"During other periods of our history when
America had to defend our allies or ourselves, such as World War II,
Hollywood heroes such as
Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Gary Cooper, Glenn Ford, Henry Fonda and Elvis
Presley, Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin among
others, donned our nation’s uniform and served their country with pride.
They put their careers on hold to defend our country and our freedoms."
Buy the companion book on The Passion of the
Christ!
Richard
Gere's quest for spiritual enlightenment has yielded one epiphany: Bush must go.
The longtime disciple of the Dalai Lama took issue with what he sees as Dubya's
faith-based war in Iraq on Tuesday when the actor was honored by the American
Museum of the Moving Image. "One thing I've learned in my life is never to trust anyone who thinks that he
exclusively has God on his side," Gere told a Waldorf-Astoria crowd that
included Denzel Washington, Kim Cattrall, Tim Robbins, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney
and Matthew Modine. "Especially when he's the President of the United States."
Gere told us that testimony before the 9/11 commission shows "there were some
serious mistakes made. Like everyone else in this country, I would just like to
know the truth. ... I think we deserve a regime change."
Earnest actor Ethan Hawke hates
puppet theater - and we don't mean "Avenue Q." The "Taking Lives" star is
joining celebrity hecklers Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins in taking
issue with President Bush's war on terrorism.
"We have a new definition of puppet," Uma Thurman's estranged spouse tells us.
"I would love to see all of Bush's cabinet dismantled."
Hawke also wants to see campaign ads that don't exploit a national tragedy.
"It seems unnerving when somebody tries to use a tragedy for their own political
gain," he rails, referring to Bush's controversial TV ads that incorporated
images of 9/11.
"That tragedy belongs to all of America, regardless of party. I'm sure he's
trying to draw attention to what he thinks was his finest moments of leadership,
but I don't think he did anything remarkable as a leader during that period."
Brian Powell (foreground), Steven M.
Porter in Oscar-winner's political harangue
EMBEDDED Comedy written and directed by Tim Robbins. With members of the L.A. Actors'
Gang. At the Public Theater. ($50, 212-239-6200).
If you or I had sent as slapdash and adolescent a script as "Embedded" to the
Public Theater, the wary literary manager might not even have sent back a
standard rejection letter, lest it invite a correspondence with a writer who was
clearly a crank.
But then you and I are not celebrities.
01-26-04 -
Meryl Streep - Decides
to include bashing the president while accepting award for "Angels in
America."
Alas,
Hollywood-Hero
fans, another illusion shattered. We here at Hollywood-Hero have long been fans of
Meryl Streep's work. One of the most nominated actresses of all times,
Ms. Streep's body of work is truly astounding. She continues to be
nominated for Golden Globes and Oscars and has racked up an impressive film
library of inspired performances.
Up until Sunday
evening, her politics were a secret. No longer. At a time when
she should have been thinking of nothing else other than thanking the people
associated with her film, Angels in America, she decided the timing was
perfect to let out a salvo, demeaning the president and statements made
during the State of the Union address last Tuesday.
Her quote: "I
just want to say that I don't think the two biggest problems in America are
that too many people want to commit their lives to one another till death do
us part, and steroids in sports."
Where is the proper
forum for a comment like that? Not on a stage in Beverly Hills, that's
for sure.
How about where Martin
Sheen was for the weekend?
Alert - We're about to say something nice about Martin Sheen!
Mr. Sheen, a long-time liberal activist, was nominated for a Golden Globe,
last Sunday for his role in The West Wing. Instead, Mr. Sheen was
putting his money where his mouth is and was campaigning for his candidate
of choice, Howard Dean, in New Hampshire. Not just throwing money at
him, not just throwing a party, but actively campaigning for his candidate
both in New Hampshire and previously in Iowa.
We don't agree with
Martin Sheen on anything politically, and we have taken him to task on
numerous occasions for statements we felt were over the line. However, we do
applaud his dedication and willingness to back up his rhetoric with action.
So few of the people in Hollywood who know how to deliver a line, ever, and
I mean EVER, leave their "glass houses" before they throw stones.
As for Ms. Streep,
delivering a throw-away line, desperately trying to make a political point,
did nothing but make her look foolish and tarnished, just a little bit, the
luster she's enjoyed for over 25 years in Hollywood.
As Senator Tom Dashle
would say, "We're deeply saddened and terribly disappointed."
(Spoken with tongue firmly in cheek!)
01-21-04
- We loved
Michelle Malkin's
column on
Gwyneth Paltrow's declaration that America is not the place to raise
children. Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Ms. Paltrow.
01-17-04 - Paltrow - Part Two
It appears Ms. Paltrow
had decided that America is not the place for her. He has decided to
raise her child in
England. She has apparently also
soured on Hollywood.
Ms. Paltrow gets the first Hollywood-Hero
celebrity send off for 2004...she's leaving on a jet plane!
From today's
New York Daily News:
W makes Gwyn blush
Gwyneth Paltrow has jumped on the Bush-wacking bandwagon.
