Asked whether Mr. Affleck, who wasn't available for comment, would suffer any repercussions, Mr. Dowling laughed and alluded to the actor's latest box-office flop "Surviving Christmas."
"Ben Affleck," Robert Dowling, editor in chief of the Hollywood Reporter said, "has more career problems at the moment than his political beliefs."
Now, I don't know about you, but I do still subscribe to the "vote with your feet" theory...or, better yet, "vote with your wallet" theory.
I have sorta been keeping a mental list of all of the Hollywood types that have made outrageous denouncements of President Bush or just outright lied when speaking about him. I also have noted the ones that have slandered GW (along with the rest of us 'fly-over' folks) or gone out and actively worked to oust him:
One can only imagine the despair of the Hollywood stars over the specter of glittery state dinners and policy lunches that could have been had Kerry been elected: Barbra and Moby, Uma Thurman and Viggo Mortensen, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro, Bette Midler and George Clooney. Directed, perhaps, by Rob Reiner and Steven Spielberg.
Who knew "moral values" voters could triumph over production values?
Asked whether outspoken stars might regret their more vitriolic sentiments about the president, Mr. Snyder said he doesn't think there is a risk of backlash.
***My note***: Hold on, Mr. Snyder! that depends on your definition of 'backlash'.....if you are talking about whether or not I will be spending my hard earned dollars to support the lifestyle of those 'outspoken stars' - well, you and they might have a surprise coming.
"My prediction is the political tenor will come down for a little while," the Variety scribe said. "I don't think anyone will say anything wild. Next week, of course, might be different."
Among the most shrill in past months: Jennifer Aniston, the "Friends" actress who called Mr. Bush "a [expletive] idiot." Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who stumped for Mr. Kerry in Oregon and Florida and appeared in an ad for the Democrat on the Internet. Singer John Mellencamp, who described Mr. Bush as "a cheap thug."
Cher also threw her wig in the ring, calling Mr. Bush "stupid and lazy" during a sparsely attended rally at a Miami Beach disco in Florida.
Al Franken is also a loser today; Dennis Miller a winner. Sean Penn, Whoopi Goldberg and Meg Ryan: losers. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ron Silver and Angie Harmon: winners.
Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi lost their full-throated bids to play at an inaugural ball. Larry Gatlin and Brooks & Dunn, call your agents.
Seems to me like these folks jumped on a bandwagon they thought was 'cool' and tried to outdo each other in expressing their hatred for President Bush.
Only trouble is, they didn't consider how those ad hominem attacks would affect us. Add to the list Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Harry Belafonte, Ed Asner, Sean Penn, Madonna...well I will be here all day if I list every one of them. This is a good site and there are more.
There are plenty of hollywood types that I am sure didn't vote for Bush, but I didn't see them rushing to grab the microphone so that we could watch them slime the president.
I realize that my paltry amount that I set aside for 'entertainment' will not make a dent, hell won't make even a ding, in the money these 'stars' rake in - but I will get the satisfaction of knowing that I am not contributing to what I consider a violation of the trust we put in entertainers.
Trust, you say?
Yes - trust. When I buy a ticket to watch an entertainer perform, that is what I expect that I am going to see - a performance. If I wanted to sit through a political debate, that is what I would look for in the local 'Get Out' weekend edition - in the 'political debates playing this weekend' section.
I trust that when an entertainer bills him or herself as that, they are going to make me laugh at their jokes; sing along with the familiar ballads; you get the picture.
In other words, I am going to read the credits more carefully when deciding whether or not to plunk down my cash.
And PLEASE - don't call it reverse blacklisting.
Call it what it is.
It is the 'You Reap What You Sow' factor.
Plain and simple.
DR
