Celebrities realize the ugly truth about Cancel Culture.
Love it, hate it or keep your head buried in the sand about its implications. Cancel Culture can cost you a job, your reputation and even your career.
Cancel Culture is a cultural landmine, and some stars avoid mentioning it at all costs. Others, like Seth Rogen, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/seth-rogen-comedians-should-stop-complaining-about-cancel-culture-accept-it-if-jokes-age-poorly">bow</a> to Cancel Culture dictates. Perhaps he hopes atoning for past jokes will keep the Cancel Culture mob away.
A microscopically small group of celebrities actively fight Cancel Culture and its woke implications. They correctly see it for what it is, part of a larger Marxist movement that will crush creativity, individual freedoms and more.
They’re not stupid, though. They understand the risks they invite by taking such a stand. They do it anyway, making them far more brave than the vast majority of their peers.
Here are 6 stars who stood up to defy Cancel Culture, no matter the risk.
Jon Lovitz
Not every “Saturday Night Live” alum enjoys a robust post NBC career. Do the names Melanie Hutsell, Gary Kroeger and Charles Rocket ring a bell? If they don’t, it’s because they struggled to find fame after their time on the iconic show.
There’s no shame in that. Hollywood can be brutal.
Lovitz, best known for his Tommy Flanagan “Liar” character, used “SNL” to fashion a steady career on TV and film (“A League of Their Own,” the “Hotel Transylvania” franchise, to name just a few post-“SNL” gigs). Still, he lacks the kind of career heat to insulate him from Cancel Culture cultists.
That didn’t stop him from excoriating Cancel Culture earlier this year in a Page Six interview. He even <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jon-lovitz-rips-cancel-culture-compares-it-to-mccarthyism">compared</a> the cultural scourge to McCarthyism.
The comic actor shredded those offended by jokes in the first place. 
“If you don’t have the ability to laugh at yourself, don’t go to a comedy club. I’m not changing my act. If you’re watching TV and you don’t like the show, change the channel. It’s very simple.”
Lovitz probably gained a few new enemies in Hollywood courtesy of that outburst. It’s clear he’d rather attack Cancel Culture than kiss up to those who hold it close to their chest.
<div id="attachment_248426" style="width: 625px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-248426" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-248426" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GettyImages-631240398-300x206.jpg" alt="" width="615" height="422" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/07/GettyImages-631240398-300x206.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/07/GettyImages-631240398-839x576.jpg 839w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/07/GettyImages-631240398-768x527.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/07/GettyImages-631240398.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 615px) 100vw, 615px" />Ethan Miller/Getty Images for SLS Las Vegas</div>
John Rich
The country superstar isn’t shy about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-rich-blasts-other-country-music-stars-for-their-silence-as-leftist-ideologies-aim-to-erase-what-they-care-about">sharing</a> his views on both the culture at large and his own industry.
“There are many conservative country music singers that just won’t say anything to push back against the ideologies that aim to erase what they care about. Why? You know why. I hope soon we see them start to speak up. The country music industry is out of touch with the audience.”
The Big &amp; Rich star wasn’t done. Rich turned his ire against his own industry, again, during a more recent <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/07/11/country-star-john-rich-threat-cancellation-step-deeper-cancel-culture-silencing-conservative-country-music-artists/">interview</a> with Breitbart News. He says country music insiders are more open about their liberal leanings over the past year, and it’s impacting the artists trying to work in the genre.
“They’ve started coming out more and more and the problem you get is if you’ve got artists that are conservative but their record label, their publicist, their manager, a lot of the radio stations are being overseen by liberals. We used to be able to make music and get it played and still say what we wanted to say and still get our music played but that’s not really the case now.”
He says the industry fear is so strong artists don’t even attempt to speak their minds for fear of cancellation.
“… they still want to get their records played and they still want to be invited to the award show and get the big tours and those kinds of things so is it cancel culture? No, because they’re not even stepping forward to be canceled.”
<div id="attachment_248428" style="width: 492px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-248428" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-248428" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GettyImages-507339208-300x214.jpg" alt="NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JANUARY 28: John Rich of the band Big and Rich performs at the Bridgestone Winter Park Honda Stage at IntelliCentrics Outdoor Concert Series on January 28, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon IV/Getty Images)" width="482" height="344" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/07/GettyImages-507339208-300x214.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/07/GettyImages-507339208-806x576.jpg 806w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/07/GettyImages-507339208-768x549.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/07/GettyImages-507339208.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 482px) 100vw, 482px" />Frederick Breedon IV/Getty Images</div>
