The Hollywood "List" and demonizing of the word "Liberal"

A while back someone posted a list of famous people who are Republicans or lean to the right, the list nor the names are important, what is important is the background of the people on this list. Take for example Ron Silver a New York based actor of Jewish faith. His connection to New York and 9-11 as well as his heritage defines his support of a president who caters to the needs of Israel and feeds of the fears of New Yorkers. The same can be said for Vince Vaughn, a New Yorker. Although not Jewish his support comes from the desire for retribution from 9-11. Names of "action" stars on the list is a more complex issue. They derive their support from the need to have their persona carry over into real life, such as Bruce Willis's attempt to fight in Iraq. It's as if they want to prove to the world they are "true" action hero's, worthy of an Action Figure from Mattel. While this matter may seem trivial to most it has a more heinous consequence, Hollywood has seen "lists" before.

We've all seen it, Bush at the debates tossing the word "liberal" around like it was dirty, Sean Hannity repeating, "the most liberal record of all time", the word is fast becoming the replacement for Communist in certain circles. Some in Hollywood have chosen to distance themselves from it, afraid of being on a "list" of Liberals.

Joe McCarthy, a Senator from Wisconsin once claimed to have such a list. In Wheeling, West Virginia, at the Republican Ladies' Auxiliary Club Dinner in February 1950, the senator from Wisconsin whipped up the crowd when he dramatically waved a sheet of blank typewriter paper over his head and intoned that thereon he held the names of 205 known Reds currently working inside Truman's State Department. The following evening in Salt Lake City the Senator told a similarly enthusiastic gathering that he was hot on the trail of 81 known Communists willingly employed by the Democrats in their State Department. Later, he returned to Washington and confided to overjoyed GOP leaders that he was in pursuit of 57 Communist agents in the State Department. Joe McCarthy was a bumbling drunk during most of his life.

The "Pepsi-Cola-Kid" as he was known by his fellow Senators for taking brides in the controlling of sugar prices was casting about for a sure-fire campaign topic settled on Communism in the state department, just as Bush has grasped the label Liberal.

The climate of fear and anxiety accompanying the growing Cold War rivalry with the now atomically-armed Soviet Union caused many Americans to give credence to any "danger" pointed out to them by an authority figure, such as McCarthy. Which is exactly the same formula George Bush is using to attack Liberals. While it's not Russia and the Cold War, he uses the word terror, and 9-11 in exchange for Communism, Liberal in exchange for Communist. It's this list some in Hollywood are afraid to be on.

The phrase, "McCarthyism" consisted of unsubstantiated charges against a particular individual, then turning the accusations on the challengers, having sufficiently destroyed his original victim's public reputation. Just as Bush and the likes of Fox News has done with John Kerry, throwing the word Liberal at them just as McCarthy did with the word Communist. The ironic part of this story is it took a journalist to stop it, Edward R. Murrow. Will we have our Mr. Murrow?

While we watch the Bush team wave it's blank list of names we must remember, history showed McCarthy to be a drunk, raving lunatic who was censured by Congress. We already know Mr. Bush fits one of those points, will history also prove him to be a raviing lunatic also? George Bush, the new Millennium's McCarthy. Will we have Bush-ism soon?

Michael Harris, and I approve of calling Bush a raving lunitic.

The transformation of "liberal" has been occuring in the nation for the last three decades and really ramped up in the Reagan years as it became clear that the Soviet Union was crumbling.

been around, you're right it has been around the last 3 decades, this time it has a leader like Bush to give it legs. Bush has polorized the media against the liberal label and it's time to show the world that just as McCarthy was proven to be a bumbling drunk Bush also meets the "historical" test of time criteria for blithering, drunken idiot.

MoveOn should run ads over and over with archival footage of McCarthy side by side with Bush footage and the "Liberal" word.

was that Vegas singer (I forget his name - sometimes called Mr. Vegas) saying he wanted to lead the troops in battle in Iraq...

when I read that Bruce Willis tried to enlist I thought, the first time something explodes and gore flies on him and he realizes that it's not Hollywood gore he'll scream like a pre-pubescent teen at a Brittany Spears concert.

I actually watched this interview, it was on Faux News. I just shook my head.

