In a column in today’s OpinionJournal.com, columnist and blogress Bridget Johnson (this blog’s guest at the Ben Stein dinner Monday night) offers some thoughts on Hollywood’s love affair with Che Guevara, noting that after the success of MOTORCYCLE DIARIES, a movie about the revolutionary’s youth, a number of Che-movies are now in production.
Pondering Che’s appeal, Bridget asks, “What feature films have showed the true nature of communism?” Despite the Oscar-winning 1984 film, “THE KILLING FIELDS” which depicted the brutality and mass executions committed by the Communist Khmer Rouge when they took over Cambodia, few Hollywood movies have shown the horrors of communism. Bridget lists a number of nations which suffered (and one which still suffers) under the yoke of Communism, suggesting that each would be a worthy subject for a film.
As she details the crimes of Che Guevara, Bridget notes, that in films depicting the reality of Communism, he would be one of the villains. His legacy includes, among other things, “both ordering and conducting executions and founding forced labor camps.”
Communism may have been built on a noble vision, but it has found its place on “the ash heap of history” because whenever a Communist regime took over a nation, it impoverished that nation’s citizens when it didn’t imprison or kill them. Under communism, there were long lines for the basic necessities of life, neighbor spied upon neighbor and people could be punished for disagreeing with the government, believing in God, or even for being gay. Bridget think it’s time for Hollywood to explore the real nature of this failed system. I agree. So, read the whole thing!
UPDATE: In the comments, Michael Tinker mentions the 2000 film BEFORE NIGHT FALLS which depicted the persecution of a gay man in Castro’s Cuba, “a Che-state.” For his portrayal of writer, Reinaldo Arenas, Javier Bardem garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
-Dan (AKA GayPatriotWest): GayPatriotWest@aol.com

Heh heh. No, but you wouldn’t be surprised if he looked like this someday would you? (Hat tip: Fashion Victims Hit Lisbon Runway — Via Drudge)

Although Education Secretary Margaret Spellings faulted PBS for spending public money on an episode of the network’s “POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER” series where an animated rabbit travels to the Green Mountain State and meets two lesbian couples, the “LA TIMES” reports this morning that “54 of PBS’ 349 stations (representing the major urban markets and 55% of U.S. households) decided to air the episode anyway.” (Link requires subscription to the Times and registration.) At the same time, gay and lesbian activists across the country are mobilizing to hold screenings of “SUGARTIME,” the episode in question.
This proves my point that despite the Education Secretary’s pandering to social conservatives by singling out this one episode, there has been no censorship here. In our current media market with hundreds of networks (and network affiliates) and thousands of outlets, when the government stops funding something, more often than not, a private media source will step in.
When social conservatives fault something in the media for gay content, they only end up making gay people, who otherwise might not have heard of the program, aware of it. This also applies when religious leaders speculate about the sexuality of animated or costumed TV personalities.
Instead of censoring the “SUGARTIME” episode of “POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER,” by questioning federal funding of the episode, Ms. Spellings has helped promote it.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) plans to screen the episode at events nationwide. According the Times, one of HRC’s “goals is to move gay and lesbian issues from the political arena to the personal.” Sounds good to me. Just so long as they don’t do it with government money.
-Dan (AKA GayPatriotWest): GayPatriotWest@aol.com

That’s no big surprise. Cats are sinister….
Cat Shoots Owner – ABCNews.com (hat tip – The Corner)
…but we all know that our dogs would step in front of the bullet for us!

I’m just finished watching American Idol 4 tonight and frankly, I agree (as usual with Simon)… tonight’s show with the remaining female contestants is boring.
So, can we please just dispense with the window dressing? Nadia Turner is going to win American Idol. She is in a different league than all of the other contestants. (VOTE FOR HER NOW! 1-866-IDOLS-05)
I despise Mikalah Gordon. She makes my skin crawl. But I’ll give her this, she has an awesome voice. I just can’t stand her!!!!
Our DC area favorite son, Travis Tucker (yum!) didn’t do so well last night, alas. PatriotPartner thinks if he’d wear tighter shirts, he’d be doing better. Heh.

Aside from his picture, here are a couple of more great reasons he should win (from his profile):

Who are your heroes in life?
Father
If you win, who will you thank first?
God

He just got better looking. *grin*
My pick for guy contestant who possibly, but probably won’t, dethrone Nadia… Anwar Robinson. Best male voice of the remaining guys. And guess who he’s going to thank if he wins? Yep, God.
Where are guys like these during the Oscars?

Oh great, my Popstrology sign is a “Double Beatle.” I’m gonna have to say something to PatriotMom about this. I loathe the Beatles…..
Oh lookie at that…. I’m a self-loathing Double Beatle, too! Heh, heh.
Please no one buy this book. After all, he’s going to appear on NPR. Yuck.

