ABC News.com's conservative front page

[HaloKitty]

I've been getting my online news from ABCNews.com since I entered in the Air Force nearly 10 years ago. For most of this time I found their coverage to be, pardon the cliché', fair and balanced. Alas, since Bush took office, I've steadily seen their point-of-view drifting Right. This has been mostly clear on their "front page" where the headlines usually concern cheerleading for the Bush Administration, sober meditations on the importance of Christian conservatives in the political and social climate and...Brand and Jennifer and Angelina. Consequently, articles feature Bush criticism or news of actual merit are relegated to the small print links in the convoluted "other news" section.

Today, this came casual annoyance came to a head, for me, when I logged on and saw this headline in bold type at the top of the page-

"Do the Oscars Show Hollywood Is Out of Touch?
The summer comedy "Wedding Crashers" did more box office business than all five best picture-nominated films combined. Are the Academy Awards out of touch with mainstream America?"

I couldn't believe it. Were they actually considering the "opinion" that a movie like Wedding Crashers being snubbed at the Oscars is part of the secularizing or "gaying" of America? Here's the text of the Article, reprinted from ABCNews.com and which can be found here http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=1566879

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Feb. 1, 2006 — The Oscar best picture nominees are apparently not playing in Peoria, as the saying goes. In fact, the summer comedy "Wedding Crashers" has done more box-office business than all five of them combined.

Two of the films have gay story lines, and some Christian conservatives say it's another example of how out of touch Hollywood is with mainstream America.


Photos: Gays in Movies: A Timeline


Christian Conservatives Serve Up 'Brokeback' Backlash
Religious Groups Say Gay-Themed Movies Show Hollywood Out of Touch With America

"Brokeback Mountain," the movie about male ranch hands who become star-crossed lovers, was nominated for eight Oscars.

"Capote," a movie about a gay author, was nominated for five. And "Transamerica," in which the lead character undergoes a sex change, was nominated for two.

Gay activists say it's a landmark year — that these films will heighten their visibility in mainstream America.

"That greater visibility is what leads to less defamation, and that's the bottom line for us," said Neil Giuliano, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.


'Brokeback:' 'Brilliant' and 'Dangerous'

Interestingly, Christian conservative critics have called "Brokeback Mountain" — the odds-on favorite for best picture — brilliant and moving.

But they also call it dangerous, arguing the artistic skill is being harnessed for "gay propaganda."

"It's a sad day for American when a small group of very determined activists are dominating the awards ceremony," said Janice Crouse, the senior fellow at the Beverly LaHaye Institute, a think tank associated with the Concerned Women for America.

There seem to be dueling impulses in Hollywood right now. More gay-themed movies than ever were nominated for Oscars. But the movie studios have increasingly been courting Christians with films such as "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Passion of the Christ."

At a time of slumping box-office sales, this seeming schizophrenia may just be smart business.

But there is debate about whether big Oscar wins by gay-themed movies will turn away the large, lucrative Christian market.

Said the Hollywood Reporter's Gregg Kilday: "If they can reach a church-based audience with a movie like 'Narnia,' and they can reach an audience that isn't scared away by gay themes with a movie 'Brokeback Mountain,' they're happy to do that."

ABC News' Dan Harris filed this report for "World News Tonight."

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Aside from the idiotic assertions that somehow movies that make more money are better, I was amazed that they were essentially stating, with no dissenting opinion, that movies like Brokeback Mountain are evidence of the so-called liberal Hollywood elite and an active attempt to...well, do something really GAY to defenseless Christian film fans. Using, of course, the sneaky "they say" maneuver, a'la Fox News, to make it seem more like reporting.

I was enraged. When I wake up in the morning, I want news, not Pat Robertson's daily talking points. That said, I fired off this email to ABC News-

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Dear ABC News,

I'm writing in reference to the article Christian Conservatives Serve Up 'Brokeback' Backlash listed as a headline story the morning of February 1, 2006. I think it's a transparent case of pandering to far-right wing readers to even acknowledge such propaganda, and as a headline, no less.

