Actors fear backlash

[Wheezer]

Pays to think before you speak

Basically what I get out of this is that all these actors and actresses to not want the public to turn thier backs on them because of how they feel about the war.

They fear another era of McCarthyism....bullsh!t...what they fear is being unemployed. Well I hate to break it to them but simply because they are in positions to reach millions of people it does not mean that everyone is going to agree with them just because of who they are. Sure they have a right to voice concerns, as long as they are willing to face the consequences.

 

[Spoooon]

Heh, their fears of a return of McCarthyism are unfounded. The government won't blacklist anyone. The public, by not spending their dollars on movies with actors they don't care for, is another matter.

 

[Tiger]

I think Martin Sheen is actually beginning to believe he is the President.
These people don't seem to realize that 10-15 million people watch their shows every week. In this country that means there's another 275M who aren't.
Why are these dolts opinions being taken as gospel?
99% of them don't have a damn clue what the hell their talking about and I'm convinced use it as a publicity ploy.

Don't stop watching their programs. Stop buying the products advertised on their programs. They get paid with advertising dollars. No advertisers, No paycheck. Cha-Ching!

 

[gooseman]

They should fear backlash. They need to keep their collective mouths shut(although I certainly believe they have a right to express their opinions) and make movies and TV shows and leave the politics up to the people that were voted into office. If we wanted them to handle our foreign affairs, we would have voted for them!

 

[Tom]

I don't agree with Chuck Heston's political views, but I think he's a fine actor and I don't let it interfere with my enjoyment of his professional work.

 

[Nemesis77]

Originally posted by: gooseman
They should fear backlash. They need to keep their collective mouths shut(although I certainly believe they have a right to express their opinions) and make movies and TV shows and leave the politics up to the people that were voted into office.

Yep, regural people can't comment on the policies of their government! That's the way it should be! Politicians should just do their work, and if regural people disagree with them, they should just shut up!

I mean, that policy seems to work in China, so it should work in USA as well. Right?

 

[tcsenter]

Heh, their fears of a return of McCarthyism are unfounded. The government won't blacklist anyone. The public, by not spending their dollars on movies with actors they don't care for, is another matter.

Exactly. McCarthy's error was commandeering the authority and power of government to intimidate and marginalize communists. That was the real grievance.

However, private individuals, corporations, and associations can marginalize communists all they want.

Same here, but with knee-jerk antiwar reactionaries and ideologues.

Actually, its a bit of an absurd charge to make anyway, everyone knows that Hollywood is a leftist and liberal bastion where it is FAR more likely that one would be 'black listed', socially or professionally ostracized for espousing support for conservative views than for parroting the leftist cause du jour.

 

[jaeger66]

Please. This supposed avalanche of hate mail is being generated by 5 people in southern Alabama. Anyone with 2 brain cells to rub together knows that the right to express your opinions without fear of retribution is why this country is worth fighting for in the first place.

 

[slikmunks]

i fear backlash

 

[Dark54555]

Originally posted by: Wheezer
Pays to think before you speak

Basically what I get out of this is that all these actors and actresses to not want the public to turn thier backs on them because of how they feel about the war.

They fear another era of McCarthyism....bullsh!t...what they fear is being unemployed. Well I hate to break it to them but simply because they are in positions to reach millions of people it does not mean that everyone is going to agree with them just because of who they are. Sure they have a right to voice concerns, as long as they are willing to face the consequences.

like they'd lose their jobs...the only death sentence in the entertainment industry is saying you're not a liberal.

 

[slikmunks]

Originally posted by: jaeger66
Please. This supposed avalanche of hate mail is being generated by 5 people in southern Alabama. Anyone with 2 brain cells to rub together knows that the right to express your opinions without fear of retribution is why this country is worth fighting for in the first place.

sure, and this is all too apparent in the media, where pretty much everything is censored out, and people have to go through a sh!tload of trouble to say what they want to say b/c if they do say it, they'll offend too many advertisors, or supporters and will lose funding and stuff

 

[Dark54555]

Originally posted by: Nemesis77

Originally posted by: gooseman
They should fear backlash. They need to keep their collective mouths shut(although I certainly believe they have a right to express their opinions) and make movies and TV shows and leave the politics up to the people that were voted into office.

Yep, regural people can't comment on the policies of their government! That's the way it should be! Politicians should just do their work, and if regural people disagree with them, they should just shut up!

I mean, that policy seems to work in China, so it should work in USA as well. Right?

if you're in the public eye, you have to be more tactful about what to say and when. Remember when people got booed off stage after 9/11 for preaching peace?