Adam Carolla
The “Loveline” host turned podcast giant essentially slammed the door on a conventional Hollywood career. Sure, he’ll flirt with the mainstream now and then, witness past work on “Dancing with the Stars” and the late Spike TV.
His constant attacks on Hollywood and the woke mindset over the years made him radioactive to the powers that be.
He just doesn’t care.
Carolla carved out a creative niche all his own, from his podcast empire and stand-up work to peddling his personal line of liquor (Mangria) between gigs.
The comedian refuses to do the one thing Cancel Culture demands. Apologize. He said as much in the opening to his last book, “I’m Your Emotional Support Animal.”
He’s not immune from cancellation, though. His podcast appears on PodcastOne, a platform that could be pressured to erase his “problematic” voice. And any entrepreneur knows the line between failure and success can be wafer thin.
Still, Carolla cares more about doing comedy his way than placating his critics.
Gina Carano
The MMA fighter turned action heroine knew she was on thin social media ice last year. Her nonconformist Tweets on COVID-19, for example, caught plenty of media heat. Woke critics demanded her removal from Disney+’s “The Mandalorian.” 
Anything she shared on social media next could crush her career, and she knew it. She refused to stay silent, perhaps acknowledging her liberal peers said far worse on platforms like Instagram and Twitter sans punishment. 
Her sobering message about intolerance then … and now, a narrative tied to the rise of Nazi Germany, gave the Mouse House the excuse it craved to fire her.
Her career could have stalled, if not ended, then and there. Instead, The Daily Wire hired her to star and produce her own action movie. Without that support, Carano could find snaring gigs hard, if not impossible, with the scarlet “C” emblazoned on her.
<div id="attachment_248431" style="width: 559px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-248431" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-248431" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GettyImages-1194400200-300x235.jpg" alt="HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 16: Gina Carano attends the Premiere of Disney's &quot;Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker&quot; on December 16, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage)" width="549" height="430" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/07/GettyImages-1194400200-300x235.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/07/GettyImages-1194400200-736x576.jpg 736w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/07/GettyImages-1194400200-768x601.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/07/GettyImages-1194400200.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 549px) 100vw, 549px" />Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage</div>
Rob Schneider
Why are “SNL” alums refusing to play by the woke rules? Perhaps decades of fame gave them enough cash to survive potential blowback. More likely, working on the legendary show let them see the power, and glory, of creative freedom, and they’re not willing to give that up.
For Schneider, it means defying COVID-19 groupthink and defending free speech via platforms like Twitter. The “Real Rob” star is constantly poking the woke bear online, saluting free speech victories, slamming “totalitarian crap” and sounding the alarm about erosions on our personal liberties.
Schneider has a good thing going with Netflix. The company released his latest standup special and a third season of “Real Rob” remains a possibility. Speaking out like he does can’t be helping his career. He does it anyway.
Ricky Gervais
The British comic leans to the Left on many issues, loathes Donald Trump and would likely have voted for Joe Biden if he were an American citizen (he’s not).
So why do many conservatives cheer his every statement? When Gervais isn’t making people laugh he’s defending free speech in no uncertain terms.
He also delivered the most accurate, and withering, attack on political celebrities during his 2020 Golden Globes monologue. That alone could have, in theory, earned his industry cancellation.
<iframe title="Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes 2020 - All of his bits chained" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sR6UeVptzRg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
He does have an ace up his sleeve, though.
Like Carolla, Gervais’ free speech activism works as a shield in some ways. We all know he’s an absolutist on the issue, and he isn’t going to start apologizing for anything he’s said now. The woke mob are bullies, first and foremost, and they’re less willing to attack those eager to fight back. 
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Dana Carvey And Jon Lovitz Comedy Residency At The Foundry Inside SLS Las Vegas

