Friday, Douglas said Polanski had been given "some bad advice" when the scandal broke.

There have been others who were willing to buck the Hollywood trend of believing that since it was Roman Polanski it was okay for him to have sex with a 13-year-old girl, but not many. And you have to wonder if those same people who did sign it will still think it's okay that he also sexually abused a 16-year-old girl, in Paris in the 1980s, 4 years after he abused the 13-year-old. That is, if the allegations are true. One does have to wonder what took the woman so long to come forward, but apparently 42-year-old Brit actress Charlotte Lewis claims she is speaking out now because of Polanski's attempts to beat extradition to the U.S. from Switzerland. Her attorney, Gloria Allred has stated that there are no plans for legal action, but that Lewis will testify if needed. The fact that Polanski's "..legal team is portraying his previous offense against a minor as an isolated instance," prompted Lewis to come forth. The woman could be lying, but whether she is or not, still does not justify releasing Polanski. Bottom line is, he sexually abused an underage girl and there are laws against that, even for famous directors.

But Douglas obviously respects the law, and you have to respect him for that. Good for him.

One Of Geico's Voice Over Actors Fired Over Calling Tea Party Members Retarded

First of all, I want to say that not all of us actors are stupid, although admittedly plenty are. And very few are indispensable. Actors are a dime a dozen and when talent rarely factors into the casting process, it's incumbent upon us to mind our Ps & Qs. That's why it's always best to keep your politics to yourself, because you never know which side of the fence those in the position to hire (or fire) you are sitting.

One of the voices of Geico (not the Gecko), Lance Baxter (aka D.C. Douglas) learned the hard way that it's not best to mix politics and work, especially when you are the voice of a well-known, nationwide insurance company. When you represent a product, even if it's just your voice, you're the face (or voice, in this case) of that company, and anything you do reflects on said company. You certainly don't want to make them look bad, and you definitely do not go around acting badly without suffering the consequences. Not necessarily because the company disagrees with your actions, but there are enough people in this country who might and they'll have your ass. Baxter obviously is unaware of that fact or didn't care when he left a nasty message on Freedomworks' voicemail. FreedomWorks, one of the voices of the Tea Party Movement, has had its fair share of hate from bomb threats to racist diatribe including the message from Baxter. In his voicemail, Baxter matter-of-factly tells the FreedomWorks people he's doing a paper and wanted to know "the percentage of people that are mentally retarded who are working for FreedomWorks and who are following it." He then goes on to ask they will "spin it when one of your members does actually kill somebody, wondering if you've got a PR spinning routine planned for that or are you just gonna take it when it happens."

Now this is where Baxter really falls into the 'stupid actor' category: the man actually leaves his name and phone number on the message. If you want to be politically active, or voice your grievances in our business (if you're that pissed) you don't leave a name and number on a voice mail for the whole world to have access to. Anyone could pick up the phone, and leave an equally nasty message for him, though I wouldn't recommend it.

Anyway, as a result of his impetuous actions (or the outrage by Tea Partiers who more than likely flooded the corporate offices with complaints) Geico fired Baxter, and are already re-casting.

At least he admitted what he did was asinine:

"I called as a private citizen to make a complaint," explains Mr. Douglas. "Racism and homophobia are my Achilles heal, but unfortunately my message included inappropriate words and I am sorry for that. However, telling their members to harass my employer to get me fired is an egregiously disproportionate response to my actions."

Mr. Douglas believes his connection to GEICO, a company already on FreedomWorks' boycott list for pulling their ads from Glenn Beck's show, is the main reason he was targeted so forcefully. "Even though I left the message during the week of March 23, the harassing calls didn't hit until April 14, the morning after I posted about my GEICO campaign on my Facebook page."

Interesting comment. Maybe this whole thing was payback for Geico pulling their ads for Glenn Beck, but that's the beauty of this country, it goes both ways. Sad he doesn't see that. And to have lost a job based on some racial and homophobic comments no-one has been able to prove. Very stupid. I think from now on he might just keep his gripes out of a public forum, as all smart actors should

Rest In Peace Ron Silver

Ron Silver, actor and liberal turned conservative died of cancer at the young age of 62. One of the few celebs who had the brains to change after 9/11 and the courage to come out, will be sorely missed.