You happily make the conservative point of view that films like Brokeback Mountain, Capote, and TransAmerica are part of some conspiracy by an amorphous "gay agenda" in Hollywood. But you don't bother with a counterpoint that A. The films are brilliant (at least not without the "dangerous" moniker as well) and deserving of accolade and B. That they are commercially successful, though not in as obviously or massively as blockbusters like Narnia and King Kong. These are movies that cost far less to make, and while the returns are smaller the percentages still represent a clear sign by Americans (though perhaps not the seemingly coveted Christian conservative ones) In other words, why do you infer that because there are more of "them" than "us", that progressives, homosexuals, transgendered people, etc have just as much right to see their own views, images, and themes on screen. If the Christian moviegoer is so sought-after, then why do movies like Left Behind flounder in low-budget obscurity? And why would violence and, yes, graphic heterosexual sexuality, rampant on American movie screens, elicit no finger wagging or criticism.

Further you try and make the point that The Wedding Crashers, because it made a significant amount of money, is more in touch with Americans, and thus more critically valid for Oscar honours. This point, of course, is only brought up because a hand-full of Americans cling to the inane belief that homosexuals are actively recruiting, like some kind of military branch. ABC News certainly did not point out, in 1996, that because Independence Day was a runaway hit, somehow it was superior to that year's Oscar winner The English Patient.

Please understand that articles like this, seem to be editorializing, and it's frustrating for those of us who happen to disagree. I would ask that you refrain from using conservative rhetoric like "the Gay Agenda" as if it were accepted truth. And please stop pandering to individual segments of the population, whatever they may be, because that isn't news and it's not information.

Sincerely,
Monica C.
Pittsburgh, PA

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Anyway, this is a long post. But as a GLBT person, I'm sick to death of being portrayed in the media as some kind of boogeyman (or bogeywoman, rather) or cautionary tale or vast conspiracy. It's a given to see this sort of thing on the 700 Club, hell, even on the House floor, but to see it reported as actual news...well, it makes me feel both ashamed and afraid to live in my own country. It all begins with dehumanization, and that's exactly what we're seeing in action.

[OKNancy]

1. Excellent post and an excellent letter

I didn't see wedding crashers, but as I understand it... it promotes fraud ( crashing a wedding) and pre-marital sex with young women by two men who use the wedding as a way to get sex.
Not very "christian"

[murielm99]

4. Last week I heard someone say that

Big Mamma's House 2 was the highest grossing film of the week.

He went on to wonder about the taste of the American movie-going public. I have to agree with him.

So, if Big Mamma's House 2 is making a lot of money, does that mean it is a good movie? Isn't there a cop in it who is a cross dresser? And couldn't it be classified as being filled of stereotypically racist humor?

Is this movie an example of being "in touch with" the American people? Which American people?

[rfranklin]

8. This film cannot be considered because of the Black Agenda....

African Americans actively trying to turn people black. Hollywood is definitely out of touch because the majority of Americans are white and do not want to be black.

[annabanana]

2. Best line in your letter:

" a hand-full of Americans cling to the inane belief that homosexuals are actively recruiting, like some kind of military branch"

I laughed out loud at the very rightness of your charge. I've always wondered why they get away with this. It just sounds so absurd to 90% maybe even 98% of Americans.

edited to add: Welcome to DU :toast:

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

11. It's simple.

Christian conservatives spend all of their time demanding that everyone think, believe, and behave exactly as they do (or as they say) and so they just assume that everyone else does the same thing - hence the gay recruitment idea.

Edit: typos.

[annabanana]

13. ah HAH! . . . "projection". . of course

SOP for that crowd, I should have figured it out myself.

[tech3149]

3. If they work the Refs why shouldn't you?

Good letter! Glad to hear another voice of reason for someone in Stiilers Country.

[Warren DeMontague]

18. "The Ref" was a good movie.

