Anti-Conservative Hollyweird Update — BDS and Globaloney Galore

-By Warner Todd Huston

They make anti-American films that bomb at the box office and lose money. Then they make more films that make fun of the conservative base of the country, they lose more money. They make films that attack, belittle and infantalize our men and women at arms — all as we are in a war, adding insult to injury — and they lose still more money. So what do they do? They make yet more films like these previous lemons. Any guesses what will happen next? That’s right, box office poison.

There is a whole raft of new projects that are sure to become box office stinkers that make Americans rather want to stay home instead of stream to the movies. There’s Bush Derangement Syndrome (BDS) extravaganzas, anti-capitalist potboilers and global warming scaremongering galore all coming to a theater near you!

Of course, we all know of the Oliver Stone movie about George W. Bush that is beginning principle filming now. We’ve heard how everyone that has any knowledge of president Bush is saying that this schlock entirely misses Bush the man and presents a silly, unbelievable caricature instead of a serious movie (when even the entertainment press is reporting that the Stone debacle is over-the-top, you know we have trouble). But, then again, it is Oliver Stone who has proven over and over again that truth is not what he is interested in. On the contrary, his own special brand of far left propaganda is his real goal.

Continue reading “Anti-Conservative Hollyweird Update — BDS and Globaloney Galore”

CBS Slights Limbaugh any Credit for ‘Operation Chaos,’ Also Talk of Riots With Obama Loss

-By Warner Todd Huston

It’s amusing how far some people will go not to give someone credit for something they have done especially if that deserving someone happens to be an ostensible political enemy. In this case we find CBS discussing Republican crossover voters in these primaries, the network newser telling us how crossovers will “skew primary results,” and then they tell us who is responsible for egging on these crossovers. Now, for those of you in the know, you’d automatically assume that CBS is talking about radio host Rush Limbaugh who has been carrying on his “operation chaos” program to encourage Republican voters to re-register as Dems to vote for Hillary, right?

Not to CBS. No, CBS has decided that the real story is that what we have here is “right-wing radio commentators” and “the bloggers” are who is responsible for “operation chaos.” But, in truth, few other radio people are pushing their listeners to re-register and no high profile conservative blogger I know of is doing so either. The whole thing is the brainchild of Rush Limbaugh, not “right-wing radio commentators” — commentators as in plural, more than one.

CBS is bending over backwards in order NOT to mention Limbaugh’s name so as not to give him publicity, apparently. But, it simply is not factual to say that “right-wing radio commentators” are responsible for this crossover voting effort when it is basically ONE “right-wing radio commentator.” This spiteful avoidance of naming Limbaugh makes their report factually incorrect.

Continue reading “CBS Slights Limbaugh any Credit for ‘Operation Chaos,’ Also Talk of Riots With Obama Loss”

Does Winfrey Ride The Beast?

-By Frederick Meekins

At one point in her career, Oprah Winfrey was pretty much seen as a harmless crank as to the casual viewer catching the show in passing assumed that the program dealt primarily with her seesawing weight and whether or not her shackup might secretly prefer to be paid in three dollar bills. However, as she has amassed considerable power and influence during her 20 plus years in the public limelight, this broadcaster is no longer an innocent afternoon distraction filling the time between when one arrives home from work and when dinner is set on the table but rather has intentionally set out to subvert American culture and the spiritual well being of the nation.

Not content with the worlds of television, publishing and politics now that she has taken an interest in Barack Obama only because he happens to be Black, Winfrey has now set out to establish her web presence as well. According to the March 3, 2008 edition of USA Today in an article titled “World Is Oprah’s Classroom”, Winfrey plans to lead an online interactive book discussion.

However, there is more to the book being studied than the typical feminist drivel one would expect women of the upper income bracket to be sitting around and reading. The title of the book alone is enough to send a chill down the spine.

The book is titled “A New Earth: Awakening To Your Life’s Purpose” by Eckhart Tolle. It is through this text that Winfrey hopes to be the False Prophet to Obama’s Pseudo-Messiah.
Continue reading “Does Winfrey Ride The Beast?”

Damon Wayans Advocates Black Genocide

-By Warner Todd Huston

There is an old joke that goes “Comedy isn’t pretty” and I believe that “comedian” Damon Wayans has really gone out of his way to prove the truth to this old saw.

He has a little project named wayoutTV with which he produces his “comedy” sketches for YouTube and other on-line video services. Recently he unleashed one called “Abortionman.” Remember this is supposed to be comedy.

In the video a young black man finds out his girlfriend is pregnant. The boy calls “Abortionman” who flies over to the girl’s place, he beats her unmercifully, until the fetus is beaten out of the poor girl to die on the sidewalk.

So, what is the message we are being exposed to? Abortion is funny? Violence against pregnant women is funny? Black boys who do not take responsibility for their actions is funny?

No, I think what we are seeing is that “comedian” Damon Wayans is advocating for the death of all black babies. Wayans wants a black genocide. He is obviously a fan of eugenics and wants to assist the white race to national hegemony.

Well, why can’t my version be right? After all, it makes more sense than the idea that Damon was trying to be funny!

Continue reading “Damon Wayans Advocates Black Genocide”

Film Director: Jesus Was Son Of a Roman Rapist

-By Warner Todd Huston

According to The Hollywood Reporter, film director Paul Verhoeven is soon to release a book that is claimed to be a new “biography” of Jesus Christ. In this new publication, Verhoeven feels that he successfully proves that Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, was raped by a Roman soldier during the Jewish uprising in Galilee and the boy Jesus was the result of that attack. No virgin birth for Christ, but instead a rape.

Verhoeven is best known as the director of the films “Basic Instinct,” the Arnold Schwarzenegger film “Total Recall,” as well as the spectacular flop “Showgirls.” The Dutch director reports that he’s had a “lifelong ambition” to make a movie about Jesus and hopes this book will spur interest in his film ideas. Verhoeven spent 20 years writing the tome and this has led Catholic League President Bill Donohue to scoff at the claims as being overwrought and unproven even with 20 years of research. Donohue says they are “laughable” claims and wonders why 20 years of research only led to a claim that Christ is “probably” descended from a rapist.