6 Celebrities Who Risked Their Careers to Defy Cancel Culture 

Cancel Culture

Entertainment

Hollywood

Singer Buddy Brown once leaned on country radio to help hone his songwriting, but not in the way you’d expect.
“I used to write songs, and if I thought they could be played on country radio I’d throw them in the trash,” Brown says of his formative years as a singer-songwriter. “It needs to come from a different perspective. I never wanted to get confused with the mainstream shuffle.”
That ethos paved his way to country music stardom outside the traditional networks. No labels. No agents. Just a singer, his guitar and audiences eager for an authentic voice that just so happens to lean to the right.
Brown hit it big thanks in part to YouTube, where his acoustic strumming and unwoke lyrics snagged him a sizable crowd. Think more than 200 million views on YouTube and Facebook combined, along with 1.3 million social media followers in all.
Brown originals, often part of his “Truck Sessions” video series, generate hundreds of thousands of views. His more pointed parodies, like his riff on Coca-Cola diversity measures, “We Gotta Be Less White,” go viral. That track earned him north of 6 million views alone in just a few months. 
It doesn’t hurt that he’s singing about hard work, family and other all-American ideals. Yes, Brown is a conservative crooner, one who discovered that Nashville, Inc. would rather he kept that to himself.
Songs like “Back the Blue,” “That’s What I Love About Red States” and “The Coronavirus Song” (“Communist China kicked us right in the teeth”) set him far apart from the music industry groupthink.
His road to stardom doesn’t resemble the paths blazed by country pioneers of old, but he still checks some conventional boxes. His indie debut, “Mason Jar,” scored <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2014/04/01/youtube-buddy-brown/7183027/">a 34th chart position</a> on iTunes Country chart in its very first week of release.
Later, his 2016 EP, “I Call B.S. on That,” <a href="https://www.allmusic.com/artist/buddy-brown-mn0003513172/biography">debuted at number one</a> on the iTunes Country chart. The release also charted on Billboard Country.
He tried kicking off his career the old-fashioned way, knocking on music industry doors with a measure of hope. There was a catch, though. He’d have to leave his Red State ditties behind, country music executives warned him.
“You’re allowed to lean left in country music, but you’re not allowed to lean right, especially to talk about the events of the day,” he says, realizing his career would have to be forged outside the country ecosystem.
That made the climb harder, no doubt, but his family’s hardscrabble ethic helped him survive. 
“If you’re not gonna outwork the competition, you won’t last a day in this thing,” says Brown, who once spoke to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2014/04/01/youtube-buddy-brown/7183027/">more than 1,000 fans</a> on the phone in the days leading up to “Mason Jar’s” release.
It took a couple of releases for Brown to find his authentic voice, but once he did his fan base ballooned. 
“If you’re being honest [with your songwriting] you just don’t care anymore. Sticking to your guns becomes everything,” says Brown, who releases a new EP each spring.
Brown’s social media numbers speak for themselves, but so did a note from Vice President Mike Pence. The conservative star tapped Brown’s “Stop When You See a Uniform” and “Red Like Reagan” to spice up his 2020 campaign rallies.
Most musicians might hit the road, hard, at the first hint of success. Brown embraced a new media approach to his career. He figured he’d rather reach 250,000 fans a night on YouTube than play to 2,000 people at a club.
That allowed him to take “door number 3,” as he and his wife put it, meaning he could connect with fans and watch his kids’ baseball games without hurting his career. Nonstop touring just didn’t make sense, says Brown, who still tries to play a live gig each month as part of his rogue business model.
Brown mixes serious songs with parodies and social commentary on his bustling YouTube channel. It’s hard not to grin while listening to his ode to old school “Walmart Greeters,” but not everyone will agree with his stances on Critical Race Theory or gender politics (his parody “All My Exes Changed Their Sexes” flowed from his interview with The Babyon Bee).
A friend figured Brown could be bombarded with hate for his views, so he connected him with someone accustomed to that blowback.
Ted Nugent.
The Motor City Madman mentored Brown on how to keep on rockin’ without letting critics get the best of him.
Clearly, it worked.
His most recent Truck Sessions parody cover, “Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up (to Hate White Boys)” snagged 15,000 YouTube views in less than two hours online. Few singers grabbed the cultural zeitgeist quite like Brown.
Even those who loathe Brown’s politics will admit he’s not country music’s answer to Stephen Colbert. Brown’s rich singing voice wraps around more thoughtful ballads like his tribute to the U.S. Military. Other tracks find his voice more mischievous, his lyrics playful and coy.
The video versions of his work feature a smile that’s both constant and infectious.
“I don’t try to do it from a manner like I’m trying to pick a fight,” he says of his culture war ditties, adding some liberal fans cheer on his parodies, too. “I’m truly trying to bring people together.”
“I’ve got liberals in my family,” he says with a laugh. &#8220;You gotta spend Thanksgiving dinner with them … it’s about learning how to stay in the safe grounds.”
Fellow country singer Randy Houser once advised Brown going solo is the best path for someone like him. Houser had fought some ugly battles with his own label and suggested Brown avoid that fate. Besides, Houser warned him, labels suck up most of the initial revenue.
“They own you,” Brown recalls of Houser’s advice.
Brown has dipped a toe in more conventional waters, opening for veteran country stars like John Anderson. He looks back at his attempts to crack the mainstream music scene with nothing but relief.
“The biggest lesson? It’s not to listen to Nashville,” he says, noting some of the executives who warned him about being a conservative country crooner are no longer working for the same labels today.
“They really just crush a lot of people who have this dream,” he says.
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Meet The Conservative Country Singer Who Turned Down ‘Woke’ Record Labels, And Is Still Topping The Charts

