Editorial:
It’s a disturbing trend. Everywhere you look, actors, authors, anyone with a degree of visibility, all seem to favor pushing their political views to their audience over the content for which the viewer came. You cannot escape it. Actors are the most vocal, however, recently, browsing through some books I was interested in reading, I picked up a copy of a bestselling author (name withheld) and considered purchasing it. When I flipped through to the back, to the acknowledgements, I could not help but see the author’s commentary on the last elections and how he would find a bunker were the future no better. It went on from there. I returned the book to the shelf.
When I see actors vocalize, often in rude and offensive ways, their discontent with the current president, or the status of vaccinated versus the unvaccinated, or any other topic, I am bothered, not so much by their dislike as by their manner of ramming it in my face. It is not an issue of agreeing or disagreeing, but one of capturing and holding your audience hostage in order to feed your ego, or vent, neither of which should be done in that forum. Let alone the question of their actual factual understanding of the issues, given their profession of pretense. Paid pretenders.
The Academy Awards used to strictly monitor acceptance speeches so as to keep the proceedings on topic. It was, after all, a forum for accepting an award, not thrusting political views to the audience, captive and unable to object. These days, the media is a free-for-all, with everyone from news people to actors all venting in whatever way they choose, often with expletive rants and worse. ANd they wonder why their viewing audience is at an all time low.
When I see a movie, I spend money to buy tickets and food, I do not need to see anything but the film, an escape, and entertainment. To do so would detract from my experience and, depending on the audience, offend at least half of them. That used to be considered common sense. Not so much, anymore.
The same for concerts, art exhibits, book signings, and more.
I’ve been at dinners with a group of people and one just has to ran about politics, or whatever the cause of the day happens to be. It is off-putting and makes me want to leave. And, on a few occasions, I have left. Why would I endure something so ignorant?
Am I endorsing restricting the right to free speech? No. Those freedoms, however, do not include the right to impose upon me something that I was not specifically wanting or asking for.
Imagine going to the dentist and, as the drill is poised to tend to your cavity, the dentist launches on a rant about a political leader he hates. How about during surgery? Would you allow your surgeon to take a moment while you are prepped for your operation to enforce his politics? Airline pilot?
Do you see the point?
The most recent uproar over the firing of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel highlights the media’s complicity in hiding the truth. The network’s parent company released data showing that the cost of Kimmel’s show was not matching the revenue which had been in a decline for years. His blatant lie stated on national television about the political affiliation of Charlie Kirk’s assassin was the final straw. No one has deprived him of the right to free speech, only the right to a very expensive platform upon which to vocalise it.
And yet all that comes from celebrity mouthpieces is to call it censorship, even despite the fact that the opposing party was cancelled in prior years, including the hit show Roseanne. What’s good for the goose…?
Late-night entertainers have all chosen to exclude half of their audience by insisting on endless political statements. Yes, it was supposed to be a comedy show, not a political show.
I am reminded that Johnny Carson, the King of Late Night Television for over 30 years, picked on everybody, never alienating anyone, because he knew that right or wrong, his audience would diminish, along with the quality of his show. He was, he said, an entertainer with everything to lose and little to gain by pushing his views to his audience. And his multi-racial, multi-political and multi-gendered audience appreciated that fact.
Here are a few basic facts.
Whichever side you fall on in this political atmosphere, you represent less than half the country. Therefore, no matter what you do, you run the risk that half the income you may have received could well fall away. Just ask the NFL which suffered a huge income drop over players taking the knee instead of standing for the anthem. I would feel safe suggesting that most of the audience did not come (or watch) for a political stance to be thrust upon them. They wanted to watch a game. However, that logic appears not to have stopped anyone.
All news networks have taken to the fray. CNN often makes factually incorrect statements and has made it clear that they dislike the president, enough so that their news is skewed to their political statements rather than the news at large, often not reporting many items of interest. The world is a big place with lots of news, not just our political climate. As a result, CNN’s ratings have fallen below those of The Food Network. Viewers have the power of the off switch. It’s just a shame that journalism, once considered the best check against any rogue government by it’s impartial coverage holding everyone accountable, has now become tabloid journalism with unnamed sources, unverified accounts and terribly slanted.
America is a country where open dialogue was supposed to be welcomed, diverse viewpoints were supposed to be encouraged, and discourse was supposed to be handled with civility and respect. Those days have gone. Charlie Kirk’s murder demonstrates that clearly.
Kirk went on campuses nationally to debate those in disagreement [debate: a formal discussion on a particular topic in a public meeting or legislative assembly, in which opposing arguments are put forward]. He would sit and allow students opposing his Christian point of view to speak as long as they wanted and always responded calmly, no matter their agitation. Somehow, because his opponents were pro-trans, pro-abortion and pro-illegal migration, decided he needed to be killed. This is not what America represents. In fact, it is the exact opposite of what America represents.
America has become a free-for-all, hostile, not always factual, imposing, hostile, and usually without resolution. You cannot expect to eat at a restaurant if your politics is opposed to the owner’s. The baker may refuse you a cake. What would happen when airlines start to turn you away? Hospitals and doctors?
The creation of the story and the life of the author are not the same thing, in much the same way that the character portrayed in a movie and the actor portraying the character are not the same.
Sadly, this illness has infected the world of writers, artists, film, and food, dividing us despite our protections under the Constitution. And not just in the United States. Globally we are seeing a massive push for censorship under the guise of protection for minorities and those ‘disenfranchised.’
Like you, I have my own political opinions. I don’t list them on this site. I feature authors with strong left and strong right-leaning beliefs without questioning their motives, challenging their integrity, or generally being offensive. For one thing, the creation of the story and the life of the author are not the same thing, in much the same way that the character portrayed in a movie and the actor portraying the character are not the same. Even when I differ in my views from the author, I can still enjoy the story written by the same author.
I do not care about your political beliefs any more than I care about your sexual orientation, race, religion or financial position. That part of you is none of my business, nor my concern. Your stories, however, should transcend all. I expect a good story.
Some of my friends sit on the other side of the fence as far as politics and religion go. But a friend is a friend, not for their beliefs, but their actions, their humanity, their companionship, in the same way that no two of us perform the same task in the same way, even if we happen to agree on every topic. It used to be that one never spoke of politics, religion or money with company. We are different and that was supposed to be our strength, not our weakness.
Frankly, I am tired of having to endure the endless salvos. It’s time all sides pulled up their pants and checked their ego at the door. And, please, Mr. Big Name Author whose book I passed on, don’t put me in a position to resent the intrusion. I’d really like to read your novel. You might be fine losing half your income, but what a waste of opportunity.
What do you think, reader? Feel free to sound off in the comments or email me directly if you prefer HERE.
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