 

[jaeger66]

Originally posted by: slikmunks


sure, and this is all too apparent in the media, where pretty much everything is censored out, and people have to go through a sh!tload of trouble to say what they want to say b/c if they do say it, they'll offend too many advertisors, or supporters and will lose funding and stuff

People with nothing better to do than sit in their trailers and write letters to NBC aren't a real hot demographic with the advertisers.

 

[tcsenter]

Please. This supposed avalanche of hate mail is being generated by 5 people in southern Alabama. Anyone with 2 brain cells to rub together knows that the right to express your opinions without fear of retribution is why this country is worth fighting for in the first place

Really? You really think its five people in southern Alabama and not the, oh, say...50% - 70% of the American public which, depending on what poll or weekly fluctuation you want to cite, DO NOT agree with fruity Hollywood's far-flung views?

Yeah, you're probably right, five people in southern Alabama.

 

[jaeger66]

Originally posted by: tcsenter
Really? You really think its five people in southern Alabama and not the, oh, say...50% - 70% of the American public which, depending on what poll or weekly fluctuation you want to cite, DO NOT agree with fruity Hollywood's far-flung views?

Yeah, you're probably right, five people in southern Alabama.

Whether it really is 5 people or whether I was using hyperbole to indicate "statistically insignificant", the point is the same. The number of people who care enough one way or the other to let it influence their TV watching habits will not make a difference. Besides, anyone who thinks California is just liberals, commies, and atheists isn't watching prime time TV anyway; they've probably got every show blocked except American Shooter and the 700 Club.

 

[Mookow]

Originally posted by: Nemesis77

Originally posted by: gooseman
They should fear backlash. They need to keep their collective mouths shut(although I certainly believe they have a right to express their opinions) and make movies and TV shows and leave the politics up to the people that were voted into office.

Yep, regural people can't comment on the policies of their government! That's the way it should be! Politicians should just do their work, and if regural people disagree with them, they should just shut up!

I mean, that policy seems to work in China, so it should work in USA as well. Right?

They can comment all they want in regards to almost any subject they want (the line does get drawn when someone tries "performance art", and for a "work" of their "art" they yell "fire" in a crowded public place with limited exit points). That is their right. Much like it is the right of every other citizen in this country to decide whether they want a certain TV show/movie/play.

Lets look at it another way. Lets say I am a highly visible person working in the private sector. To be specfic, I'm an actor. I make it known that I have a certain belief. This belief is that all dark haired people are the "mud people" and the result of Eve and Satan having sex (or something like that, I never cared to research the beliefs of white supremacists enough to make sure I'm staying parallel here). Anyway, a certain percentage of America believes the same way I do, the rest thinks I'm a crackhead. Producers believe that me starring in a production will not attract as many people as someone else. I dont get the roles I used to get, and I dont get the $$$ I used to get, either. Is this wrong? No. The government isnt blacklisting anyone here. But, if producers decide that they would rather hire someone else, due in part to either a) their personal views on my beliefs or b) they think my involvement in a production will hurt its ability to make money, that's THEIR right. As long as the government isnt telling anyone who they can and can't hire based on their beliefs, its just how the system works. The actors express their opinions on the news and at rallies. The viewers express their opinions in letters, and then they express them with their wallets.

Oh, I know you're from a foreign country so this isnt nit-picking or condescending, but "regular" was misspelled twice in your post. Just an FYI

 

[tcsenter]

Besides, anyone who thinks California is just liberals, commies, and atheists isn't watching prime time TV anyway; they've probably got every show blocked except American Shooter and the 700 Club.

Hell I've seen more 4x4 trucks, cowboy hats, cowboy boots, John Deer tractors, and country music radio station stickers since moving to California than I ever saw in the heart of Michigan's agricultural belt. I'm talking domestic full-sized car-crushing 4x4 trucks with mudders.

Of course, that I'm in San Joaquin County, situated near some of the most fertile farming land in the nation has something to do with it.

But really, we're talking about Hollywood the industry, and its respective socialite 'cliques', not California.

 

[Nemesis77]

Originally posted by: Mookow

Originally posted by: Nemesis77

Originally posted by: gooseman
They should fear backlash. They need to keep their collective mouths shut(although I certainly believe they have a right to express their opinions) and make movies and TV shows and leave the politics up to the people that were voted into office.

Yep, regural people can't comment on the policies of their government! That's the way it should be! Politicians should just do their work, and if regural people disagree with them, they should just shut up!

I mean, that policy seems to work in China, so it should work in USA as well. Right?