Continue reading “Film Director: Jesus Was Son Of a Roman Rapist”

Robert Downy, Jr. Turning Politically Conservative?

-By Warner Todd Huston

Let me first say that I don’t often care much about the goings on of the denizens of Hollyweird, so this “gossip” time at Publius’ Forum isn’t something you should get used to. But, Sonny Bunch is reporting over at the Weekly Standard blog (inventively called “The Blog”) that bad boy actor Robert Downey, Jr. is saying that his personal troubles of drug addiction and jail terms has turned him toward the conservative viewpoint.

“I have a really interesting political point of view, and it’s not always something I say too loud at dinner tables here, but you can’t go from a $2,000-a-night suite at La Mirage to a penitentiary and really understand it and come out a liberal. You can’t. I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone else, but it was very, very, very educational for me and has informed my proclivities and politics every since.”

This is a sort of “mugged by reality” come to his senses that our friend Mr. Downey has had, isn’t it? I wouldn’t guess that we can expect to see Downey suddenly becoming the next Rush Limbaugh, of course, but we do have a logical and sensible progression to a conservative viewpoint made by a young man who has had some very trying times in his life (all of his own making, granted).

So, let me say, kudos to Mr. Downey. Let’s hope his newfound conservatism isn’t as temporary as his being drug free has been in past years. I wish him nothing but the best as he is a talented fellow.

Lastly, notice how Mr. Downey felt he needed not to be too vocal in extremist Hollywood about his newfound conservatism. It’s a shame that the more “tolerant” more “civilized” folks in Hollywood just can’t stand to allow people their conservatism.

(Photo credit: mugshots.com)

Continue reading “Robert Downy, Jr. Turning Politically Conservative?”

TV Reviewer Attacks O’Reilly… For NO Reason

-By Warner Todd Huston

Here is the sort of liberal bias that is easy to see even by those out there who might try to pretend that liberal bias doesn’t exist in the media. Kevin McDonough writes a TV review column for United Feature Syndicate called “Tune in Tonight.”

Now, first of all, it must be pointed out that Mr. McDonough is a critic and, therefore, makes his living (or a portion of it as the case may be) by giving that opinion. So, it is without question that if he has a liberally biased opinion, the fact that his entire reason for writing is to disseminate that opinion is a legitimate practice. It isn’t my point to say that McDonough’s opinion is somehow illicit or should be stopped. The point I am making is that his is just another example of left-wing bias in the media.

Anyway, in one of his latest reviews in “Tune in Tonight,” McDonough takes a slam against Bill O’Reilly, really for no reason at all. I say no reason because Bill O’Reilly wasn’t the subject of McDonough’s piece and was only thrown in there because he has some sort of problem with O’Reilly’s point of view.

Here is how McDonough started a recent TV review:

Television has many powers. Its ability to distract (VH1), entertain (“The Office”), inform (“The NewsHour”), deceive (“The O’Reilly Factor”), anger (ditto) and sell (QVC) are well documented.

So, O’Reilly’s show is only meant to “deceive” and “anger,” yet “The Newshour” is meant to “inform”? Pretty blatant bias there!

McDonough meant to write a piece on the upcoming PBS series about American poet Walt Whitman a man famed even in his day for an ambiguousness of his own sexuality. Rumors abounded that he was homosexual, but there is little real proof on whether he was or not. There is also some evidence that he might have been bisexual. Whatever the case, he was an early American poet who penned his most renowned book “Leaves of Grass.”

So, what the heck does Walt Whitman have to do with Bill O’Reilly? Well, nothing, but McDonough found a way to slam O’Reilly anyway. In the end, this is a perfect example of sticking liberal bias in a story for no substantive reason.

Continue reading “TV Reviewer Attacks O’Reilly… For NO Reason”

‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ and Got REALLY hot!

-By Warner Todd Huston

Remember the iconic 1951 Cold War era film, “The Day the Earth Stood Still”? It was a black and white film starring Michael Rennie as Klaatu, an alien who came to Earth to warn our warring nations that a galactic police force had deemed the world a “danger” to intelligent life everywhere and that we faced annihilation unless we acted nice. It was one of the classic, dystopian films with a utopian message. If only we could all just get along! Well, true to the axiom that there isn’t anything new in Hollywood, it is being remade as a Keanu Reeves vehicle (that’s Hollywood talk for “starring Keanu Reeves”).

Now, the original film was all about love for your fellow man, ending war, planting daisies and a being nice little Earthling… or Klaatu and his trusty robot Gort will blow you up. As the Cold War was looming in the minds of the civilized nations and MAD* had set the table for “doomsday clocks” and backyard bomb shelters, the original “Day” was a timely, if not a bit hamhanded, epic with a message. The title character, Klaatu, when hiding as a human, even took the name “Mr. Carpenter” as an allegory to Christ. Naturally, the bad, bad humans martyred the kindly “Mr. Carpenter” in the end. It was all very much geared for its time.

Well, as mentioned, they are now about to remake “Day” and they have searched the world over for a new timely message to expound upon. Is it that we still have too many people on this planet living in poverty? Is it that we still lamentably have regimes that use force and tyranny against their people? Is it that war is still all too common? Could these things be why the new “Day” film will posit that a powerful alien race wants to just erase humanity like a bad virus?

Nah. As far as the new “Day” movie goes, these powerful aliens are mad at us not because we are mean to each other, not because we might then bring that meanness with us into outer space. No, the important message that the Keanu Klaatu wants to bring us, the message that will warn us of an apocalyptic impending alien police action is….

Global warming.

That’s right folks, apparently the new “Day” movie is positing that the worst thing man has done, the one thing that will make an alien race ponder our destruction, is that we caused global warming.

Continue reading “‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ and Got REALLY hot!”

Daily Kos Attacking Charlton Heston on His Passing

-By Warner Todd Huston

I guess we shouldn’t expect any sense of decorum from Kossacks, but it is pretty lame that they had to unleash their hatred only minutes after the announcement of the passing of famed American actor Charlton Heston. A Daily Kos “diarist” named doriangz started out calling Heston a “gun-nut” and ending with his life and causes being considered “political nutdouchebaggery,” and the incivility just flowed like the opening of a damn from Kos posters’ keyboards after that. Not much respect for a man who’s film career spanned many decades, who marched with Martin Luther King, and fought to uphold our Constitution.