Music Industry

Today’s comedians speak truth to power, unless that power wants to expand government, restrict freedoms or make us more dependent on anyone except ourselves.
Dr. Anthony Fauci checks all three boxes.
It’s why whenever he graces a late-night couch or Zoom screen the interview turns into a lovefest.
When Brad Pitt played Dr. Fauci on “Saturday Night Live” last year, the Oscar winner did all he could to idolize the flip-flopping bureaucrat, down to breaking character and ripping off his gray wig to sing his praises.
The following seven comedians approach Dr. Fauci from a decidedly different perspective. He’s a control freak who delivers mandates that often conflict with his own advice. 
So many positions! So many elements to mock for comedians willing to cut a public figure down to size! These cut-ups do just that.
JP Sears
The YouTube-based comic hasn’t met a progressive narrative he isn’t eager to smash. Safe spaces. Antifa as an anti-fascist force. Trans athletes. And, of course, Dr. Fauci as the medical guru we need now more than ever.
Sears isn’t messing around when it comes to Dr. Fauci’s serial distortions. He dubbed a video on Dr. Fauci “Public Enemy No. 1,” savaging both the doctor and Big Tech suppressing vital information tied to the pandemic.
<iframe title="Fauci - Public Enemy #1?" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QH6-seSJMBo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
That particular video offers far tougher questions than the typical late-night softball, and Dr. Fauci deserves every one of them.
K-von
This comedian leveraged his YouTube page during the pandemic, earning thousands of fresh followers in the process. How? He dared to poke fun at liberal sacred cows, including a certain NIH leader.
His “Fauci Pokey” video roasts the doctor for his signature flip flop on masking early in the pandemic. K-von nails the scratchy doc’s tone, but it’s how he assembles the damning interview footage that leaves the biggest mark.
“You take your mask off, you put three masks on and switch your advice around, you do the Dr. Fauci and keep businesses locked down, because you’re a [bleep]-in clown,” he warbles in character. 
<iframe title="The Fauci Pokey ♫ (comedian K-von sings hit new pandemic song)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HEh1PC6QAR0?start=87&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Ryan Long
No comedian attacks the woke left with more ferocity than this Canadian comic. His “When Wokes and Racists Actually Agree on Everything” is a modern-day classic. And, sadly, it gets more profound with every new Critical Race Theory revelation.
He does similar takedowns on his “Boyscast” weekly podcast, an irreverent showcase that channels the best of Howard Stern’s glory days. 
“Obviously Fauci is not gonna get caught in a rave,” Long said on one telecast, noting the 80-year-old doctor’s personal life isn’t like those suffering from lockdown overload. “He wasn’t doing s*** anyway … did your grandfather make that many changes (to his lifestyle during the lockdowns)?”
The ribbings don’t end there.
Long and co-host Danny Polishchuk torched Dr. Fauci for saying that even vaccinated people should either stay home or mask up religiously. Long even teased a sketch in which Dr. Fauci admits to his grand strategy regarding his endless, exasperating flip-flops.
”I’m such a nice guy I wanted everyone to be right, so I wanted everyone to have a turn being right,” Long cracked.
A recent recurring bit is “Based Fauci,” a Dr. Fauci-like figure who suddenly leans to the radical right. 
Tim Dillon
Dillon breaks most, if not all, of the typical comedy rules. And even a few cultural ones. He’s an openly gay man who flirts with right-of-center thinking, but he’s often impossible to pin down or predict. He’s also an aggressive truth teller, which comes in handy when Dr. Fauci enters the discussion.
He shared an inconvenient observation on Dr. Fauci during a conversation with podcaster/boxer Logan Paul.
“A guy like that’s been a nerd for 30 years,” Dillon said of Dr. Fauci. “And then this happened. And you gotta admit there was probably a little spring in his step when the cases started skyrocketing … he was walking around his house saying, ‘today’s the day I’m slinging d***.”
“He was a TikTok kid in that moment. ‘Everyone cares about me,’” he added.
That kind of irreverent humor, based on how humans operate, is verboten in most comedy arenas. Dillon doesn’t care. It’s a funny riff, and who knows how much truth is in it?
Dana Carvey
The “Saturday Night Live” alum made his Dr. Fauci impression a regular part of his new “Fantastic!” podcast. And while Carvey has never embraced the Colbert style of comedy – think mean and brimming with talking points – Carvey still digs deeper into Dr. Fauci than most peers.
He ends each Dr. Fauci bit with the doctor announcing, “Go bleep yourself,” which comes with a curious subtext. It’s certainly more biting than anything heard or seen in traditional comedy routines.
A recent podcast found Carvey warbling a new version of “My Way,” sung by Dr. Fauci. Once more the comic cut through the media haze to remind us how the doctor misled the world when it came to the pandemic’s origin.
“But when, it’s confirmed the virus escaped from a lab, I’ll haven’t any regrets, but when I had my druthers I’d hope the entire world forgets,” Carvey-as-Fauci croons.
Rob Schneider
Carvey’s former colleague at “SNL” is having a harder time finding the funny in Dr. Fauci’s antics. Schneider leans more to the right these days, noticing the corruption infiltrating modern journalism as well as Dr. Fauci’s flippity flops.
Maybe someday soon he’ll uncork a new video or stand-up routine based on the doctor’s track record. For now, he’s leveraging his Twitter account (and 930K  followers) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobSchneider/status/1402717984636882944">to send Dr. Fauci a message</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Not since the days of the former Soviet Union and their propaganda machines Pravda &amp; TASS has ‘news’ outlets like MSNBC (among most others) been such blatant Pro Government Mouthpieces. Fauci will be (rightly) tossed in the dustbin of history for the fraud he has always been. <a href="https://t.co/vbsuCvJX6W">https://t.co/vbsuCvJX6W</a>
&mdash; Rob Schneider (@RobSchneider) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobSchneider/status/1402717984636882944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Tyler Fischer
The versatile comic isn’t as well known as a Colbert or Kimmel, but few recreate Dr. Fauci’s sandpaper voice as well as Fischer. His YouTube videos featuring his impression are a consistent hoot. Try not to laugh when he says the word, “droplets.” Good luck.
Fischer’s take isn’t mean-spirited, but it mocks Dr. Fauci for his “sky is falling” rhetoric. That apparently hit a nerve on social media, since <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/tyler-fischer-interview-fauci-cuomo/">TikTok erased some of his Dr. Fauci impressions</a>.
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Premiere Of Universal Pictures’ “The Secret Life Of Pets 2” – Arrivals