Although I don't think that's what you were talking about. ;)

[Cooley Hurd]

5. Good show, Halo! Welcome to DU!

:thumbsup::hi:

[NewJeffCT]

6. great letter, and welcome to DU

some others (in addition to Independence Day) that made a lot of money...

in 2000, the #1 movie was "the Grinch"
in 1993, the #1 movie was "Jurassic Park"
in 1990, it was "Home Alone"
in 1987, Hollywood missed on the all-time classic, yet #1 with audiences for the year "Three Men & a Baby"
in fact, the 80s saw a bunch of big money makers that did not win best picture - "Beverly Hills Cop"; "Back to the Future"; "Top Gun" were all #1 in their year of release.

Oh, and welcome to DU!

[ClintonTyree]

7. The Academy Awards.........

are meant to be given to those who are innovative, creative and willing to take chances for the sake of their craft: movie making. No doubt there are movies that will out-gross the ones chosen for the Awards, but those movies rely upon tried and true methods and add nothing to the development of the craft. They are the "Wonder Bread" of cinema. If the Academy were to give awards merely for how much money they gross, the purpose of the Awards would be greatly diminished.
"The People's Choice" Awards were created just for that purpose, to honor the movies that people enjoy but don't necessarily have any creative aspects worthy of recognition.
ABC should stick to what it knows best, parroting the bush administration's lies and leave creative movie critiquing to those that know what they're doing.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

9. Oh, for FUCK'S SAKE.

Capote was about a "gay author." Yup. Nothing else interestin 'bout Capote, 'cept him bein' gay n'stuff.

[HaloKitty]

10. Update...

While the link still works, since about 9am I've been unable to find this article linked anywhere on ABCNews.com, even on their Oscar coverage page. What are the chances they suddenly had an epiphany that the whole "issue" was made-up crap? =)

Thanks everyone!

[newyawker99]

15. Hi HaloKitty!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[kevinbgoode]

12. Excellent letter! And we need to be writing ABC News

and complaining about their increasing "christian" news coverage, which appears to be about ONLY the right wing evangelical poopheads. I've noticed the same thing about their coverage, and frankly, the only way we are going to get that balanced again is to let them know we notice how the network appears to be endorsing one particular religious belief as some sort of national faith.

[msongs]

14. was wedding crashers made by hollywood? if so,

if the film made gobs of cash that maybe hollywood is actually CONNECTED and in touch with the typical
movie goer, many of whom pay high prices to sit thru what is essentially product placement trash.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/liberaltshirts.htm

[myrna minx]

16. K& R

:kick: Welcome to DU. :hi:

[Warren DeMontague]

17. Welcome to DU, Halokitty!

I think the idea that there are these millions of gay-hatin', red meat eatin', traditional values lovin', hard-core Xtian conservatives in this country who are just waiting for Hollywood and the Democratic Party to pander to them, is another corporate media lie.

Those people exist, certainly. But strictly based on their numbers, I think they're being given far too much weight to throw around politically and culturally, and not just because the nature of our system (1/50th control of the Senate to Wyoming, with 400,000 people, and 1/50th control of the Senate to California's 33+ Million) grants a higher proportional representation to 'hicks in the sticks' than it does to the overwhelmingly well-educated, accomplished, socially libertarian and progressive, mind-your-own-business folks in the cities and on the coasts, whose ingenuity powers much of our economy -- and keeps many so-called 'red states' afloat.

I think there are millions more of us in this country, straight and gay, who understand that respect begins with minding your own damn business about what your neighbor chooses to do with his or her own body.

The "traditional values" crowd gets far more attention than they deserve already. I, for one, can't fathom why so many in our party seem to think the answers to our electoral problems lie in pandering, even more than we already do, to that marginal crowd. I think the answers, if they lie anywhere, lie in adopting a no-nonsense strategy of fighting the GOP and taking tough stands (on things like a SPHC system and getting out of Iraq) and not apologizing for 'em... and also putting a stop to the widespread election theft the GOP has perfected in recent years.

Oh, yeah, and as your post addresses, the media is totally fucked, too. That's gotta be near the top of the list of the problems we need to deal with to get back on track.

Anyway, welcome aboard. I think you'll like it here. :hi:

[gatorboy]

19. I take it they didn't see Capote..

Never once does the film adress Capote being gay that I can remember. Not in an obvious manner, anyway. I personally didn't think it was that great of a film. a good film, but not Oscar worthy. The matador was much better...