The Top One Repulsively Conservative Hollywood Moment Of 2011 (So Far)

Andrew Breitbart’s BigHollwood web site is a notoriously puerile destination for Tea Party true believers. It generally doesn’t warrant my attention, but as this is the bottom half of a lazy New Year’s weekend, and a slow news day, I thought I’d waste some time responding to a particularly dimwitted exercise in top ten listing: The Top 10 Repulsively Liberal Hollywood Moments of 2010.

The author is William J. Kelly, a D-list conservative radio host and a failed Republican candidate for comptroller in Illinois (losing the GOP primary by 37 points). His article illustrates why his lack of celebrity is so richly deserved.

Kelly is obviously an intellectual midget with aspirations to kneel before the altar of Limbaugh. It always amuses me to read conservatives like Kelly bashing liberals in Hollywood and the creative community while ignoring their own elbow-rubbing with celebrities. The ultra-rightist magazine Human Events even produced a list of the most irritating liberal celebrities. To which I responded with a list of the most irritating conservative celebrities. On the irritating scale the conservatives win by a landslide. Now they are vying for the “repulsive” title as well.

10. Smallville’s last season. Kelly complains that the program’s new villain is a “conservative radio talk show host taken over by the supernatural forces of hate and fear.” However, that description could fit any number of real conservative radio talk show hosts starting with Glenn Beck and ending with Kelly himself.

9. Kathy Griffin attacks Bristol Palin This entry raises an objection to criticism of the children of politicians. However, Bristol is an adult, and a public figure in her own right, who willingly became a contestant on Dancing With the Stars. It was Bristol’s role on DWTS that Griffin referenced in her comedy routine. Kelly seems to think that the offspring of politicians are off-limits in perpetuity. By his shallow logic we should have refrained from criticizing George W. Bush because his father was a politician.

8. Bristol’s “Dancing with the Stars” success equals Tea Party conspiracy? Anyone who still believes that Bristol’s “success” on DWTS was not the result of Tea Party vote-stuffing is terminally naive. Does Kelly really think that her dance skills were superior to the other contestants? She received amongst the lowest scores week after week. And what is with Kelly’s obsession with Bristol that she rates two items in this list?

7. Hollywood blames Christmas. Kelly says: “Hollywood took a hike on Christmas films in 2010 and the media tried to pin the blame on lack of audience interest.” Kelly just made this up. There is simply no basis for asserting that the media placed universal blame for the absence of holiday-themed films on the audience or anywhere else. To suggest that Hollywood is somehow averse to Christmas movies reveals an ignorance of Hollywood on a massive scale.

6. Maher pushes “Politically Incorrect” witchcraft clip of Christine O’Donnell. Kelly really worked hard on this one. First he lies in saying that O’Donnell’s admission to “dabbling in witchcraft” was “comically stated.” It may have been on a comedy show, but she wasn’t joking and even reiterated the point. Then Kelly goes on to lie about her opponent, Chris Coons, saying that he was let “off the hook” for his book, “The Bearded Marxist.” Except that there was no such book, and the phrase was actually attributed to conservative friends of Coons who made it clear that they were joking. Kelly apparently has a difficult time distinguishing jokes, lies, and reality.

5. Meathead says Tea Party on par with the Nazi Movement. I might have been tempted to give Kelly this one. I do not condone any indiscriminate use of Nazi references that trivialize an all-too-real horror. However, by taking Rob Reiner to task while ignoring the king of Nazi references, Glenn Beck, Kelly discredits his criticism and exposes his outrage as phony and manipulative.

4. PBS censors Tina Fey’s anti-Palin comments at the Kennedy Center Awards. Here’s another for which I nearly sympathized with Kelly. It was indeed unconscionable for PBS to edit Fey’s remarks. But as it turns out, Kelly wasn’t upset with the censorship at all. In fact he justified it and took a swing at Fey for “lowering the bar for future Mark Twain Award recipients.” Do you think that Kelly knows that Mark Twain was a sharp-tongued political satirist who probably would have vigorously applauded Fey’s comments?

3. Obama endorses Comedy Central’s Rally to Restore Sanity. Kelly’s criticism of Obama centers on his praise for civility and common sense. What an outrage! Obama and Stewart should be hanged together. Kelly accuses Obama of “Failing to distinguish comedy from real life.” Kelly may be the last man in America to fail to recognize that satire is a valid form of speech that often informs and enlightens. And Jon Stewart is one of the funniest and most effective satirists on the scene today.

