The assassination of Rush Limbaugh
Anyone who reads this space knows that we are tremendous admirers of Rush Limbaugh, not only as a talk show host, but as an industrialist and entrepreneur. How many men can you name who have created entire industries? Rush created not just an enormously successful program, but the entire modern industry of syndicated political radio.
We were reading, via Roger Simon, a confession of a Democrat and Hollywood writer who has become Republican. It is a familiar journey these days, but we honor it every time we see it, not only because it is our own journey, but because there are terrible barriers for others that did not exist for us. In this case the culprit is Emmy award winner Robert J. Avrech:
Hollywood, once upon a time, was one of the most patriotic colonies on the planet. During World War II, Frank Capra made a series of propaganda films titled “Why We Fight.” Marlene Dietrich put herself through a most grueling schedule visiting and entertaining our troops and selling war bonds. Jimmy Stewart joined the Air Force. Numerous movie stars put their careers on hold to help the war effort. These men and women loved America and understood who the enemy was and why the enemy had to be not only defeated but obliterated from the face of the earth.
Look at Hollywood now…..It is, I kid you not, a badge of honor in Hollywood to hate America.
Well, by now we all expect that Hollywood roots for our enemies and not for America. And to tell you the truth, we’re not surprised that a screenplay would use the killing of Rush as a plot device; nor are we really incredulous that the uneducated, uninformed and unwashed in Hollywood would have no knowledge or appreciation of their subject matter. It is, rather, the cumulative effect that is striking:
I have been hired to write a bio-pic about a very famous Republican talk-show host. A man who has revolutionized the radio format. I decide that I’m going to be up front with the studio executives.
“I’m not going to assassinate this man,” I explain. “If that’s what you want, get another writer.”
“No, no, we want you to do it because you have such a good feel for character. Just be honest.”
I’m a moron. I believe them. I go off and write the script. I hand it in and walk into a firestorm of a meeting. I’ve been too gentle with the talk-show host, they say.
“How?” I ask.
“Well, look at what he’s done to this country,” an executive challenges.
“What, he has 25 million daily listeners who adore him. What’s he ever done except almost self-destruct on pain killers — which I portray in all its awful detail.”
“But he’s a hypocrite!”
“In what way?”
“Well, he talks about family values and look how many times he’s been divorced!”
Have they read the script? The script goes into why the man cannot make a true love match. He’s a sad man. He’s a lonely man.
I ask a really stupid question: “Have any of you ever listened to him?”
They gaze at me as if I’m last week’s trash. Just as I suspected. Not one of them has ever listened to his show. They all agree he’s not worth listening to.
There are no compromises with the Hollywood idiots who have so much power to shape entertainment, yet so little independent thought. If there weren’t a First Amendment, and maybe even though there is, we’d like to see much of the industry given the Philip Nolan treatment. We are grateful for brave men like Avrech who have the courage to follow the logic of their thoughts, despite the problems that causes them. We continue to note, in a spirit of optimism, that for more than a decade, the individual stories like Avrech’s point almost exclusively towards conservatism in America and the GOP, and not the other way around.
August 23rd, 2005 at 8:40 am
I believe it. All of it. My experience on college campuses show how Hollywood has an effect, just as left-wing POORfessors. What kind of person picks Mass comm or Journalism as a major. Usually I saw those who idolized Hollywood, buying they’er platitudes hook, line, and sinker, or wanted to be a TV anchor, or writer for a news paper….to live the lifestyle, and to have and EASY MAJOR….Far left professors, far left idols, and lack of drive for a REAL job…..whats that spell? Disaster… The interns, buy it all…. from the top down, Hollywood replicates itself, it renews itself with self perpetuated isolationism from reality….It makes me sick. As a side note, I love to burst the bubbles of living ignorance whenever and wherever possible.
August 23rd, 2005 at 9:06 am
Certainly, conservatives should have access to enought financing to
produce a new breed of films. Problem it that we have been asleep so
long that the Left has taken over the important “film criticism” in all
major papers and cable outlets. “The Great Raid” has been panned for
showing “the barbarism and cruelity of the Japanese guards”. Anyone
from my generation, the generation of my parents or a reader of
history is left speechless by this remark.
Sadly, one of the posts I’ve read about the movie described the theater as peopled by mostly older men, not full. I have encouraged my grandson and his friends to see it this week. Telling them that it was directed by John Dahl of Red Rocks West, and Rounders gave my recommendation some “cred”. I hope
all the readers of your blog will support this movie.
Guess no sign of barbarism or cruelity was evident in the masterwork
“Kill Bill”.
August 4th, 2006 at 7:57 am
There is a book out called The Assassination of Rush Limbaugh. It actually is quite flattering about Rush. In the end, he’s a hero. People can read the first two chapters free by going to http://www.killrush.com. I liked it a lot. Learned a lot about talk radio. Also put in perspective the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I highly recommend it. The New York Times and Midwest Book Review gave it glowing reviews.