They can comment all they want in regards to almost any subject they want (the line does get drawn when someone tries "performance art", and for a "work" of their "art" they yell "fire" in a crowded public place with limited exit points). That is their right. Much like it is the right of every other citizen in this country to decide whether they want a certain TV show/movie/play.

I'm not saying that regular people should not boycott their movies. They have that right. I was merely commenting on the part that said "They should keep their collective mouths shut and let politicians do their job!". No, they should not keep their mouths shut, regardless if they are anti- or pro-war. People have the right to express their opinions, even if they differ from the opinions of the government, and even if the people expressing those opinions are celebrities. In China you are not allowed to question the government, and I would hate to see US become something similar.

Oh, I know you're from a foreign country so this isnt nit-picking or condescending, but "regular" was misspelled twice in your post. Just an FYI

Thanks for the tip, I'll try to fix it in the future 🙂.

 

[jaeger66]

Originally posted by: tcsenter

Hell I've seen more 4x4 trucks, cowboy hats, cowboy boots, and John Deer tractors since moving to California than I ever saw in the heart of Michigan's agricultural belt. I'm talking domestic full-sized car-crushing 4x4 trucks with mudders.

Of course, that I'm in San Joaquin County, situated near some of the most fertile farming land in the nation has something to do with it.

But really, we're talking about Hollywood the industry, not California.

The bottom line is that the biggest consumers of passive entertainment are too apathetic to let politics interfere with their enjoyment. "Vote with your dollars" is a popular mantra, but reality is that these types of backlashes fizzle out as fast as they started. If a show is entertaining, people will watch it.

 

[Mookow]

Originally posted by: Nemesis77

Originally posted by: Mookow

Originally posted by: Nemesis77

Originally posted by: gooseman
They should fear backlash. They need to keep their collective mouths shut(although I certainly believe they have a right to express their opinions) and make movies and TV shows and leave the politics up to the people that were voted into office.

Yep, regural people can't comment on the policies of their government! That's the way it should be! Politicians should just do their work, and if regural people disagree with them, they should just shut up!

I mean, that policy seems to work in China, so it should work in USA as well. Right?

They can comment all they want in regards to almost any subject they want (the line does get drawn when someone tries "performance art", and for a "work" of their "art" they yell "fire" in a crowded public place with limited exit points). That is their right. Much like it is the right of every other citizen in this country to decide whether they want a certain TV show/movie/play.

I'm not saying that regular people should not boycott their movies. They have that right. I was merely commenting on the part that said "They should keep their collective mouths shut and let politicians do their job!". No, they should not keep their mouths shut, regardless if they are anti- or pro-war. People have the right to express their opinions, even if they differ from the opinions of the government, and even if the people expressing those opinions are celebrities. In China you are not allowed to question the government, and I would hate to see US become something similar.

Oh, I know you're from a foreign country so this isnt nit-picking or condescending, but "regular" was misspelled twice in your post. Just an FYI

Thanks for the tip, I'll try to fix it in the future 🙂.

Depends on how you want to read gooseman's post. You could break it down to:
1.) The have the right to their opinion: "I certainly believe they have a right to express their opinions"
2.) However, professionally, they have much to lose by voicing unpopular opinions, and it is going to hurt their careers to do so: "They should fear backlash. (emphasis mine)"
3.) It is in their best interest, and it is my opinion, that they should just make their movies and not annoy me with their hippie crap. OK, I put a few words into his mouth there with the "not annoy me with their hippie crap" part, but you can hopefully see this conclusion being drawn from the post, too.

OTOH, gooseman could have meant it as "only people that are elected should talk about politics to the public".

In my personal opinion, I wish they would keep their mouths shut, due to the fact their "no blood for oil" and "make friends, not enemies" slogans do nothing to further intelligent discussion on the subject, but do further more idiots at my campus into holding "books, not bombs" walkouts (from classes), which, oddly enough, only hurt their acedemic abilities, as they are missing lectures.

The point is, people read into words the message they want to see in them. Which is why people here in the USA think that the 2nd Amendment was tacked onto the Constitution to ensure that states could form a militia, and has no bearing on the individual rights of citizens. But thats another flamefest... um, I mean, thread.

 

[tcsenter]

The bottom line is that the biggest consumers of passive entertainment are too apathetic to let politics interfere with their enjoyment. "Vote with your dollars" is a popular mantra, but reality is that these types of backlashes fizzle out as fast as they started. If a show is entertaining, people will watch it.

Ah, ok, so that's the way you want it?

If what you really meant to say was: 'the reality is that these types of backlashes fizzle out as fast as they started. If a show is entertaining, people will watch it.'

