The "Actor-Vist" Backlash
By Ron Marr (04/23/03)
It comes as no surprise that those in the entertainment industry oppose virtually all legislative proposals and direct action pursued by the Bush administration. The reason is simple; entertainers not only detest reality, they don't truly believe in its existence. This is not a conscious choice or informed decision, for actors actresses, singers, dancers, sports figures and talk show hosts (as well as many of the back stage folk who make their performances possible) have never operated in an environment that demanded logic as a priority.
Why should they? These are people whose lives revolve around creating illusion. The successful ones are surrounded by yes-men who tell them everything they wish to hear. The unsuccessful ones follow the lead of their heroes with unflinching loyalty to ridiculous causes.
Face it. If you are trained from an early age to work in a fantasy world - living, eating, breathing and sleeping fictional scenarios which bring you wealth and adulation - the harsh light of reality will offend your eyes. Heck, you'll be frightened, confused and angry. Your attempts to deny what is, to degrade truth over what you wish to be true, will border on lunacy. Though you lack the real-world expertise to speak with intelligence, you will speak anyway, squealing ever louder if collective approval is not forthcoming.
Enter Tim Robbins. He's an actor. He's an activist. Henceforth, lets just label him and his Hollywood ilk as "actor-vists."
Robbins has been one of the most vocal opponents of George Bush, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and conservatism as a whole. I think he is the common-law-husband (their phrase is "life partner") of fellow "actor-vist" Susan Sarandon. His recent words claiming the theft of "free speech" have left many speechless.
"Basic inalienable rights, due process, the sanctity of the home have been quickly compromised in a climate of fear," said Robbins, who labeled the US a "rogue state." "Our ability to disagree and our inherent right to criticize our leaders and question their actions define who we are. In this time when a citizenry applauds the liberation of a country as it lives in fear of its own freedom, when people all over the country fear reprisal if they use the right of free speech, it is time to get angry."
Blah, blah, blah. My question to Robbins is this. How could your speech be any more free than it is? Were you incarcerated for the above statements? Did men in black come knocking on your door? Are you in the gulag?
The answer would be no. What angers Robbins and his pals is that they are suffering repercussions for their words. NOT from the government, but from an American public who disagrees. Liberal actors are paying through the wallet, meeting with widespread disdain. It's making them crazy.
You see, nothing is worse for an actor than an unhappy audience. This is where the "actor-vist" inability to move beyond the borders of fantasy comes into play. In fantasy-world there is no accountability. Robbins and company can't incorporate that fact, let alone handle it. To them, "free speech" means that everyone shares their vision, reveres their intellect and bravery, heaps them with eternal praise.
Such is the genre of free speech heralded by Saddam Hussein and radical Islam. Always the whining tot, Robbins has in the past physically threatened reporters who wrote of his life. He seems to feel that free speech is ok, as long as people speak in the manner which he deems appropriate. If they dare counter the ultimate wisdom of a Hollywood darling, they should be silenced.
While I doubt Robbins or his fellow "stars" can learn that their diatribes are not sacrosanct, it's immensely gratifying to watch them being taught the lesson. The Dixie Chicks babble, and the private sector responds. Some reports have their record sales down 40%. Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins scream of their stolen rights. Shortly afterwards, the private sector responds. Sarandon's TV movie "Ice Bound" rates in last place behind it's competition for the night "100 years of Hope and Humor...A Tribute to Bob Hope." Madonna releases a new album featuring an anti-Bush video, and the private sector responds. Though it just came out, all indications are that it is bombing.
The "actor-vists" whine about a lack of freedom, and in doing so prove that such freedom exists in abundance. Of course there is a price to be paid; it comes both from the audience and the folks who pay your salary. As one who has been fired nearly a dozen times for championing sometimes unpopular opinions, I could easily explain to the "actor-vists" that rejection is part of the gig. If you feel strongly, than by all means speak. If you are thin-skinned or afraid of the shock waves, then you best keep quiet.
Sorry Robbins...you personally demonstrate that free speech is alive in America. You can say anything you like. But, to demand that people like what you say is the pinnacle of arrogant stupidity.
Get a life, son. Hollywood endings only happen in Hollywood.
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