7 Comedians Brave Enough To Roast Dr. Fauci 

Fauci

Remember when rock stars trashed hotel rooms, inhaled groupies like so much pot smoke and said things like, “We’re bigger than Jesus?”
Rockers once lived lives we feared, pitied and envied — all at the same time. They were raging Ids who spiked their music with hedonistic delights.
It wasn’t pretty, nor did we want our sons and daughters to emulate them. They still represented a cultural rebellion, the sense that they couldn’t be controlled.
That’s rarely the case now. Today’s rockers are more polite, less willing to offend. Mumford &amp; Sons’ Winston Marshall <a href="https://pagesix.com/2021/06/24/winston-marshall-quits-mumford-sons-to-speak-freely/">literally quit his band</a> after daring to recommend a book critiquing Antifa.
The Who’s Keith Moon hasn’t stopped spinning in his grave.
Meanwhile, the erstwhile “Boss,” Bruce Springsteen, is yukking it up with President Barack Obama on their dual podcast.
The following rockers are different. Sure, some are well into their 70s, but each clings to a semblance of their rock personas. They won’t get fooled again.
Roger Daltrey
The Who’s thunderous voice isn’t ready to retire any time soon. He’s 77, but he made waves earlier this year when he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-whos-roger-daltrey-woke-generation-creating-a-miserable-world-for-themselves">mocked today’s woke g-g-generation</a>. 
“It’s just getting harder to disseminate the truth,” Daltrey said. “It’s almost like, now we should turn the whole thing off. Go back to newsprint, go back to word of mouth, and start to read books again. It’s becoming so absurd now with AI, all the tricks it can do, and the woke generation,” he said. 
“It’s terrifying, the miserable world they’re going to create for themselves. I mean, anyone who’s lived a life and you see what they’re doing, you just know that it’s a route to nowhere. Especially when you’ve lived through the periods of a life that we’ve had the privilege to. We’ve had the golden era. There’s no doubt about that.”
Just try to cancel a rock god like Daltrey. Plus, he previously <a href="https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-whos-roger-daltry-says-brexit-wont-affect-british-musicians-as-if-we-didnt-tour-europe-before-the-f-eu-2462954">supported Brexit</a>, a stance that put him at odds with the creative community here and in Great Britain.
Ted Nugent
Where does one start? Pro Trump, hunting, free speech and a willingness to offend everyone within earshot. Even more outrageous, by rock star standards? He’s a teetotaler.
It’s one thing to be right of center in the overwhelmingly liberal music field, but Nugent takes his anti-groupthink ways to a nuclear level.
Sometimes he goes too far, at least for some right-minded souls. It’s the price to be paid for being a rebel, one who hasn’t slowed over the years. Oh, and he’s also chums with socialist rocker Tom Morello, a credit to both men given their disparate views.
Van Morrison
The ageless troubadour became an unlikely hero for anti-lockdown critics. Morrison penned several songs last year detailing his objections to the draconian measures, worried they would cripple live music (they did) and leave a dramatic wake of damage in its wake (yes, again, as we assess how helpful said lockdowns were).
The music industry, including the press, didn’t take kindly to Morrison’s warnings. They couldn’t stop his rebellious nature, nor his willingness to ignore the COVID-19 groupthink.
Agree? Disagree? It’s hard to do the latter when Morrison is exploring the erosion of <a href="https://www.nme.com/news/music/van-morrison-blames-lack-of-free-speech-for-backlash-against-anti-lockdown-songs-2928581">free expression in the western world</a>.
