There are Liberals in Hollywood? Who'd a Thunk It
This article about TV executives and producers caught on tape admitting they use their shows to push their own liberal agendas was sent to me by our own Mollie Hemingway, wondering if darling Rob and I had a particular take on it.
Well my first take is: Duh! If you don't think there's a liberal agenda (and I'm talking about scripted entertainment programs, let's leave news aside) then you haven't ever watched TV. Try "The Good Wife" for a current libby policy push. And for social agendas? One word: "Glee."
Nothing said in these clips, really promotions for a new book by one Ben Shapiro, is that great of a revelation. But what is left unsaid is. Susan Harris, who created "Golden Girls," says America must be getting smarter because we elected Barack Obama. Only a woman who rarely leaves her $20 million dollar home in Malibu could think most Americans are better off today under Barack.
As for whether Hollywood discriminates against hiring conservatives -- that I can speak to. It's not an overt discrimination. It's subtle. I mean, no one with any brains goes into any job interview wearing a Sarah Palin hat...except maybe at a gun shop...so in blind hires everyone just assumes you're a liberal, because, well, no conservative could be smart enough to write comedy. Right? But it's like high school, these Hollywood people. If you don't frequent the same fundraisers, give to the same candidates, bash the same Bushes, you're not seen. And sometimes those connections pay off. Besides most writer-producers hire their friends. And most liberals only know liberals. Which doesn't make them very liberal at all.
Personally, I've not experienced conservative discrimination...at least not knowingly. One, because for my prime working years, I was a misguided liberal; and two, for my later years I was so thankful to have a job, I decided to keep my head down. But I do know someone who has...
When I had a pilot in production a few years ago I was paired with a super-libby, one-worlder executive producer who was nonetheless a pretty talented guy. When I said I'd like to bring my friend Rob Long on board to punch-up the script, he looked at me and said, "The guy who does the conservative stuff on NPR? Not a fan."
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Re: There are Liberals in Hollywood? Who'd a Thunk It
Wait, really? Really? A guy said that he wasn't a fan because of the conservative stuff I've done on NPR? What's weird about that is that I've only done maybe 3 or 4 things on NPR that could be considered conservative. That guy must listen to NPR pretty religiously to have heard them.
Oh, right. Of course he does. That's what they do.
I'm posting about this myself, Denise, because it really does suggest that all along I've been a naive kind of Pollyanna about this issue. I've always maintained that on balance my politics have never really hurt me in this business.
Have I been wrong?
And if so, whom do I sue? Because I really really really want to sue somebody.
I mean, that's what they'd do.
Re: There are Liberals in Hollywood? Who'd a Thunk It
Problem is, Rob, if you went to him he'd just say he wasn't a fan of your writing...and do you really want that?
Re: There are Liberals in Hollywood? Who'd a Thunk It
Hmmm. Good point. On the other hand, that's at least a taste question.
Re: There are Liberals in Hollywood? Who'd a Thunk It
I have to say I'm much more militant than you guys. Of course there's a blacklist - half the time they don't even know they're doing it. And of course we should shout about it, write books about it and ultimately break it. The culture matters. We need to create new paradigms, say the unsayable, write heroes who are openly, outspokenly pro-American and conservative, make the good-guy politician the one who crushes the stupid new program to help the sad-eyed child instead of the other way around... and so on. We shouldn't say "Duh," we should say... well, I can't say what we should say and remain a gentleman. But we should say it, often and loudly. We're right and they're wrong, why shouldn't our movies, books and TV shows reflect that?
That said, I wouldn't work with Rob either. Something shifty about him.
Edited on Jun 1, 2011 at 6:07pmRe: There are Liberals in Hollywood? Who'd a Thunk It
One of my best friends and her husband are in the business. At their wedding, I met a bunch of lovely and wonderful guests who asked me where I was from and what I did (Washington, D.C., write about religion) and this led to many conversations about politics and religion. They were great conversations but I was struck by the presumption that I must be an orthodox liberal and an unorthodox believer -- neither of which are true.
May '10
Re: There are Liberals in Hollywood? Who'd a Thunk It
One never knows what's said in meetings we're not privy to. I know I lost some jobs after I told an associate producer that not everyone appreciated his Bush-bashing week after week. (It was a sports package for God's sake... there's so little of the political there.)
Re: There are Liberals in Hollywood? Who'd a Thunk It
It's interesting to me that, while I'm more or less untouchable because I'm part of a hugely successful show, I would never use my Wheel platform to proselytize.
Edited on Jun 1, 2011 at 7:41pmOct '10
Re: There are Liberals in Hollywood? Who'd a Thunk It
Pat Sajak: It's interesting to me that, while I'm more or less untouchable because I'm part of a hugely successful show, I would never use my Wheel platform to proselytize. · Jun 1 at 7:31pm
Edited on Jun 01 at 07:41 pm
C'mon Pat, no one will notice if you slip in a few subtle ones.
WH_ _ G_N_ AR_ O_ _ LAW_ _, ON_ _ O_ _ LAW_ W_ LL HA _ _ G_N _.
30 seconds, MSM, and remember, we're looking for a truism.
Edited on Jun 1, 2011 at 8:04pmSep '10
Re: There are Liberals in Hollywood? Who'd a Thunk It
There are two types of people in the world: those who believe there are two types of people in the world and those who don't.
Nov '10
Re: There are Liberals in Hollywood? Who'd a Thunk It
This is (obviously) mostly a contributor discussion, since, apart from EJ Hill, most of us know nothing of Hollywood from the inside. But speaking from the outside, I think Andrew is right.
Leslie Watkins and I finally met this week, and we were talking about how very much media bias does matter. She was actually focusing on the news media, but I think it clearly matters in entertainment as well. So many people we know simply adopt the line fed to them by the sources they read and watch on TV. The Left knows it; that's why they work so hard to control it. We need to acknowledge this and work just as hard to disseminate our views.
Nov '10
Re: There are Liberals in Hollywood? Who'd a Thunk It
On the one hand I like and respect that principle. On the other hand I notice that the Left has no such scruples.
Nov '10
Re: There are Liberals in Hollywood? Who'd a Thunk It
Speaking as someone who brought Rob in to punch up a pilot recently, I wholeheartedly endorse Denise's producer's decision to exclude Rob from a room. Everything was humming along nicely until you showed up, pal.
(For the record, I'm 100% kidding. The blame for our ill-fated pilot falls entirely upon the network's Byzantine decision making process. Rob was every bit the consummate pro we knew he'd be when we brought him in.)
Speaking for myself, I suspect that my crappy list of credits has done far more to "blackball" me than my politics ever could. That said, I have noticed a phenomenon that is perfectly illustrated by Denise's story re: Rob's NPR show. In short, you can be to the left of Bernie Sanders in Hollywood and no one will care. Or if even notice they'll just say, "Wow. He's really passionate" or something. But if you're anywhere to the right of Bill Clinton your politics essentially define who you are. You're "that conservative guy." It's the first thing everyone thinks of when your name comes up. It's your brand, and you're stuck with it.