"I think [President] Bush is such an embarrassment to
America. He doesn't take the rest of the world at all into consideration,"
the "Sylvia" star is quoted by the Scottish Daily Record of Glasgow.
"It all seems to be for him and his friends to keep getting richer at the
expense of a nation, at the expense of the environment. It's like a
full-scale assault."
Paltrow might be getting some political persuasion from her new husband,
Chris Martin. At last year's Brit awards, the Coldplay singer said, "We're
all going to die when George Bush has his way."
Meanwhile, Paltrow is hinting she might quit acting once her baby is born
this summer. Asked if being pregnant makes her think about retiring, she
told London's Mirror, "Definitely."
The newlyweds were spotted dining at Da Silvano Friday.
Well, the year is
pretty new and already we have an anti-war anthem, written and sung by
Willie Nelson for the benefit of
Dennis Kucinich
at a concert in Austin, Texas over the weekend.
Here are some of the
lyrics:
What Ever Happened
To Peace On Earth
There's so many things going on in the world
Babies dying
Mothers crying
How much oil is one human life worth
And what ever happened to peace on earth
We believe everything that they tell us
They're gonna' kill us
So we gotta' kill them first
But I remember a commandment
Thou shall not kill
How much is that soldier's life worth
And whatever happened to peace on earth
(Bridge)
And the bewildered herd is still believing
Everything we've been told from our birth
Hell they won't lie to me
Not on my own damn TV
But how much is a liar's word worth
And whatever happened to peace on earth
We here
at Hollywood-Hero
dismiss much of the political rhetoric that emanates from the Hollywood Left
these days, much of it has become tiresome and doesn't say anything new worth
commenting on. However, there have been two exceptions recently that beg a
response.
1)
Ed Asner(Lou Grant), took particular delight in Rush Limbaugh's problems and
said to radio talk show host,
Mike Gallagher,
that "Sean Hannity is next." Mr. Asner denied this comment when confronted
by Sean on his radio program. He out and out lied.
Here's
an excerpt from Mike's encounter with Mr. Asner:
"Mr.
Asner, it's nice to meet you," I began. He gave me a sly smile and returned the
greeting. After some small talk, he asked me what I did for a living. I told him
I was a conservative radio talk host. He let out a big laugh. "I love going
toe-to-toe with you guys," he said. I laughed back.
"I know," I said. "I've seen and heard you with Sean Hannity. Sean's a good
friend of mine and I've enjoyed your exchanges."
Suddenly, he stopped laughing. His eyes narrowed, his smile went away. "Hannity's
next, you know." I had no idea what he was talking about. "What do you mean,
Ed?" "Hannity's next," he repeated. "We're going after him just like we went
after Limbaugh. And you saw what happened to Rush this week, right?"
Conservatives love a good debate and will defend anyone's right to free speech
no matter how specious or contrary. Progressive activists like Mr. Asner,
however, seek to silence or destroy those who disagree with their view of the
world. It's a dangerous time in this country, our traditional values and
history are are under attack from all corners, it's time to let these radicals
know loud and clear, we will not be silenced, we will not be deterred, and we'll
stand up for the values that make this country strong, free and safe.
"The
Bush administration has continued to push a dangerous right-wing agenda which
has included increasing encroachments on civil liberties, particularly with the
questionable and aggressive use of the Patriot Act," Affleck fumed on Tuesday
night when he accepted a Spirit of Liberty award from the People for the
American Way, a liberal political action group, in L.A.
Affleck, who came with Jennifer Lopez, was honored for his work on behalf of
children's rights and voter registration.
"I accept [the award] in the hope that the absurd amount of publicity I received
lately - which, as far as I can tell, is chiefly because I have a pretty fiancée
- might be directed at something more significant."
Affleck, who wrote his own speech, jokingly decried "the dawn of the
Schwarzenegger era in American politics," comparing it with "the fall of the
Roman Empire."
The actor added that he hates the Republican tax cut. Even if "I save a million
bucks," he joked, "the deficit grows like [conservative commentator and gambler]
William Bennett's credit line on a one-armed-bandit bender at Bally's."
Considering Mr. Affleck's penchant lately for choosing bad movie roles (see
Gigli) and the continuing saga of his love life (see Jennifer Lopez), Mr.
Affleck might well start paying more attention to his professional and personal
life than worry about President Bush's tax cut. As to the Patriot Act, his
liberties were well protected when questioned about a threat he allegedly made
in Georgia, the charges were
dropped.
As to Arnold, well, sour grapes in Hollywood is a blood sport. Remember in
Hollywood, "An adulterous, drunken, drug addicted, SUV hating celebrity
with children out of wedlock is the normal and cool in Hollywood, just don't be
a Republican." That's a no-no.
09-29-03 -
In a follow up to last week's
item on the Dixie Chicks; they answer their critics. You can find Natalie
Maine's letter on their
site.
We're not sure what they are attempting to
convey, but the general tone is that they are sick of having to respond to their
own comments. The one little piece of news is the statement that they
can't leave Country Music since Country music left them six months ago.