2. Filmmaker Moore posts $20,000 for WikiLeaks’ Assange’s bail. This appears to be a blind, substanceless attack on Michael Moore. Kelly doesn’t explain what’s wrong with Moore posting bail for Assange. He is apparently against it because Moore did it. Perhaps Kelly is against Assange as well, but he doesn’t say so. And if he is, then he is also against free speech and freedom of the press.

1. Whoopi & Joy’s Bill O’Reilly walk-off on “The View.” In a typical right-wing embrace of intolerance and bigotry, Kelly defends Bill O’Reilly for insinuating that all Muslims are terrorists and/or all terrorists are Muslim. And he slams Whoopi and Joy for being sensitive to that overtly prejudicial opinion. In Kelly’s world it is perfectly acceptable to smear people with minority beliefs or opinions as criminals, and to escalate hostilities based on those smears.

Conservatives will be working harder than ever this year to demonstrate their repulsive nature. Kelly is off to a strong start in the race to the bottom, but I wouldn’t put down any bets just yet. After all, Glenn Beck hasn’t taken to the air yet this year and Sarah Palin hasn’t Tweeted or Facebooked since Christmas eve.

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20 thoughts on “The Top One Repulsively Conservative Hollywood Moment Of 2011 (So Far)

  1. I think I may have just invented the Top One list that comes out at the beginning of each year.

  2. Both sides are guilty …this helps no one. Let’s spend more time
    finding solutions instead of creating more craziness. I visited this site to try and be objective. I will never visit it again.
    Please do not delete!

    • If you never visit again how will you know if I deleted your comment or not?

      And, by the way, both sides are NOT guilty. The right is brazenly dishonest. I defy you to come up with examples on the left of lies like death panels, or global warming is a hoax, or net neutrality will stifle free speech. All of these are patently, provably untrue, yet they are disseminated by right-wingers and their media mouthpieces.

      If you were truly objective you would know that. But since you’re never returning to this site you won’t even see this response. That’s another typically right-wing way dealing with the world – preventing any exposure to opposing opinions.

    • Seems like this piece ruffled some feathers here.

  3. Someone visited a site called “News CORPSE” hoping for objectivity? Yeah that’s not Poe.

    I like the idea that something can be “repulsively liberal”. That begs the idea that there are things that are, say, “gloriously liberal” or “harmlessly liberal”. But then he goes on to challenge the acts of a few individuals whose actions may or may not have been caused by political belief. Without commenting on his arguments the most he did was write “The Top Ten Repulsive Actions of a Couple of People Whose Motivations I Can’t Be Sure of But Strike Me as Politically Liberal, And Since I Don’t Like Liberals, I Will Now Use To Paint All of Hollywood As Liberal And Repulsive With”. Though I am not sure that title is grammatically correct.

    • You title is much better, but may be a tad long.

  4. “…he slams Whoopi and Joy for being sensitive to that overtly prejudicial opinion…”

    Joy and Whoopi took the coward’s way out by storming off the set – of their own show, no less. And Bill O’Reilly’s statement was factual. Nowhere in his statements was there an assertion that muslims in general are violent jihadists.

    “…criticsm of the children of politicians (Bristol Palin)…’

    Kathy Griffin tells a fat joke involving Bristol Palin, and that is supposed to be entertaining? Almost as “entertaining” as when she told a Playgirl reporter that she wanted to “push Sarah Palin down the stairs”. Kathy Griffin is disgusting, hate-filled, crude, and not the slightest bit funny. Kudos to the marines in that audience who booed Kathy for that “joke”.

    The repulsive nature of left-wingers is so very easy to document.

    “talk radio host taken over by the supernatural forces of hate and fear…”

    Describes Randi “Kill Bush” Rhodes and Mike Malloy to a T.

    • When asked why there should not be a mosque in lower Manhattan, O’Reilly responded that “Muslims killed us on 9/11.” That is a blanket indictment of Muslims no matter how you look at it.

      If the same question were asked about building a church near the site of the bombing in Oklahoma City and someone objected because “Christians killed us on 4/19,” you would, I hope, agree that that would be a ridiculous and bigoted objection.

      The religion of the Oklahoma bombers would not be a reason to ban all construction of churches in OKC. Likewise, the religion of the WTC bombers should not be a reason to ban all construction of mosques in Manhattan.

      Also, I never said Griffin’s joke was funny. I just said that Kelly’s objection based on her family ties is absurd. So you’re just changing the subject and failing to address my point.