“Just as there should be freedom of the press, there should be freedom of speech, and at the minute it feels like that is not in the framework. If you do songs that are an expression of freedom of speech you get a very negative reaction.”
That shouldn’t be a rare comment from the rock n’ roll community. It is, though, making Morrison a hero for simply stating it.
Eric Clapton 
Mr. Slowhand himself teamed up with Morrison for some of the singer’s anti-lockdown songs last year. Clapton took his free speech campaign further this year after he reported suffering serious side effects from the AstraZeneca vaccine.
According to the rocker, the first dose caused serious issues, but they abated after 10 weeks. The second jab proved far worse.
“About six weeks later I was offered and took the second AZ shot, but with a little more knowledge of the dangers. Needless to say the reactions were disastrous, my hands and feet were either frozen, numb or burning, and pretty much useless for two weeks, I feared I would never play again, (I suffer with peripheral neuropathy and should never have gone near the needle.) But the propaganda said the vaccine was safe for everyone…”
Clapton indirectly went public with his thoughts, and he quickly lost some friends in the music community as a result.
Did he back down? No. Instead, his most recent song with Morrison asks, “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfWl3ijpmrQ">Where Have the Rebels Gone?</a>” It’s a darn good question.
Alice Cooper
Why would you ask an aging rocker, one known for his ghoulish on-stage antics, for political advice?
Cooper couldn’t agree more, one reason he retains some of his rebellious nature into his 70s. The “School’s Out” singer once vowed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/dec/29/alice-cooper-i-want-my-shows-to-take-you-as-far-away-as-possible-from-politics-">never to preach from his rock pulpit</a>.
&#8220;I don’t like to mix politics and rock’n’roll. I don’t look at Bono, Sting and Bruce Springsteen as political. I look at them as being humanitarian. I’ll contribute to anything humanitarian. Helping people who can’t help themselves. But when musicians are telling people who to vote for, I think that’s an abuse of power. You’re telling your fans not to think for themselves, just to think like you. Rock’n’roll is about freedom – and that’s not freedom.&#8221;
Gene Simmons
No one self promotes quite like the KISS rocker. He’s also good at defying expectations, standing up for Israel and reaching out to the men and women in blue.
Earlier this year Simmons <a href="https://www.wcvb.com/article/gene-simmons-of-kiss-gives-shoutout-to-somerset-massachusetts-police-officer-for-act-of-kindness/35110734">praised a Massachusetts cop</a> for showing empathy in the line of duty. The former Chaim Witz is a loud and proud defender of the Jewish state. He’s also willing to question the Left’s open borders mantra. He once wondered aloud if allowing wave after wave of illegaly immigrants into the U.S. is sustainable, without giving his direct opinion on the matter.
He also tweaked the Pope on that issue, acknowledging Pope Francis’ call to end “<a href="https://www.cjnews.com/perspectives/gene-simmons-immigrants-us-interesting">inhumane</a>” walls in the Trump tradition.
“The Vatican,” he said, “has a nice, big wall around it for the same reason. They want to keep people out.”
John Lydon
It takes a thick skin to be an openly conservative musician in the modern age. The former Sex Pistols singer takes that stance to a <a href="https://consequence.net/2020/11/johnny-rotten-sex-pistols-trump-good-morning-britian/">whole new level.</a> He’s publicly bashed the Democrats, excoriated the sorry state of California and threw his unequivocal support behind then-President Donald Trump.
‘nuff said. 
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