One poster said that Heston tore into the “victims of Columbine,” one Marcus Tullius said he laughed when Jerry Falwell died and that Heston’s death made the world a better place. And Fairy Tale echoed that with a post that said, “Things are already getting better in America” now that Heston was dead. RandySF said that he was sorry but that he “can’t think of anything nice” to say about Heston. Aqualad08 seemed to think that if there were “no guns in heaven” that would make it “hell” for Heston.

And they were just getting warmed up.

Then, we always have to have the “he’s a crappy actor” types like poster jazzmaniac and the ones that have no respect, like ohcanada who said, “As we sow.. I didn’t respect him in life..and I won’t in death.” Then FischFry jumped in to say that he assumed that mention of the Heston film “A Touch of Evil” was really a description of Heston himself.

And, predictably, there is the foul mouthed type that we have all come to associate so specifically with uncivil leftists, too. PerfectStormer posted a loving “So long, motherf***er” when he heard the news of Heston’s death.

Continue reading “Daily Kos Attacking Charlton Heston on His Passing”

Kermit The Frog Hates Oil Companies? Next Muppet Movie Anti-Capitalist?

-By Warner Todd Huston

News has leaked out from the folks at Muppet central (The Jim Henson Company) that the next Muppet feature film will sport a story line that attacks oil companies. According to CHUD.com, the story will center around all our favorite Muppets producing a show to raise money to save their old theater. They need the money, of course, because an “evil character” is trying to buy the building so that he might tear it down to “get at the oil underneath.”

Why is it we have to turn everything into an anti-capitalism, anti-oil hatefest?

Even more alarming is the fact that it seems that the writer/director team pegged to head the project will be Jason Segel and Nick Stoller, the team that recently gave us the very R rated “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” One wonders if the Muppets will go from kid friendly to edgie and R rated? (I must admit that I would doubt the owners of the Muppet property would do that to their long standing kid friendly product, though.)

Continue reading “Kermit The Frog Hates Oil Companies? Next Muppet Movie Anti-Capitalist?”

LATimes’ Dan Rather-Like Forged Documents in Rapper Attack Story

-By Warner Todd Huston

It looks like the L.A.Times has had to apologize for a false story they published last week that implicated rapper Sean”Diddy” Combs in a 1994 assault on Tupac Shakur during a so-called rapper’s war hit. The L.A. Times had to do an internal investigation when the website The Smoking Gun published an account detailing that the documents the L.A.Times used to base their story upon were forged and that the person who forged them was a well known con man on the rap music scene who pulled one over on the LAT — big time!

Yeah, the L.A.Times has an awful lot of egg on its face with this mess. The AP reports that TSG’s proof makes the LAT look like a bunch of bumbling idiots.

The Smoking Gun said the documents seemed phony because they appeared to be written on a typewriter instead of a computer, included blacked-out sections not typically found in such documents, and other reasons. The Smoking Gun story claims the documents were created by a convicted con man and music fan with a history of exaggerating his place in the rap music world.

Originally the LAT claimed their story was based on FBI records, interviews with people who were there at the time, and some FBI informants. Curiously enough, none of the sources were named in the LAT story, the whole thing being based on the ever famous, journalist’s best source, the “unnamed sources.” Naturally Sean “Diddy” Combs denied he had any part in the attacks on Shakur and it’s no wonder he’d say that because the LAT piece was full of puff, Daddy. Yeeh. Uh.

Now, let’s admit that Publius’ Forum isn’t the Rapper’s paradise it could be. If only we’d wear our pants a little lower and get some more gold plating on our teeth we’d be sure to be right in with the best rap fans across the country. I’d have to also admit that it might be a bit tough for the bulk of us to lower our IQs low enough to be for real fans, but we all could try a little harder, couldn’t we, G?

Still, seeing as how we Publius’ Forum “ain’t all dat,” you might wonder why this story is appearing on our site? Well, dawg, that’d be a good question… so I won’t be frontin’ ya, an all.

The main point of this story is that the LAT really dropped the ball here. TSG had a very extensive report revealing how badly the Times did on this one and it forced the LAT to admit their “mistake” (read shoddy journalism there). It certainly leads one to wonder how many other stories they’ve published in the past are as badly researched and sourced as this one?

Now, while we here on Publius’ Forum lament the loss of stature that this story might cause the LAT in particular and the MSM in general, we can’t help harkening back to a little story about president Bush’s Nat’l Guard service that Dan Rather tried to foist on the American public that also turned out to be based on forged documents.

That CBS report was widely discredited by just about everyone, too. I have to say, though, that I don’t quite recall Dan Rather’s big apology on that one. So, apparently the L.A.Times is all prepared to apologize to some thug rappers for a story based on forged documents, but the president gets bupkis from a forged document story that defamed him.

I’m juss sayin’. Ya know what I’m sayin’, dawg?

Continue reading “LATimes’ Dan Rather-Like Forged Documents in Rapper Attack Story”

Media Doesn’t Get Why Hollywood’s Dismal Iraq War Pics Are Flopping

-By Warner Todd Huston

On the 25th, the Washington Post served up a lament for Hollywood’s dismal box office returns for the many Iraq war pictures it has churned out over the last several years, wondering why they have all failed so spectacularly? The whole article amounts to the Post just not understanding why moviegoers have stayed away in droves from these dark and dismal movies. But with the anti-Military, anti-American point of view depicted in every single one of these movies, it is no surprise that Americans have ignored these self-denigrating flicks. After all, with soldiers really taking casualties on the battlefield, who wants to see a film that tells us all it’s OUR fault?

Still, the Washington Post is mystified.

After five years of conflict in Iraq, Hollywood seems to have learned a sobering lesson: The only things less popular than the war itself are dramatic films and television shows about the conflict… A spate of Iraq-themed movies and TV shows haven’t just failed at the box office. They’ve usually failed spectacularly, despite big stars, big budgets and serious intentions.