      Regarding the radio talk show hosts, by agreeing that they can be hateful, etc., you are, in effect, agreeing with my argument. Thank you.

    • “The repulsive nature of left-wingers is so very easy to document.”

      I challenge you on this statement Scott. By using the term “nature” you are equating a liberal quality that is inherent. What’s worse, you use as your primary example Kathy Griffin, who’s entire act is based on poking fun at celebrities of all kinds. So when she insults “A-listers” whose political affiliation you don’t know, there’s no problem. But when she says something about a conservative celebrity it’s because her “liberal nature” makes her repulsive. I could say that your ignorance of Griffin’s act is indicative of your neo-con repulsiveness, but I rather suspect you don’t watch Griffin and therefore don’t know that calling someone on their weight is common place for her. You see how I use my judgement not to make a sweeping generalization? Maybe in your mind that is part of my “liberal nature”.

  5. Kathy Griffin will obscenely criticize anyone for a cheap laugh. No new here.

    Barbara Walters criticized her on-air co-hosts for walking off the set, showing a sense of balance and fairness.

    I will, however, agree with the Bill Maher criticism. The whole “witchcraft” thing was overblown and taken too seriously by too many pundits. As much of a dimwit as O’Donnell may be (and she certainly is), that was pretty much a throwaway line from her regarding her conversion to Christianity. I thought the focus on this one issue cheapened the legitimate argument against her.

  6. The article by William J Kelly by all angles is a pretty fair and accurate description. He states facts, doesn’t name call and over all made for a pretty clever read. He made his points but in doing so also disturbed the briefly dormant Propaganda Ant colony of the left. It seems every time a Patriot from the Right like Kelly dispenses and outlines some of the foolish and backward behaviors of the left they all react exactly the same. Like Armies of ants to protect the Queen their Propagandists swarm and surround the websites and blogs in the attempt to squash/counter the truth and protect their Queen with their web of deceit, lies, attacks and distortions. What a world we live in. Where one of the least educated professions among us [Actors] are preaching politics and journalists are not only at a satirical level of Leftist bias but almost another branch of the Liberal Democrats!

    • What a laugh. Are you Kelly’s PR agent?

      No Name-calling? He called the Smallville writers idiotic and lightweight. He insulted the “liposuctioned-Griffin.” He said that Rob Reiner really is a meathead.

      He states facts? Please post a link to Chris Coons’ book “The Bearded Marxist.” And show me where Hollywood blamed audience lack of interest on the dearth of Christmas movies.

      And as for your representation of the left as a “dormant Propaganda Ant colony” swarming to protect the queen, I think you are mistaking me for yourself. You’re the one rushing to make a (lame) defense of your masters. I started off this article stating that I was bored and that I usually wouldn’t care about this insignificant tripe. And can you point to any other article criticizing Kelly over this? Where is this swarm you speak of?

      And by the way, actors have many different levels of education. Some have advanced degrees. And if you think that citizens should only be allowed to express their opinions if they have been to college you are an ultra-elitist who is denigrating the vast majority of Americans and condemning them to silence. That’s not very American.

  7. Anyone who has a wife who watches the Hallmark Channel or Lifetime Movie Network knows Christmas isn’t close to dead in Hollywood. I realize those are “lesser” forms of filmmaking, but between those two cable channels, there must have been 60 Christmas (not holiday) movies between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. And I think my wife watched 20 of them.

  8. Calling this Leftist Liberal actor Reiner a Meathead is funny due to it’s origin and is a friendly critique, not an attack!. Unlike the way countless Lib’s marched out and wished Rush to die last year on the air and online as the news broke he was ill.You are also wrong and do what all Libs do by distorting truth. You said William J Kelly called writers idiots from Smallville when he actually called their writing idiotic. Kelly writes “..began idiotically tossing in anti-conservative insults” There is a difference between someone’s description as idiotic as opposed to them personally.
    But accuracy isn’t important is it to the left at all. As long as you get your lies out you’ve done your job and care nothing about the truth. You belong to a fanatic legion of Zombies who preach the Gospel of the Democrat party and will go down in history as the most foolish, gullible and sheepish generation that ever cursed our country and possibly the planet. So in closing I do admit I am engaging in name calling but I am also not a public figure or columnist so I don’t care.

    • Once again, you are projecting:

      “As long as you get your lies out you’ve done your job and care nothing about the truth. You belong to a fanatic legion of Zombies…and will go down in history as the most foolish, gullible and sheepish generation that ever cursed our country and possibly the planet.”