Yesterday, while reading one of my one of my favorite blogs, I chanced upon this headline “No More Need for PBS” (Scroll down as no direct link is operable). Dirty Harry had linked a piece by George Will where that august columnist came to the same conclusion I had five week previously.
Deciding that, “We have no more need for PBS,” Will considers the televised visit of an animated rabbit to the Green Mountain State:

The recent spat about Buster, PBS’ cartoon rabbit, visiting two lesbian parents quickly became a second spat about the Education Department’s threat to stop financing Buster. But a third spat should have been about why the Education Department (a fourth spat: Is that department necessary?) is paying for any of Buster’s adventures. Is there a desperate shortage of television cartoons?

Last month I wondered why the Education Department was funding Buster’s adventures. I agree with Will: “In today’s 500-channel environment, public television is a preposterous relic.” To find out why, read the whole thing!

Wednesday night, I trekked up to Hollywood’s Egyptian Theater for an Outfest-sponsored screening of the documentary, “GAY REPUBLICANS.” Had I not had a date, I might have stayed longer to engage the film’s very friendly director Wash Westmoreland.
Let me just say that while the documentary doesn’t present a complete picture of the GOP — or its attitude toward gays, it is, on the whole, a decent — and thoroughly engaging — movie. I recommend it (though with some reservation).
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While I am not as harsh on Hollywood as my blog-league, I too found Chris Rock’s anti-Bush rant at the Oscar ceremonies to be in poor taste. And it wasn’t even funny. It seems Americans in the “red” states had similar feelings. While more younger viewers tuned in to watch the Oscars this year, the overall audience “down 2 million from last year’s show.” According to AP:

The drop in total viewership was an indication that this year’s Oscar ceremony was more popular in the big cities than rural areas, more so than an average Academy Awards, said Larry Hyams, vice president of audience analysis and research for ABC.

Hat tip:Drudge.
Oh and, by the way, “ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY” predicted all the big “races” accurately.

I use the term “regurgitation” on purpose. The evidence that Hollywood is out of step with America, and even more self-absorbed than it has ever been, was on display last night at the Oscars.
Three prime examples:
1 – Chris Rock’s anti-Bush rant in his opening monologue. Hey, Chris…. we won the election by over 3 million votes. And people across the Middle East are in the midst of a democratic revolution. But more importantly, we won the election. And don’t try the “support the troops” comeback after you have just demeaned the Commander In Chief that the troops adore.
UPDATE:USA Today’s Review of Chris Rock

Unfortunately, what many viewers are most likely to remember ? particularly those who feel Hollywood is out of touch with many of its customers ? is Rock’s lengthy attack on George Bush.
It went over big with the crowd, and if you voted for John Kerry, you probably found it amusing. But that routine had nothing to do with the Oscars, either, and it very likely sent half the audience fleeing from what was otherwise a politics-free evening.

As PatriotPartner said last night after the Bush rant… “if you weren’t going to blog about this, I’d be changing the channel right now.”
2 – Number of on-stage participants wearing the American flag in at least an attempt to support our troops in a time of war: One — Adam Sandler.
3 – Number of times last night that an Academy Award winner thanked God for his/her talents: ZERO.

Congratulations to James of LA for winning the Second GayPatriot movie trivia competition with 16 points, edging out ttbdan with 14 points. James got all the regular questions right, missing only the Bonus Questions. Since James lives in LA, I am treating him to coffee and a pastry at a Starbucks (or other coffee shop) of his choosing.
Read below for the correct answers:
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Please note that I have extended the deadline on the 2nd Movie Trivia contest to Sunday, February 20, 2005, @ 9 PM Pacific. Just e-mail your answers to GayPatriotWest@aol.com.
This time, you don’t need to get all the answers right. You get one point for each correct answer and multiple points for correct answer to the bonus question. The person with the most points wins.

Before I get back to the routine of blogging, I thought it would be fun to offer another movie trivia quiz. This time, I’ll be honoring the person who gets the most right by 9 PM Pacific on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 — extended to Sunday, February 20, 2005 @ 9 PM Pacific. Please e-mail your answers to me. Each correct answer is worth one point.
In honor of the release this weekend of the documentary “INSIDE DEEP THROAT,” I’m asking about some movies which reference the name of that celebrated porn flic.
(1) Making her feature film debut in (a) this movie, (a) this actress played a character who saved her life by walking out of a screening of “DEEP THROAT.” (c) What year was the movie released?
(2) For (a) which movie was she later nominated for an Academy Award in the same category as one of her co-stars? (b) Who was that co-star? (c) Did either of them win?
(3) (a) In what movie did that co-star appear which referenced Deep Throat? (b) What was her character’s relationship to Deep Throat?
(4) With (a) whom and (b) in what movie did this actress (of (2)(b)) enjoy a “roll in the hay”?
(5) In (a) what movie did (b) this actor say “I am serious and don’t call me Shirley?”
(6) In (a) what movie did (b) this actor say “Yep, two corpses, everything’s fine.”
(7) To (a) whom and (b) in what movie was this comment addressed: “When nine hundred years old you be, look this good you will not.”
BONUS QUESTION (5 points for (a); (2) for (b)) In (a) what movie did (b) this celebrated actress say: “I’m an old maid and nobody knows more about love than an old maid.”
-Dan (AKA GayPatriotWest): GayPatriotWest@aol.com

