They cannot help themselves. The actors and filmmakers who give and receive awards are driven against all advice to do two things:
- Express their political opinions when receiving awards and
- Turn off vast swaths of the movie- and TV-viewing public when they do so.
Ricky Gervais, hosting the Golden Globes last weekend, put them in their place, rubbing their noses in Hollywood sexual misconduct (with Dead Jeffrey Epstein jokes) and greed (Chinese sweatshops) and tagging on an admonishment: “So if you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech. You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg.”
The implied equation of “real-world knowledge” with school-time notwithstanding, the advice was sound. Later in the week Gervais explained. He shares their politics, he tweeted, but he “roasted them for wearing their liberalism like a medal.”
Gervais didn’t go deeper than that, but as a comedian — an actual funny one — I think he can see how poisonous many Hollywood stars are to their cause.
The futility of Hollywood Hyper Holiness can be seen in the earnest religiosity of Michelle Williams, who did not, alas, follow Gervais’s advice. In a stellar foray into pure cringe, she talked about women and choices and all but unfurled a banner for abortion.
A banner’s worse than a mere medal.
Suffice it to say, she didn’t do her “pro-choice” cause any good.
Maybe she should hire Gervais as a political consultant.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
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1 reply on “Globes Off”
I like Gervais. Blunt and to the point and doesn’t hold back much. Really would not want to spend much time sitting around and having a good Craft beer as I am also sure his language would have me out the door quickly.