Ah, well........
09-23-03 - Dixie Chicks to Leave Country Music over
Bush Remarks
The Dixie Chicks want out of the country
music scene, according to comments group member Martie Maguire made to German
magazine, Spiegel. She said, "We don't feel part of the country scene any
longer, it can't be our home any more."
The musician's attitude is reportedly based on the lack of support shown to the
Chicks during the backlash of Natalie Maines' anti-Bush comment to a London
audience earlier this year. Maguire adds, "A few weeks ago, Merle Haggard said a
couple of nice words about us, but that was it. The support we got came from
others, like Bruce Springsteen."
09-22-03 -
Hollywood
Hero
- Hall of Shame Nominee - Martin Sheen
"Every time I cross this border I feel
like I've left the land of lunatics," Sheen said Saturday, adding he was "proud"
of Canada for not entering the Iraq war.
"You are not armed and dangerous. You do not shoot each other. I always feel a
bit more human when I come here."
09-03-03 - Hall of Shame -
Johnny Depp, thankfully, has moved to France,
where he feels much more at home. Unfortunately, it was the largess of the
American people that allowed him to make enough money to live in France in
style, and he's expected back in New York this weekend for the premiere of his
latest film, "Once Upon a Time in Mexico." Just a suggestion, but maybe he
should hold the premiere in France, only show it in France, and let the French
people contribute to his wealth. What do you think?
His latest tirade against
America was published in a German magazine. Here's the story from today's
New York Daily News
Johnny on the spot
Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp is feeling patriotic - about France.
The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star slammed the United States over Iraq in an
interview in the German magazine Stern this week.
"America is dumb, is something like a dumb puppy that has big teeth - that can
bite and hurt you, aggressive," he was quoted as saying.
He said he was delighted when he
saw that French fries had been rechristened "freedom fries" in the U.S.
Capitol canteen.
"Nothing made me happier than when
I read that - grown men and grown women in positions of power in the United
States government," Depp said. "I was ecstatic because they revealed
themselves as idiots."
He said he wants his children -
Lily-Rose, 4, and Jack, 1 - to regard the U.S. "like it's a kind of a toy -
a broken toy, maybe. Investigate a little bit, check it out, get this
feeling and then get out."
Depp lives in France with the French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis,
with whom he has two children.
Continuing
the great Hollywood tradition of bashing America from the safety of other
countries, actor Harrison Ford has now joined the club. According to the
Australian website TheAge.com, Ford launched into a diatribe against America’s
Iraq policy, gun laws, and violent films, while ensconced in Madrid. I wonder
if he’d give the same speech back in the barbaric United States?
At a safe distance from his homeland, veteran Hollywood actor
Harrison Ford launched a broadside at U.S. policy on Iraq, his country's gun
laws, and the film industry for producing ''video games'' for teenagers.
Hollywood-Hero – Commentary on Harrison Ford
Well, there they go again. Harrison Ford is the latest Hollywood star to attack
the Bush Administration and the Iraq war on foreign soil. In Madrid to promote
his latest release “Hollywood Homicide”, he uttered the following:
''I'm very disturbed about the direction American foreign policy is going,''
said Ford, with U.S. post-war casualties having exceeded those during the actual
conflict.
''I think something needs to be done to help alleviate the conditions which have
created a disenfranchised and angry faction in the Middle East.''
''I don't think military intervention is the correct solution. I regret what we
as a country have done so far,'' said Ford.
On gun control: ''I'm very troubled by the proliferation of arms; at the fact so
many people in the United States carry guns. It obviously contributes greatly to
the crime problems we have. I'm sure gun laws should be strengthened in the
United States. I just don't know the correct mechanism.''
This of course, from an
actor who has starred in many films with a gun in his hand.
Hollywood-Hero
mentioned in an op-ed earlier this year in reference to Martin Sheen and his
role as a fictional president on West Wing, how irritating it is that these
people make fortunes acting in movies, portraying characters that are
antithetical to their own belief systems. They seem to have no compunction to
collect a big fat paycheck portraying a character whose political views are far
from their own. Then they take the money and run to the nearest protest, or
nearest microphone, or in Martin Sheen’s case the nearest jail cell, as he seems
to relish getting arrested, and bash this country.
Hollywood-Hero.us
Richard
Gere's quest for spiritual enlightenment has yielded one epiphany: Bush must go.
The longtime disciple of the Dalai Lama took issue with what he sees as Dubya's
faith-based war in Iraq on Tuesday when the actor was honored by the American
Museum of the Moving Image.
Hollywood-Hero
mentioned in an op-ed earlier this year in reference to Martin Sheen and his
role as a fictional president on West Wing, how irritating it is that these
people make fortunes acting in movies, portraying characters that are
antithetical to their own belief systems. They seem to have no compunction to
collect a big fat paycheck portraying a character whose political views are far
from their own. Then they take the money and run to the nearest protest, or
nearest microphone, or in Martin Sheen’s case the nearest jail cell, as he seems
to relish getting arrested, and bash this country.