"Asked about Iraq, Newton said 'We have to get Saddam out of there. I would lead the troops if they would let me, but I’ll be there with the USO.'
As for the President, Wayne said 'I get down on my knees every night thanking God we have the right man in the White House.'"

http://www.valleycenter.com/frontpage/10-02-02-E.htm

imagine a unit lead by Fig Newton? He's built like a watermelon. Not my idea of a warrior.

He'd have a heart attack or something on the first day of battle...

or they would have to roll him into battle. Isn't it weird that the most unqualified say they want to go to war while the strongest, and brightest America has to offer actually do the dying? Why 'O' why can't we get the Oreilly's, the Hannity's, the Bush twin's, the freepers, and yes, Fig Newton to lead them do the fighting and save America's best and brightest for our future.

You get down on your knees and commence sucking your supreme leader!

:puke:

for Matthew Broderick mouthing Fig's song in Ferris Beuller or 80 y/o women in JC Penny panties Fig would be outta work.

I'm not 80, but I have been known to buy them at Penneys:P

I wouldn't walk across the street to see WN.

JC Pennys panties, just the ones you can also use to carry groceries in.

Always finding several uses for everything! :)

true, I think at one time my mom prolly used a JC Penny tote/panty and I'm starting to see my wife in the potato sack panty line.

not support their films, etc.

It's weird that Bruce Willis is. He was at the MTV awards show with Sean 'P Diddy' Combs who was very vocal about voting--but more importantly has made it clear does NOT support this administration and wants them to go. So I find it odd Bruce would pal around with someone that goes against his political grain, so to speak.

I also heard that Mandy Mooore was. I attribute her to the whole abortion thing. I kind of excuse her because of her youth, it's kind of easy to see things as black and white at her age.

there is a small portion of the younger ones who are just to be rebelious. I think if they took the time to research the Bush family they would change very quickly.

Some magazine labled her as a Bush supporter, but she quickly fired back that she doesn't support the chimp.

She was also in the movie "Saved," not a very fundie-friendly film.

Ron Silver is no newly formed jerky boy, and whether or not someone is jewish has NO relevance. Jewish or New Yorker or not, to say that either of those things would have any relationship to the point you seem to be trying to make sounds like something from Joseph McCarthy or Billy Graham.
And you want to tell people how (not?) to throw words around?

Or am I thinking of Ron Jeremy and Long-Dong Silver?

I've been seeing this Silver guy on TV lately, and I don't recall seeing ANY film he's been in...

a New York trained actor, once involved in the Democratic Party. He also did a very good film on the Hollywood blacklist before something turned him to the dark side.

But it took me forever to figure out what a Hillary Duff was, too....:-)

Blacklist movie he did but it doesn't come to mind. His recent movies fall into the forgetable made for HBO kinda stuff.

That New Yorkers don't have the right to let 9-11 sway their vote? That someone of Jewish heritage doesn't have the right to vote for a politician who supports Israel over human rights in the middle east? I would really like to know what exactly you find crapful.

My point seemed clear to most, the comparison of Joe McCarthy to Bushes campaign against liberals.

Sorry.

from Pepsi-Cola, he worked in the Senate to fix the price of sugar.

...you mean BRIBES.

thanks

took me all morning to catch that and now it's too late to edit it. Guess I'll play the fool today.

You should just see how these books demonize liberals. You literally wouldn't believe that this stuff is being fed to American children. And now, of course, your tax dollars are paying for it courtesy of vouchers (the DC pilot program). Yes, you really are paying to have your political opinions maligned. Welcome to conservative America.

Are you now or have you ever been a liberal

They are Facsists who worship at Hitler's crotch!!!! They will demonize anyone to the left of Lester Maddox!!!!

:grr:

a "Leave it to Beaver" family from the 50's where everyone bowed to fear. You think any of those fallout shelter companies will make a comeback in Bushes America?

to tell us how to live our lives. That show (Which I HATE) had worse acting then a Mentos Commercial!!!

Wally, Lumpy, or Eddie Haskel doing "tuck and cover" drills in school like I had to. I always believed those drills were meant to keep our ashes in a nice pile for easy clean-up and removal later.