Kissing Up to Hollywood

People like Sen. Joe Lieberman (D/R-CT) have been joining in the general discourse to denounce Hollywood for years as a moral snakepit. Too violent. Too flaky. Too promiscuous. In the wake of the 2004 “moral victory” of George Bush, more and more Democrats are wondering publicly if it’s not time to blow up the likes of Michael Moore, Susan Sarandon, Barbra Streisand, and the rest of the Tinseltown crowd a lá “Team America: World Police.” (Never mind that Moore’s not based in Hollywood.) No more kissing up to Hollywood.

Kiss up to Hollywood? Why not kiss up to Hollywood? There are some very pretty people there (not necessarily in the actual Hollywood — that seems to be full of drug addicts and prositutes — but in Hollywood the industry) whatever your persuasion.

The whole Hollywood distancing thing smacks to me of allowing Republicans to define the media as “liberal.” After all, Ronald Reagan, the most popular Republican president in recent history was an actor with a problematic family life. Their rising star, Arnie, has made some of the most violent popular movies of all time. Staunchly conservative Catholic Mel Gibson: ditto. Dennis Miller: unfunny comic, conservative talk show host, and the “star” of “Bordello of Blood.” Need I mention Charlton Heston?

American Movie Classics ran a special before election day about conservatives in Tinseltown called “Rated R: Republicans in Hollywood”, whic repeats at the end of December.

The more Democrats pretend Hollywood has nothing to do with them, the more Republicans are going to own that turf, too. The more Democrats think they have to turn their backs or at least pretend they turn their backs, the more Republicans can make inroads into the ranks of actors and writers and producers. It’s not like they’re not already there, people in Hollywood are just like people all across the country. If Democrats can be persuaded to repudiate the movie industry, it won’t be more than an election cycle before they find out that Republicans are more than happy to use Hollywood publicity juggernauts in their own favor to win elections and aren’t ashamed to exert pressure to make sure the only outspoken voices are on their own side.