The Post then goes on to wonder if audiences are “turned off by the war, or are they simply voting against the way filmmakers have depicted it?” As the post asks that question, you’d think they are on the verge of understanding. But, this question is dropped right away as the story details one flop after another. Ridiculously, the Post seems puzzled by the fact that audiences have not just mindlessly followed into the theater the “big stars, big budgets and serious intentions” of these failed flicks and no further attempt is made in this story to explore the public’s disinterest.

Continue reading “Media Doesn’t Get Why Hollywood’s Dismal Iraq War Pics Are Flopping”

Direct to DVD Michelle Pfeiffer Flick Features Bush Bashing

-By Warner Todd Huston

Christian Toto, Washington Times entertainment reporter, dropped us a note about the upcoming release of a direct to DVD movie called, “I Could Never Be Your Woman.” This flick that wasn’t ranked high enough by the studio to get a theatrical release stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Paul Rudd, and Saoirse Ronan. It’s supposed to be a love triangle comedy flick, but close to the end of the thing is included a slam on president Bush that has nothing at all to do with the rest of the movie and is blatant for its gratuitous nature.

As Mr. Toto has it this “nasty bit of Bush bashing” is at about 98 percent through the film and occurs during a scene where young Miss Ronan is playing the part of a teenaged talent show contestant.

Ronan’s character takes the stage for a student talent show and starts strumming a song to the tune of Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic.”

Then Mr. Toto gives us the faux lyrics of this Bush bashing tune…

“While the North Pole is turning to slush, on my TV there’s President Bush,” she sneers. “He’s a pay-ay-ain in the whole world’s ass. How can it be we voted him in? I just don’t see how it figures.”

The crowd laughs and cheers the song, while Pfeiffer’s character beams like a proud mama.

So, out of the blue everyone starts attacking president Bush for no reason. The movie has nothing whatever to do with politics or current events, yet they go after president Bush without provocation or any conformity with the continuity of the plot. It is so typical of Hollyweird to go off on a hate rant like that, isn’t it?

I’d also like to say one thing about the Alanis Morissette song, “Ironic.” She doesn’t get ironic right. The song is a complete failure at showcasing any irony. Morissette only ends up proving that she hasn’t a clue what the definition of irony is. Is it “ironic” that she is trying to talk about irony without even knowing what it is? Well, if it isn’t “ironic,” it is certainly ridiculous. Just like this direct to DVD “comedy.”

Continue reading “Direct to DVD Michelle Pfeiffer Flick Features Bush Bashing”

Washington Times Quotes me on Talk Radio

-By Warner Todd Huston

Just a quick note to let you all know that the Washington Times has again included me in one of their stories. On Thursday, writer Jennifer Harper was kind enough to contact me for my comments on the issue of the recent release of the Talkers Magazine “2008 Heavy Hundred” talk radio host rating list.

In a piece headlined “Conservatives top talk radio”, Harper gave me two paragraphs on the subject.

Though spelling my name wrong (but correcting it on the Net version), I was still happy to be of help. The piece was an interesting little read.

Thanks again to the Washington Times and Jennifer Harper.

Top 100 Radio Host List, Dominated By Conservatives — Rush #1

-By Warner Todd Huston

Talkers Magazine has put out their “2008 Heavy Hundred” list rating radio talk show hosts across the country and one thing is obvious, conservatives still reign supreme in radio.

The top ten includes one “progressive” (Ed Schultz) and one shock jock (Don Imus), but is otherwise dominated by conservatives. The rest of the list has a smattering of sports guys and a very few more left-talkers, but just as in the top ten, much of the other 90 slots are dominated by conservatives.

  1. Rush Limbaugh
  2. Sean Hannity
  3. Michael Savage
  4. Dr. Laura Schlessinger
  5. Glenn Beck
  6. Laura Ingraham
  7. Don Imus
  8. Ed Schultz
  9. Mike Gallagher
  10. Neal Boortz

In an interview with CNSNews, Talkers Mag Editor Michael Harrison discussed the loss of traction seen by several well-known left-talkers.

Two of the most popular liberal hosts on the list lost ground in the ratings compared to last year. North Dakota-based Ed Schultz dropped from fifth to eighth. Air America Radio’s Randi Rhodes plummeted from 13th to 40th place.

Amusingly, Harrison tried to soft peddle the loss of status that progressive talkers have seen over the last year.

Harrison explained that determining liberal hosts’ positions on the list was more difficult than placing conservatives.

“It’s a very subjective thing, determining the popularity of liberal hosts, because they have this sort of alternate universe they operate in,” he said. “They have more importance because they’re not a dime-a-dozen like so many conservatives out there.”

I assume that was an effort by the Editor to forestall attacks for being “unfair” to left-talkers. Whatever the case, they fell in status and that cannot be papered over.

So, congratulations to the conservative talk radio stars that once again made the top 100 list and it shows that conservatism isn’t a dead issue despite how badly Congress has muffed it for us all.

Continue reading “Top 100 Radio Host List, Dominated By Conservatives — Rush #1”

‘I’m a Grown Ass man’… man

-By Warner Todd Huston

OK, I’m a nearly 50 year-old white dude, so you won’t catch me trying to be “all that” with the kid’s Rap music. In fact, I hate the stuff. (I was listening to Beethoven, Glen Miller, U2 and the Police today, if that helps pinpoint me?) HOWEVER… and this is a big one, too… I am compelled to pass on the latest tune from Mr. Bomani D. Armah, the self-proclaimed “not a rapper” rapper.

You may recall the last time Mr. Armah appeared in my work? He wrote a tune that appeared on BET TV called “Read a Mo F***ing Book”. It was a tune that featured Mr. Armah seeming to attack the thug lifestyle and telling black kids to read a “Mo F’ing” book, brush their teeth, wear deodorant and to raise their own children, etc. It raised quite a stir last year.

