The Patriotette from Conservababes has a a great post on the disparity between what Hollywood says and does:

These double standards remind me of what I was thinking about yesterday when I happened to catch "E News Weekend" and saw (liberal) stars enjoying fabulous, expensive, over-the-top lifestyles. Can anyone please explain to me why Republicans are the so-called "party of the rich" when 98% (or more) of celebrities who make $10-20 million a movie are liberals and that's okay? Why is liberal wealth and excess somehow different or...better than a Republican's? Why are they entitled to the debauchery and 15,000 square foot mansions and ultra-expensive, custom automobiles, and a Republican is scoffed at for being "wealthy"? (even though a lot of us are middle-class hard working people...FAR from "wealthy")

And don't tell me that liberals are better philanthropists. That it makes it okay for them to revel in their wealth while making fun of a Republican's success. Republicans are just as generous - if not more. However, the difference is that Republicans believe in "teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime" instead of the liberals' "give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day". So we're seen as hard-hearted because we believe people should help themselves and not depend on government handouts?

The truth of the matter is that the Hollywood left doesn't exploit Middle America. That is what they honestly believe. When I have to pay 9.50 for a movie ticket, I tend to disagree. I think this may also explain the box office success of The Passion of the Christ. Here was a powerfull film, beautifully made, and shunned by the Left. It ended up making almost $371 million dollars. At its current pace at the box office, Brokeback Mountain would have to continue to rake in the amount it has made in the past two weeks (about $10 million), for another 33 weeks. It isn't going to happen.

I don't mean to imply that Hollywood should pander to Middle America. If they consentrated on making good movies, without an obvious agenda, this rift would be a lot less noticeable.

Posted by Ryan S. on Sunday, January 29, 2006 at 2:02 PM | Permalink |