Movie Triva–we have a winner to the Movie Trivia contest. Loyal reader Dave of the Somewhere in the Middle blog got all 12 right. I’m impressed that someone else would recognize the quote in (3) from The Naked Gun. I now know that I am not the only one who remembers great lines from good, stupid movies.
(1) In Blazing Saddles, Rock Ridge sheriff Bart (Cleavon LIttle) offered fetching chanteuse Lili Von Shtupp (played by the late beyond great Madeline Kahn) what she described as a “wed wose.” Her feature film debut was as Eunice Burns in What’s Up Doc?
(2) We find the Omega 13 in Galaxy Quest. It’s a device that turns time back for 13 seconds and was used in the movie.
(3) Leslie Nielsen‘s Frank Drebin speaks the line, “This is our hill; these are our beans” in The Naked Gun in a bid to prevent Priscilla Presley‘s Jane Spencer from killing him (as she had been hypnotized by the machinations of the evil Vincent Ludwig played by Ricardo Montalban). Nielsen’s Drebin is successful.

I thought I’d take a break from the normal routine of blogging to offer a quiz to see how well-versed our readers are in movie trivia. Please e-mail your answers to me. I will acknowledge the first person who gets all 12 questions right in the post where I reveal the answers.
(1) In (a) what movie did the town sheriff offer a fetching chanteuse what she called a “wed wose.” (b) Who played the town sheriff? (c) Who played the fetching chanteuse? (d) What was that actress’s feature film debut?
(2) (a) In what 1990s movie do we find the Omega 13? (b) What does it do? (c) Is it used in the movie?
(3) (a) Who speaks the line, “This is our hill; these are our beans”? (b) In what movie? (c) To whom does he address these words? (d) What he is trying to accomplish? (e) Does he succeed?
-Dan (aka GayPatriotWest): GayPatriotWest@aol.com

A couple weeks ago, after finishing up two research papers for my graduate program in Mythology, I returned home (from mailing them), fixed myself dinner and collapsed in front of a movie. Many of us know that experience. After a hard day’s — or week’s work — we look forward, either at home, or in the theater, to a good comedy or action flick which will remove us from the anxieities of our lives and help ease the woes of the day.
I think that’s why bad movies upset us so. We had expected something which would allow us a moment’s escape — or repose — and instead they remind us of the troubles of the day. It’s why conservatives bristle at leftist messages in movies. We’re looking to be entertained, not indoctrinated.
Well, after I mailed in my papers, I had the chance to see Hollywood at its best, one of those thoroughly entertaining movies which reminds me why I like this medium so much, why I moved to LA. Last month, I popped in the DVD of Sam Raimi‘s “SPIDER-MAN 2” and for two hours was entertained by the exploits and struggles of this very human superhero.
Not only is this movie entertaining and engaging, it also has a nice message, a message which it shares with us not by preaching or pontificating, not by forcing it down our throats, but my weaving it naturally into the story line. In this flick, Toby Maguire‘s Peter Parker decides to give up being a superhero so he can just be a regular guy with time to put into his studies and to spend with the girl of his dreams, the red-headed Mary Jane Watson (ably played by the gifted Kirsten Dunst).
Yet, when Parker abandons his Spider-man identity, crime soars in the city while young kids lose a role model. Perhaps knowing that her nephew is really Spider-man, Aunt May (played to perfection by the amazing Rosemary Harris) reminds him why we love heroes:

Kids like Henry need a hero, courage, self-sacrificing people, setting examples for all of us. Everybody loves a hero. People line up for ’em, cheer ’em, scream their names. And years later, they’ll tell how they stood in the rain for hours just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them to hold on a second longer. I believe there’s a hero in all of us that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble and finally allows us to die with pride even though sometimes we have to be steady and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams. Spider-man did that for Henry and he wonders where he’s gone. He needs him.

She reminds Peter — and through him, us — that sometimes to do what’s right, we have to give up something we most long for.
Her words do not fall on deaf ears and Peter once again dons his outfit and takes up his calling, preventing the tormented Doc Ock (Alfred Molina) from completing a project which could destroy the city.
When I had first seen the movie in a theater last May, Aunt May’s speech troubled me. And yet when I saw the flick last month, I knew she was right. Sometimes to do what’s right, to answer our calling, we do have to give up our dreams.