Since I wasn’t familiar with Mr. Armah’s work at the time, I was a bit puzzled by it all. I couldn’t be sure if he was denigrating the thug lifestyle and urging black Americans to better habits or what. I am now convinced that he was and he was doing so in the gutter language that he felt the kids would respond to. I cannot condone the language, but the sentiment is at least a good one. Personally, I can think of more upstanding ways to pass along a message of responsibility… but that’s just little old, un-hip me.

Well Mr. Armah is back with a new tune called “I’m A Grown Ass Man.”

Here he is telling young black men to raise their children, have grown up plans, and stop acting like punks. I have to say, it isn’t just a message for black kids, either. It is a message that every American male-child should hear and hear often, black, white or what have you. It is also one that they are not getting as often as they should, sadly.

Now, one thing is for sure. You can bet that the MSM will ignore this tune. They won’t want to be caught dead playing a tune that urges kids to grow up and act like a responsible men! It just ain’t the with it thing! (um… do they even say “with it” anymore?)

Anyway, I love the jazzy tune under the rap, too. I can’t help thinking of the work of Chick Corea when I hear it. There’s some good stuff there. All I can say is hear, hear. Good work Bomani D. Armah.

ESPN’s Dana Jacobson Suspended Over Drunken Rant

-By Warner Todd Huston

As I reported earlier, Dana Jacobson was a guest roaster at an Atlantic City, NJ ESPN event for the Mike & Mike show on the 12th. She was supposed to be offering a comedic “roast” of show hosts Mike Golic and Mike Greenburg, but instead offered a profanity laced, drunken rant when it came her turn at the dais during which she blurted out “F**k Jesus.”

Well, it looks like the folks at ESPN weren’t amused because Jacobson has been suspended for her outrageous comments.ESPN benches Jacobson

Sources have confirmed that Jacobson, a co-host of “First Take” on ESPN2, currently is serving a one-week suspension because of her behavior at a Jan. 11 roast for ESPN Radio personalities Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic at Atlantic City, N.J.

She’s really sorry, though.

In a statement, Jacobson said, “I am sorry. My remarks about Notre Dame were foolish and insensitive. I respect all religions and did not mean anything derogatory by my poorly chosen words. I also deeply regret the embarrassment I’ve caused ESPN and Mike and Mike.

“My actions at the roast were inappropriate and in no way represent who I am. I won’t make excuses for my behavior, but I do hope I can be forgiven for such a poor lack of judgment.”

It’s good to see that some standards of conduct are being upheld somewhere in the media.

Continue reading “ESPN’s Dana Jacobson Suspended Over Drunken Rant”

American Idol Contestant Mocked for Christian Beliefs by Idol Host

-By Warner Todd Huston

Now, I have never seen this show, so you’ll have to excuse me if I am misunderstanding the whole American Idol “thing,” OK? As I seem to recall, the deal is that you sing for a washed up 80s pop star, a fat guy no one ever heard of and some English dude and they rate you on your talent. Right? Or is it that they are supposed to rate you on your sex life and moral beliefs? Because, it seems that host Ryan Seacrest has given some unwanted “advice” to a recent contestant that offered that at 19 he’d never kissed a girl. In response, Seacrest told him to “go kiss some girls,” and hoped that once he came back to audition again he’d “come back less a boy and more a man.” This did not amuse contestant Bruce Dickson who says the reason he’d never kissed a girl was because of his Christian moral convictions.

So, is being a Christian with closely held moral convictions now a disqualifying thing to be a proper contestant on TV’s American Idol? If Seacrest has anything to say about it, it would seem so.

CNSnews is reporting the outrageous mocking of Dickson’s religious morals.

When the 19-year-old from Bastrop, Texas, was asked to share something about himself, he said he’d never kissed a girl.

“What?” Randy Jackson asked. “On purpose?”

“On purpose,” Dickson said. “I want to save everything for that one special woman. On my wedding day, that will be my first kiss.”

Jackson’s advice to Dickson after the judges sent him packing: “Go kiss some girls.”

Simon Cowell, eyebrows raised, told him cryptically: “Avoid Ryan (Seacrest) on the way out.”

Seacrest himself ended the segment featuring Dickson with these words: “Maybe next year he’ll come back less a boy and more a man.”

Is this what a singer on American Idol signs up for? Somehow I doubt that Seacrest would make so much fun of a girl that told them she had been with 20 guys by the time she was 19.

For his part, Bruce Dickson is standing true to his principles. He told CNSnews that,“a real man would rather wait than just do whatever with whoever.”

Good for him not to let these immoral, blowhards to shake him from his ideals.

Of course, we all know that this is an attack on both Christianity and homeschooling.

Dickson said his family is Christian and attends a non-denominational church. He and his siblings are home-schooled. Dickson did attend two Christian schools in high school so that he could play sports. He was crowned homecoming king in his senior year at Vacaville High School, in Vacaville, Calif.

Continue reading “American Idol Contestant Mocked for Christian Beliefs by Idol Host”

ESPN’s Dana Jacobson’s Drunken Rant: ‘F**K Jesus’

-By Warner Todd Huston

Back on January 12th, the pressofatlanticcity.com reported on the aftermath of an event sponsored by ESPN morning talkers “Mike & Mike” in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event, an 8th anniversary celebration in a roast style comedy show of the two hosts, Mike Golic and Mike Greenburg, was deemed “too long and uneven” by staff writer Scott Cronick, but the interesting thing is what he apparently left out about the drunken appearance by ESPN’s Dana Jacobson. It seems Jacobson was so drunk that her “comedy routine” included the always funny “f**k Jesus” but the press isn’t saying a word about this outrageous gaff.

The pressofatlanticcity.com reports that Jacobson was so drunk she was booed off the stage.

ESPN anchor Dana Jacobson made an absolute fool of herself, swilling vodka from a Belvedere bottle, mumbling along and cursing like a sailor as Mike & Mike rested their heads in their hands in embarrassment. (Comedian Eddie) Griffin came to the podium to defend her after she was booed by the crowd. Ross eventually had to pull her off stage, too.

Sounds embarrassing, of course. But what wasn’t reported is what Jacobson said to get “booed by the crowd.”