He wrote a few articles for Pajamas Media explaining his journey.

Rest in peace, Ron.

Mickey Rourke Doesn't Blame Bush!

Well, well, well, is actor Mickey Rourke a closet Republican? I had no idea, but one has to wonder.


In an interview with Britain's GQ Magazine, he shared the following:

"President Bush was in the wrong place at the wrong time, I don't know how anyone could have handled this situation.......... I don't give a f**k who's in office, Bush or whoever, there is no simple solution to this problem... I'm not one of those who blames Bush for everything. This s**t between Christians and Muslims goes back to the Crusades, doesn't it. .....It's too easy to blame everything on one guy. These are unpredictable, dangerous times, and I don't think that anyone really knows quite what to do."

He also mentioned how surprised he was at Britain's acceptance of Islamic fundamentalism:

"I was in London recently and I couldn't believe all these hate-talking fanatics you have over here who are allowed to carry on doing their thing even when a bus full of women and children gets blown to pieces.

"I know you've deported one or two of them, but it seems crazy. I think there is worse to come, something terrible will happen to either America or the U.K., or France even. I don't think these fundamentalists should be allowed to talk all this crap, and brainwashing these young kids."

You certainly have to give him credit. When most everyone, these days, is hyper-critical of G.W. Bush's 8 year's in office, bad-boy Mickey has the guts to come out and admit he actually sympathises with the President, and doesn't blame him for all the ills in the world.

What a nice surprise this was!

Welcome to the fold, Mickey!

David Mamet Abandons 'Brain-Dead" Liberal Fold

As is all too painfully apparent, most people in the entertainment industry are traditionally ultra left. We are often treated to vitriolic rants by the Hollywood elite regarding how hateful this country is, how fractured and vile we are as Americans. And although, admittedly, we are far from perfect, we are not the pariahs the libs frequently make us out to be. So, when someone in the movie biz abandons the liberal fold, and deigns to make it publicly known, it is cause for much celebration for those of us who ditched it long ago, or who never embraced it to begin with. Those of us cowering in the fringes, fearful of openly acknowledging our non-liberalness, other than in venues like this (where we can remain in relative anonymity), we raise our hands in grateful praise. Hallelujah! Another one has finally seen the light.

It's not often, but every once in a while a notable celebrity will quietly reveal his conservative bent, or admit this country 'aint half as bad as the ultra-libs seem to think it is. David Mamet, acclaimed playwright, screenwriter, director (GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, THE VERDICT, WAG THE DOG, SPEED-THE-PLOW) is one of those. Though I wouldn't hand him his conservative badge of honour, just yet, he wrote a very interesting article for the Village Voice, recently, entitled: David Mamet: Why I Am No Longer A 'Brain-Dead Liberal- an election-season essay'. His words, not mine.

"I took the liberal view for many decades, but I believe I have changed my mind. As a child of the '60s, I accepted as an article of faith that
government is corrupt, that business is exploitative, and that people are generally good at heart.These cherished precepts had, over the years, become ingrained as increasingly impracticable prejudices. Why do I say impracticable? Because although I still held these beliefs, I no longer applied them in my life. How do I know? My wife informed me. We were riding along and listening to NPR. I felt my facial muscles tightening, and the words beginning to form in my mind: Shut the fuck up. "?" she prompted. And her terse, elegant summation, as always, awakened me to a deeper truth: I had been listening to NPR and reading
various organs of national opinion for years, wonder and rage contending for pride of place. Further: I found I had been—rather charmingly, I thought—referring to myself for years as "a brain-dead liberal," and to NPR as "National Palestinian Radio."

It's a brilliant, wonderfully revelatory dissertation on how he came to terms with his more tolerant and accepting conservative side. He talks about how he came to realize that the faults of President George W. Bush were no different than the faults of President John F. Kennedy, whom he happened to revere. He talks about class, but how unlike the Marxist view, the U.S. class system is not static. The poor can rise from the depths of poverty and make something of their lives, whilst the rich and powerful can fall.

It's a fascinating 5 pages of the inner workings of an ex-lib, and well worth the read.

Let's hope more in my industry, and other traditionally liberal fields, find their way to the Truth, as David Mamet has.