Why the commentary about 'five people from southern Alabama' and California's 'commies, liberals, and atheists'?

Seems like an awfully inefficient and excessive use of words for such a small point. Why use 100 words when 10 will suffice?

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Originally posted by: Mookow

Originally posted by: Nemesis77

Originally posted by: Mookow

Originally posted by: Nemesis77

Originally posted by: gooseman
They should fear backlash. They need to keep their collective mouths shut(although I certainly believe they have a right to express their opinions) and make movies and TV shows and leave the politics up to the people that were voted into office.

Yep, regural people can't comment on the policies of their government! That's the way it should be! Politicians should just do their work, and if regural people disagree with them, they should just shut up!

I mean, that policy seems to work in China, so it should work in USA as well. Right?

They can comment all they want in regards to almost any subject they want (the line does get drawn when someone tries "performance art", and for a "work" of their "art" they yell "fire" in a crowded public place with limited exit points). That is their right. Much like it is the right of every other citizen in this country to decide whether they want a certain TV show/movie/play.

I'm not saying that regular people should not boycott their movies. They have that right. I was merely commenting on the part that said "They should keep their collective mouths shut and let politicians do their job!". No, they should not keep their mouths shut, regardless if they are anti- or pro-war. People have the right to express their opinions, even if they differ from the opinions of the government, and even if the people expressing those opinions are celebrities. In China you are not allowed to question the government, and I would hate to see US become something similar.

Oh, I know you're from a foreign country so this isnt nit-picking or condescending, but "regular" was misspelled twice in your post. Just an FYI

Thanks for the tip, I'll try to fix it in the future 🙂.

Depends on how you want to read gooseman's post. You could break it down to:
1.) The have the right to their opinion: "I certainly believe they have a right to express their opinions"
2.) However, professionally, they have much to lose by voicing unpopular opinions, and it is going to hurt their careers to do so: "They should fear backlash. (emphasis mine)"
3.) It is in their best interest, and it is my opinion, that they should just make their movies and not annoy me with their hippie crap. OK, I put a few words into his mouth there with the "not annoy me with their hippie crap" part, but you can hopefully see this conclusion being drawn from the post, too.

OTOH, gooseman could have meant it as "only people that are elected should talk about politics to the public".

In my personal opinion, I wish they would keep their mouths shut, due to the fact their "no blood for oil" and "make friends, not enemies" slogans do nothing to further intelligent discussion on the subject, but do further more idiots at my campus into holding "books, not bombs" walkouts (from classes), which, oddly enough, only hurt their acedemic abilities, as they are missing lectures.

The point is, people read into words the message they want to see in them. Which is why people here in the USA think that the 2nd Amendment was tacked onto the Constitution to ensure that states could form a militia, and has no bearing on the individual rights of citizens. But thats another flamefest... um, I mean, thread.

It's their right to voice their opinion, whether they are lowly redneck Republicans or superstars. It's their choice whether they want to say something which may endanger their job, or even their lives.

If there was a Democratic president 99% of the Republicans here would whine about what he'd have for lunch, let alone about his policies. Just cause there is a Republican president does not mean you can't voice a different opinion anymore, although it will endanger your life more than it used to.

 

[Matt]

I wonder why some morons always have to quote the previous post with the new one? Did they forget what they read two secs ago?

On topic: Whatever opinion they have they should be free to express it. If ppl get upset about it, so what. There is always going to be ppl who are upset with whatever opinion you express. The whole principle of democracy is the freedom to express your opinion, right?

Probably going to upset someone...

/Matt

 

[JeffSpicoli]

Funny...SAG is only complaining about the few people who wrote in that the liberal loudmouths abusing their professional stage should be fired (e.g. McCarthyism). Yet they have successfully lumped in to the issue that many people would like to boycott movies and albums because of their unprofessional public stand. A boycott or demonstration is an exercise of the same rights that these actors are using to express their views at the expense of some unrelated entertainment vehicle (e.g. The Grammys).

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Originally posted by: Matt
I wonder why some morons always have to quote the previous post with the new one? Did they forget what they read two secs ago?

On topic: Whatever opinion they have they should be free to express it. If ppl get upset about it, so what. There is always going to be ppl who are upset with whatever opinion you express. The whole principle of democracy is the freedom to express your opinion, right?

Probably going to upset someone...

/Matt

If there are 2 other posts in between and you post 'You are a moron!' or something as reply, the people from the other 2 posts may take offense. Quoting is to make clear what it is an answer to, and so people don't have to scroll back to search for the original post(s).