According to a report by someone in attendance at the event, Dana Jacobson said the following:

“f**k Notre dame”  
“f**k touchdown Jesus”  
and – the step-aside-because-lightning-is-about-to-strike… “f**k Jesus.”

So, one has to wonder why it is that she has been let off the hook by the media for saying “f**k Jesus” and for her otherwise drunken appearance? Let’s keep an eye on this to see if her anti-Christian rant becomes even more of an embarrassment for her, but since she attacked Jesus, it is quite doubtful that it will.

Most likely, she will be given a pass. After all, it’s not like she said f**k Allah, or f**k Jesse Jackson, right? After all, we should be used to the double standard that Christians are OK to attack, I suppose.

Continue reading “ESPN’s Dana Jacobson’s Drunken Rant: ‘F**K Jesus’”

Vampira is gone…

Maila Nurmi has passed away at 86.

Nurmi invented the character of “Vampira” and was one of the first TV horror show hosts in the mid 50s in California. I was a big fan of the horror genra when I was a kid. I had Famous Monsters of Filmland, Vampirella, and Creepy magazines laying about all the time.

Then came that crap movie Halloween and destroyed horror films for all time.

Anyway, Vampira is gone and I just wanted to take a minute here to remember her.

This ’Artist ’ is a Jerk

-By Warner Todd Huston

We talk of liberalism in the news media every day here on Publius’ Forum, of course. But the leftist lack of standards and morals that we decry in the news media is reflected in much of our entertainment and art, as well. We’ve discussed leftism in music and in the movies many times, but here is another story where the degradation of western culture is plainly visible. Now we can add a new outrage to the world of “art” with the exhibit of Spent by “performance, installation” artist Jordan McKenzie that features the artist’s ejaculation patterns on paper, sprinkled with colored powder to make the stream visible, then framing bunches of them on a wall.

Please excuse the language here, but here is the Sun’s report

AN ARTIST has created a new exhibition of drawings by masturbating over paper.

Um, yeah. Hooray for “art.”

Continue reading “This ’Artist ’ is a Jerk”

PBS Make ‘Documentary’ Full of Lies

-By Warner Todd Huston

Not long ago, I wrote a piece on how our PBS stations have been foisting a so-called documentary on the wife of thinker Albert Einstein and how she supposedly had a large hand in his famous scientific theories. It’s all bunk, of course, but PBS is foisting this piece of junk biography on the public, none-the-less. Worse, our tax dollars are going to help pay for these lies.

In that piece from August, I introduced you all to the exhaustive work of one Allen Esterson who has tirelessly been trying to get PBS to pull their support for this flawed “documentary.” Since that time, Mr. Esterson has not ceased his efforts and saw fit to give me an update that I thought I’d share you all of you.

Dear Mr Huston,

I thought you might be interested in the latest developments re PBS and “Einstein’s Wife”. In regard to the film, David Davis, VP National Production OPB, has informed me that the broadcasting rights have expired. However, on the “Einstein’s Wife” website PBS is continuing to promote the grossly misleading and dishonest film, and the DVD is still being sold by PBS.

As I anticipated when I (indirectly) heard that the writer Andrea Gabor had been commissioned to rewrite the website material, the revised web pages (posted in late September) continue to propagate false and misleading contentions. While no longer claiming that Mileva Maric co-authored the celebrated 1905 papers, Gabor contends that during their marriage Maric took part in “longstanding give-and-take” discussions of physics, which “almost certainly yielded some help with mathematical proofs”. The facts are that there is not a single known document in which Maric expresses any ideas, or even views, of her own on physics, nor a single specific report of any such ideas, nor any hint in letters to her closest friend over three decades of any such discussions. As to her giving help with mathematical proofs, even her Zurich Polytechnic entrance exam average grade in mathematics was mediocre, and her final diploma mathematics grade was a dismal 2.5 on a scale 1-6. In contrast, Einstein was precociously gifted in mathematics, and mastered the basics of differential and integral calculus by the time he was 15. In his Ph.D. thesis submitted to Zurich University in 1905 the mathematics was so difficult that the relevant sections were given to a math specialist to assess, and he reported that “the manner of treatment demonstrates *a thorough command of the mathematical methods involved*” (emphasis in original).
Continue reading “PBS Make ‘Documentary’ Full of Lies”

NBC Ad Sales Refunds – More Dinosaur Media Woes

-By Warner Todd Huston

The world of entertainment is in a world of hurt. With the massive diversification of entertainment offerings these days, older forms of media — like movies, TV and newspapers — are finding a dwindling number of customers as NBC is finding out this month. NBC has found itself in the lamentable position of giving their advertisers refunds because of poor performance in its ratings. The promised number of eyes that NBC promised that advertisers would reach didn’t materialize, so NBC has to refund their advertisers for the over estimate of viewers that might see the ads placed on their airwaves. Of course, NBC is trying to keep a lid on this damaging story, but the Genie is out of that bottle. We can surely say that the network’s News arms ain’t helpin’ sales a whole lot, in any case!

Adweek gives us the story:

NBC has quietly begun reimbursing advertisers for fourth-quarter prime-time ratings shortfalls, averaging about $500,000 per advertiser, according to media buyers, marking the first time in years a network has taken such a step to compensate marketers for ratings deficiencies.

It was also reported in Adweek that new network CW has had a loss of ratings and an over estimate of ad revenue, as well. So has CBS, ABC, and Fox, all of whom are giving advertisers “make goods” wherein the networks give ad time in compensation for having overcharged the advertisers.

And what is the culprit?

Continue reading “NBC Ad Sales Refunds – More Dinosaur Media Woes”


She Still Takes a Villager — Hillary’s Authorship Lies

-By Warner Todd Huston

Venerable book publishers Simon and Schuster have announced that on December 12th they will be issuing a new edition of Hillary Clinton’s starry-eyed 1996 paean to socialist collectivism, It Takes a Village — starring none other than Mz. inevitability herself, Hillary Clinton. I’m sure the rafters will once again tremble with hosannas for Clinton’s “hard work” in writing the book and she will again be heralded as a wonderful stylist. All due praise will be lavished upon the former first lady, current Senator, and unsurprising candidate for the Democrat Party nomination for President of the United States of America.