23rd Annual Race To Erase MS Gala – Show

7 Rock Stars Who’ve Stood Up To The PC Police

Music

“Saturday Night Live,” like the current late-night landscape, is beholden to the Left. That means few, if any cutting jokes aimed at President Joe Biden, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or, heaven forbid, Hunter Biden. 
Yet some “SNL” alum did more than escape the show’s ideological tractor beam. They either carved out a new identity as a right-of-center mind or simply question the progressive groupthink on free speech, Big Tech and other hot button issues. 
Either way, the following “SNL” alum would be a lousy fit in the current “SNL” version, and that’s a compliment. 
Norm Macdonald 
He’s one of the more respected stand-up comedians on the scene, and he famously got the “SNL” boot after telling one too many jokes about O.J. Simpson. He’s politically hard to track down, but Macdonald isn’t woke, nor does he pull many punches. 
He did apologize for saying the wrong thing just as the MeToo movement kicked off, but otherwise he’s a far cry from the modern “SNL” player too timid to step on anyone’s toes (save Republican feet). 
Heck, just being firmly apolitical (his mantra for his recent Netflix talk show) is often considered both political and conservative in the current climate. 
<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/why-norm-macdonalds-new-talk-show-wont-target-trump-1141832/">Here</a>, he defends why his show wouldn’t do what every other comedian was attempting at the time &#8211; take down President Trump. He even defended late night star Jimmy Fallon for allegedly “humanizing” Trump during the 2016 campaign.
“If you have the nominee to be president on your show and he is your guest, then he is your guest. Don’t have him on the show if you don’t want him.” 
<div id="attachment_235976" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-235976" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-235976" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/GettyImages-854982238-300x195.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="390" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/06/GettyImages-854982238-300x195.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/06/GettyImages-854982238-887x576.jpg 887w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/06/GettyImages-854982238-768x499.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/06/GettyImages-854982238.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic</div>
Rob Schneider 
“Deuce Bigalow” sounds like an odd fit for the conservative camp, and the “Real Rob” star isn’t a rock-ribbed Republican. He just sounds a lot like one today. He’s a passionate defender of free speech, loathes Big Government overreach and thinks Dr. Anthony Fauci is a fraud. 
Free speech is suddenly a conservative value, and Dr. Fauci’s reign of error should be clear to anyone, left, center or right. 
So Schneider’s Twitter feed might overlap with what Donald Trump Jr. might say now and then, and that’s probably because Schneider’s eyes and ears are working properly of late. 
Here, he shared a Glenn Greenwald Tweet about Dr. Fauci’s changing story on COVID-19’s origins and how Facebook, et al, covered up what we know suspect to be the truth. 
“That’s why censorship is the real threat to Democracy. And why monopolistic Tech companies will eventually get regulated after 2022 when the Republicans retake both houses of Congress. The fact that Dems want even more censorship is troubling.” 
<a href="https://twitter.com/RobSchneider/status/1405188954802909187?s=20">https://twitter.com/RobSchneider/status/1405188954802909187 </a>
<div id="attachment_235977" style="width: 585px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-235977" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-235977" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/GettyImages-491877907-300x213.jpg" alt="" width="575" height="408" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/06/GettyImages-491877907-300x213.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/06/GettyImages-491877907-812x576.jpg 812w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/06/GettyImages-491877907-768x545.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/06/GettyImages-491877907.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 575px) 100vw, 575px" />Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Bud Light</div>
Dennis Miller 
The Weekend Update’s gold standard is openly partisan – a smart, right-of-center soul who remains socially liberal. Miller employed his recently ended podcast to rally the Right against “bib adjacent” Joe Biden. It’s arguably the funniest dig at Biden to date, and only someone like Miller could have penned it.
Here’s Miller <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/dennis-miller-jokes-eating-steaks-marinated-hydroxychloroquine-hannity-1498267">talking</a> about Biden’s apparent mental decline. 
&#8220;I know he lost his fastball, but I&#8217;ve been watching him lately. I think he&#8217;s lost his curve, I think he lost his slider and I think he&#8217;s wearing his cup as an N95 mask at this point.&#8221; 
Miller’s brand of political comedy remains powerful, but it lacks the fury and rage of a Colbert or Kimmel. He routinely yukked it up with liberal stars on his podcast and radio show, but he avoided insulting his guests or forcing them into uncomfortable political fights. It’s why his voice is sorely missed at the moment. 
Joe Piscopo 
Miller’s ideological cousin is now a radio show host working the New York City beat. The old school “SNL” player has been openly conservative for some time now, and he uses his platform to spread his views without hesitation. His “SNL” days found him doing celebrity impressions, but in recent years he supported Donald Trump and flirted with a run for New Jersey governor. 