      You haven’t identified ONE thing that I said that was untrue. And you also haven’t rebutted a single thing I said about Kelly. You have only spewed vitriol straight from the wingnut playbook. Typical.

  9. The left invented “Projection” and uses it as you are right now. They project & then say we are using it. That’s from the Commi playback so look it up. You can not read very well because I rebutted 2 points and revealed your false description of Kelly as inaccurate. I can’t help you if you don’t understand English or are in a state of denial. This may be a symptom of advanced Pathological brainwashing syndrome you seem to be illustrating.

    • Now you’re projecting your projection on the projection of your prior projection. (i.e. I know you are but am am I?). Grow up. And I defy you to show me the “Commi playback” (sic) so that I can look up projection. (I noticed that you ignored my previous challenges to document your remarks, so I doubt you’ll take this one up either).

      Your alleged rebuttals were hardly worth commenting on. Saying that Rob Reiner really is a meathead is name-calling, pure and simple. And so is saying that Smallville’s writing is idiotic.

      And that’s the totality of your rebuttal? You left out 80% of my article. But you did manage to call me some more names.

  10. Point 1. You call this an article? 80% I left out? It’s a rip from a hack democrat and nothing more. Do you think anyone sees more in this “Article” as you called it? Your dreaming if you think yes. It’s a filthy hit piece filled with your slanted opinion.
    Point2 Kelly is a 2 time Emmy winner in Chicago with a decent radio show that is pretty good at exposing the criminal elements in Government. I think he is funny too. Have you heard him sing? If you understand radio you would know the market is saturated with syndication hosts and makes it almost impossible to get a show today. So I would say calling it a “D-list” show is a pretty inaccurate and unfair description given the industry he’s in. I bet you have never heard him live either.
    Point 3. Do you even know why Kelly even choose “Meathead” as a term to describe the self admitted Socialist Rob Reiner? Tell me Mark. Why? It was used on “All in the Family” and that was his pet name given to him from Archie Bunker. So if this equates in your book as “Name calling” I say you are the Meathead. The left are the viscious/classless hate monger group who’s members spew the most extreme and hate filled language I have ever heard. So your side wins that battle.
    Point 4. Your void of knowledge on Communism made clear by doubting Projection is from the Communism playbook and challenging my point. Read Ilinski’s “Rules for Radicals” and The Communist Manifesto by Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx

    • Point1. Do you seriously want to argue whether what I wrote is an article or not? Obviously you are incapable of arguing the substance. And once again, you ignored my challenges.

      Point 2. Kelly never personally won an Emmy. A show he worked on won a local Midwest Emmy, and the director won one as well. And by your definition there aren’t any D-listers in radio. That’s just dumb. Kelly is a moron and a loser.

      Point 3. Yeah, I knew about Archie Bunker. His use of the term meathead was not a “pet” name, it was an insult. And Kelly made it personal by directing it at Rob Reiner, whereas Bunker, a fictional character, only directed it at Mike, another fictional character.

      Point 4. Now you say I have a void of knowledge about communism, so how can I be a communist? And mentioning the titles of a couple of books doesn’t prove your contention about projection. Cite the actual passages in the books that back up your claim – if you can. I say they aren’t in there and you don’t have the slightest idea what you’re talking about.

      I must admit, though, that this is fun. Although it is way too easy to get under your skin.

  11. “…Regarding the radio talk show hosts, by agreeing they can be hateful…”

    You know fully well what I was pointing out. The disgusting filth spewed out by Randi Rhodes and Mike Malloy alone (and to a lesser extent, Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller) make the conservative talkers sound like kittens in comparison.

    “…Oklahoma City bombers…”

    I have yet to see any quotes from Tim McVeigh that indicated he murdered all those people in the name of Jesus Christ. And this point still remains: Instead of challenging O’Reilly on his statement, Joy and Whoopi both lost the debate when they walked off the set of their own show.

    “…Kathy Griffin’s entire act is based on poking fun at all celebrities…”

    When Kathy Griffin jokes about wanting to push Barack Obama down the stairs, then Bovin will have a valid point. Instead, Griffin calls conservatives a bunch of morons, bigots, homophobes, etc. Her idea of humor is to tell Larry King that she is “thinking outside my box”. Ewww. And if she got through the latest New Year’s Eve broadcast on CNN without dropping yet another F-Bomb, that will be a miracle.

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