Actually, I’ll have to take that back because Hillary won’t be receiving all due praise for her efforts on the book. She will be getting far, far more than she deserves. Why, you might ask? Because she wrote barely a word of the book that bears her name, that’s why. And worse, since 1996 Clinton has lied repeatedly claiming she wrote it all by herself, refusing to acknowledge that it was ghostwritten by someone else.

Still, the ersatz praise has already started. As seen on Amazon.com’s page for the book, Audiofile magazine recently said of the new edition, “For the most part, this is not the former first lady and presidential hopeful we all know. In a softer, almost neighborly voice, Clinton reveals intimate details about her childhood and the childhood of her husband.” This is really quite an observant review for the single fact that Clinton’s voice is altogether missing from the book. Of course the reason for that is that the harsh, shrill voice of the Hillary Clinton “we all know” was nowhere near the typewriter of Barbara Feinman Todd, the woman who really wrote the book.

But, where is the acknowledgment of the real writer of the book Hillary is famous for? Nowhere to be found, making Hillary more correctly infamous for the book instead of praiseworthy. A description of the book prior to the new edition’s release, one probably written by the publisher, says, “Written when Hillary Clinton was the First Lady, IT TAKES A VILLAGE acknowledges the many challenges and difficulties of raising children in America and proposes an ideal of broad community responsibility for the total upbringing of healthy and secure children. Clinton draws on her own experiences as a child, mother, and lawyer, as well as those of concerned parents, teachers, and advocates for children–and she takes the time to listen to the important lessons that children can teach adults as well.”

It’s interesting that they don’t exactly come out and say she wrote the thing, isn’t it?

Continue reading


She Still Takes a Villager — Hillary’s Authorship Lies”

A Wizard of Oz Where Evil is Dorothy’s Fault? Ask Sci-Fi Channel!

-By Warner Todd Huston

As the Sci-Fi Channel’s new mini-series Tin Man comes to a close, it is sad to say that what we ended up with was a show that takes a family favorite and turns it into a dark, mangled mess not suitable for children that makes good responsible for all that is evil. It’s all a perfectly ghastly example of moral relativism and the sort of nihilism we have become so boringly used to from our current forms of entertainment.

Remember the Wicked Witch of the West in the original The Wizard of Oz? She was green and ugly, she only wanted what was bad for everyone but herself and she had the love of no one. Remember Dorothy, the pure of heart who would bring light to the land of Oz? She was beautiful and true, the personification of good. To many, the story of The Wizard of Oz was one where a plucky girl with self-confidence could beat evil and make the world a better place. But, not to the Sci-Fi channel. Noooo, in this day of cynicism we certainly can’t have a traditional tale of good vs. evil, now can we? With it’s re-imagining of the venerable children’s classic, the Sci-Fi channel’s Tin Man gives us a Wizard who is a drug addict, a Tin Man that is a bitter ex-cop, a cowardly lion that is… well, we aren’t sure what he is… a scarecrow that is a victim of a lobotomy, the dog To To as a shape shifter who betrays Dorothy, and a Wicked Witch of the West who is really Dorothy’s beautiful older sister and not “just” a witch at all. And what of Dorothy? Well, first of all, not only is she not from Kansas, she isn’t even human (She is from Oz originally, not Earth). But worst of all, the evil of the Wicked Witch of the West is all Dorothy’s fault in the first place. You read that right, evil is the fault of good in this new Oz flick.

It’s a common a trope of entertainment and literature that the existence of good is always countered by that of evil, of course. There have also been many times when good and evil are personified in relatives, such as the brothers of the Bible, Caine and Abel; the good son and the bad. For the most part, though, we’ve had a literary tradition of good triumphing over evil, even if it might mean relatives somehow vanquishing each other. Naturally, the theme of brother against brother, or son against father, and vice versa is meant to add even more tragedy and pathos to the story, but evil is still usually evil.

But, these days it seems that Hollywood and the creators of our forms of entertainment feel they are somehow beyond the traditional roles of good and evil. These writers simply cannot stomach an evil character that just IS evil, nor can the good really just be good. Just as the new version of Beowulf at theaters today makes Beowulf the good and pure hero into a braggart and liar and his enemy into a misunderstood grotesquerie, this new Wizard of Oz suffers from that refusal to make good, good and evil, evil. In today’s entertainment, evil must always be explained away. It’s all not so bad, these stories tell us, evil is just misunderstood.

Continue reading “A Wizard of Oz Where Evil is Dorothy’s Fault? Ask Sci-Fi Channel!”

NY Anchorman Resigns After Calling Live Show Under False Name

-By Warner Todd Huston

Gary Anthony Ramsay, an anchorman for NY1 News, has resigned this week over his efforts to damage Rudy Giuliani’s bid for the White House by commenting on the Bernard Kerik situation under a false name on the air. It appears that Ramsay called into an episode of the station’s call-in show “The Call” and claimed his name was “Dalton from the Upper East Side” before going off on his rant against Giuliani associate Kerik. Looks like Mr. Ramsay couldn’t keep his journalistic integrity in force long enough to give his own name and stand by his own opinion and it has cost him his TV job.

Labeling his Nov. 19th call-in segment “a flash moment of frustration,” Ramsay let his emotions get the better of him.

Mr. Ramsay phoned “The Call,” an evening call-in show, and identified himself as Dalton, from the Upper East Side. The topic was Bernard B. Kerik, the former New York police commissioner facing a 16-count federal indictment, and the indictment’s effect on the presidential campaign of former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani.

“So which is the real Bernie Kerik?” Mr. Ramsay asked on the show. “Is it the one who pleads not guilty before or is it the one who pleads guilty after he cuts a deal that he’s comfortable with?”

Ramsay told reporters that he was sitting at home watching the show and got “frustrated” with the callers’ comments. What struck him the most was that some callers thought this Kerik mess was instigated by Hillary Clinton operatives.

Of his lack of journalistic ethics here, Ramsay said:

Continue reading “NY Anchorman Resigns After Calling Live Show Under False Name”

Is Chivalry Dead in Hollywood? MSNBC Makes Fun of a Gentleman

-By Warner Todd Huston

On its Tabloid Tidbits blog page, MSNBC is taking potshots at both one time pinup boy Fabio and current left-wing, heartthrob George Clooney in a Hollywood smack ’em up two fer. Now, I’m as unconcerned over the entertainment media beating up the denizens of Hollywierd as anyone else — especially when one of them is the uncouth, surly, leftist Clooney — but this one strikes me as interesting for the reason they are attacking Fabio; because of his act of chivalry. I guess entertainment reporters think it is odd, funny or execrable when a man sticks up for the virtue of a woman, now ‘a days? Sadly, it appears that acts of chivalry opens one up for ridicule in today’s Hollywood. They just can’t stand any exhibition of traditional manhood out there on the left coast.

The Tabloid Tidbits section goes for Fabio’s throat with its very first line

Nearly forgotten Fabio recently got the better of Hollywood heavyweight George Clooney, and he’s not about to let the world forget it.

“Nearly forgotten?” That was pretty uncalled for, wasn’t it? What’s more, he is obviously not “nearly forgotten” because this whole story is set against the backdrop (a little acting lingo there) of the charity work that Fabio was engaged in at the time. Obviously someone was remembering him if his fame was being lent to a charity.

So here is the story.

Continue reading “Is Chivalry Dead in Hollywood? MSNBC Makes Fun of a Gentleman”

NYTimes: Audience ‘Leans Left’ on Cable… or Not!

-By Warner Todd Huston

I can’t believe we all missed this one from November 6th, but The New York Times read the cable TV ratings tea leaves and decided that the left is “riding a ratings wave” to dominate the medium. Using the supposed “ratings wave” that the NYTimes imagines has propelled Keith Olbermann to some sort of success story, they have decided that it’s all good on cable for the left. Yet, any look at the real ratings makes it hard to understand the Times’ claims unless they have based all their hopes on mere wishful thinking instead of factual proof. Not only did the Times wildly exaggerate Keith Olbermann’s success but they went as far as to say that Olbermann was “tantalizingly close” to rival Bill O’Reilly’s ratings — a claim that the Times is off the mark with by nearly 2 million viewers! As it turns out the “ratings wave” the Times is so excited about seems more like a trickle and could hardly be taken as evidence of some sort of major shift in viewer preferences. Obviously the “paper of record” is trying hard to create their own reality here!

In “Cable Channel Nods to Ratings and Leans Left” the Times reported the obvious drift left that MSNBC has been taking, a direction the cable station was poised to drive further off the cliff with the addition of a new Rosie O’Donnell slime fest — the one that didn’t pan out due to Rosie’s queering the deal. But, the analysis thoroughly missed the mark and amounted far more to an Olbermann wet dream than reality.

The Times reported that MSNBC was leaning their programing ever further left with hosts Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann, Dan Abrams, and Joe Scarborough — who is going further to the left every day — all of whom are airing more and more leftward leaning content and are ruling the cable venue’s opinion shows. The then expected addition of O’Donnell would have cemented MSNBC as the bastion of the far left even though MSNBC execs told the Times that they “never set out to create a liberal version of Fox News,” but that their veer leftward had “happened naturally.”

“It happened naturally,” Phil Griffin, a senior vice president of NBC News who is the executive in charge of MSNBC, said Friday, referring specifically to the channel’s passion and point of view from 7 to 10 p.m. “There isn’t a dogma we’re putting through. There is a ‘Go for it.’”

What ever the case, if MSNBC decides to become the anti-Fox and find themselves the station of the lunatic left fringe, then it had better be prepared for permanent low ratings. Not the best business model, to be sure.

But, the Times thinks this is great and they point to the … *cough*… success… of Countdown, with Keith Olbermann as proof that this really could work.

Here is the laugher of the piece:

Mr. Olbermann has even come tantalizingly close to surpassing the ratings of the host he describes as his nemesis, Bill O’Reilly on Fox News…

Huh?
Continue reading “NYTimes: Audience ‘Leans Left’ on Cable… or Not!”

Eagles Flightless With new Album

-By Warner Todd Huston

The new album from The Eagles, Long Road Out of Eden, is just one long, sustained attack on the integrity of the United States and is as bad as any loud-mouthed Dixie Chicks diatribe. With songs prosaically about Global Warming and the evil American “empire,” seemingly the only one of the band who just wanted to entertain the fans was Joe Walsh, the others too puffed up with their own sense of superiority to bother. Unfortunately, what we have here just another exclamation from pampered rock stars that they are smarter, more environmentally friendly and more caring than the rest of us… but be sure and buy more albums for Christmas gifts, will ya folks!

This album should have been titled “Long Trip to the Bank” because for much of it the band seems to be on autopilot and too much of it seems like a cynically engineered ploy to sell plastic as opposed to a solid attempt to entertain. It even seems that they consciously wrote this one to appeal to specific sectors of the radio market — the country market, adult contemporary — so much so that the album lacks freshness. The Eagles have always been on the country side of Rock-n-Roll, but several of the songs are so obviously written to have a country sound in an effort to get airplay on America’s country stations, for instance, that it’s a bit hard to get past the obvious ploy to enjoy the tunes. This cynical ploy is quite unlike their past work, where the country influence seemed more natural.

This two disc set starts out with a short, whiney little piece that is a blatant plea to appeal to those worried about global warming. “No More Walks in the Wood,” penned on autopilot by Don Henley, from a poem by John Hollander, it ridiculously whines that his walk in the woods ain’t so cool anymore because “The trees have all been cut down.” Hollander’s poem tried to be clever with a globaloney reference, but it just ended up sounding clumsy. “This is the aftermath,” Henley warbles, “Of afternoons in clover fields, where we once made love… where we made our own weather.” Naturally, we ruined it all, man! It laments that “now they are gone for good” as if we could destroy all the clover fields and trees in the world. This little piece of doggerel is not very subtle, but it is thankfully a short one at two minutes.

Sometimes, I forget how preachy and boring Frey and Henley can get, but with that as a beginning, it slams the memory home and then some.
Continue reading “Eagles Flightless With new Album”