The comic did incorrectly predict a second Trump term in October, <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/snl-ensuring-trump-landslide-victory-piscopo">saying</a> the president’s enemies would seal the victory. 
&#8216;The more that they go after Donald Trump the more they will ensure a victory&#8217; 
Victoria Jackson 
Like Piscopo, Jackson embraced the right after leaving the NBC series that made her famous. She celebrated the Tea Party movement, openly shared her Christian views and skewered President Barack Obama in ways that alienated her from the mainstream. She created a stir after calling him part of the Muslim Brotherhood, among other incendiary charges. 
“Muslim Brotherhood is controlling all of the Middle East except Israel and they are now in all of our highest positions, including the president,” Jackson said. “I said to this guy, the FBI guy, do you think Obama’s a Muslim? And he said, well, the facts are that all of his policies side with the Muslims and are against Israel. That’s just a fact.” 
Jackson battled breast cancer in recent years but appears to have made a full recovery. 
<div id="attachment_235978" style="width: 463px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-235978" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-235978" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/GettyImages-631240398-300x206.jpg" alt="" width="453" height="311" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/06/GettyImages-631240398-300x206.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/06/GettyImages-631240398-839x576.jpg 839w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/06/GettyImages-631240398-768x527.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/06/GettyImages-631240398.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 453px) 100vw, 453px" />Ethan Miller/Getty Images for SLS Las Vegas</div>
Jon Lovitz 
Owning a business will give you a crash course in conservatism … and reality. It’s likely what fed into Lovitz’s transformation. The versatile comic made waves recently by comparing Cancel Culture to the blacklist of yore. Before that, he skewered President Barack Obama for promoting class warfare, called himself a Kennedy Democrat in 2017 and mocked current cast members for recoiling at the notion of Elon Musk hosting the show. 
&#8220;For everyone @nbcsnl who isn&#8217;t sure about the host&#8230; Don&#8217;t forget where you were before you got the show. We are all extraordinarily lucky to have been on it,&#8221; Lovitz <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/jon-lovitz-snl-elon-musk">tweeted.</a> 
Maybe it started way back in 2012, when he <a href="https://twitter.com/realjonlovitz/status/230496660789264386?lang=en">Tweeted</a>, “I find it so odd that I&#8217;m a liberal and yet only the conservatives get I&#8217;m joking. And the liberals take everything literally.” 
Colin Quinn
The former “Remote Control” cutup had a short stint on “Saturday Night Live,” one that didn’t fully reflect his talents. 
His post “SNL” career has been more rewarding, likely for himself and certainly for us. He’s carved out a respectable position as a neutral arbiter of both comedy and politics with specials like “Red State Blue State” and “Unconstitutional.” He’s a self-identified Democrat who votes for the “middle” candidate when possible. 
And, while nearly all his peers were savaging President Trump, Quinn noted the leader’s flaws but acknowledged he exists for a reason. 
Quinn loathes Cancel Culture and the new restrictions on comedy. 
&#8220;Comedy&#8217;s never positive. Comedy is not talking about the lighter side. It&#8217;s talking about the people&#8217;s flaws and society&#8217;s problem. It&#8217;s not a positive thing.&#8221; 
He’s willing to listen to both sides of the aisle without demonizing either. That’s darn near radical in today’s comedy world, but he wears it rather well. 
Dana Carvey 
Carvey’s imitations made him an “SNL” superstar and powered a brief film career thanks to the “Wayne’s World” franchise. He still does killer impressions on his “Fantastic!” podcast, including his recurring Dr. Fauci routine. 
The bit … isn’t flattering. Nor is it as mean spirited as some might want. Still, it drills down much deeper than anything you’ll hear on Colbert or Kimmel. Plus, Carvey shredded socialism during his 2016 Netflix special, “Straight White Male, 60.” 
Here, he breaks out a spot-on Sen. Bernie Sanders impression to hammer (and sickle) home his point.
“I will find people with money. I will take their money and give it to people who don’t have money,” he says. “I will find a rich prick. You look like a rich prick. I will take your money and give it to the poor bastard sitting next to ya.” 
“To me, capitalism is an Apple store. Socialism is the Department of Motor Vehicles … sweaty, pissed off workers who can’t get fired. And they laugh at you … ha, ha, ha ha … you got the wrong line you f***ing idiot.”
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Dana Carvey

Eight ‘Saturday Night Live’ Stars Who Went Rogue (And Leaned To The Right) 

Saturday Night Live

Christine Diane Teigen had it all – beauty, an uber-famous husband and the kind of cushy endorsements that could set anyone up for life.
That wasn’t enough for the woman we all know as Chrissy Teigen. The former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model and Mrs. John Legend wanted to be an influencer, a queen of Instagram and more. 
Now, the flamboyant social media lifestyle that cemented her celebrity standing, has caused her downfall.
She has only herself, and her ego, to blame.
Teigen’s first modeling gig came at the age of 18, but she wouldn’t be relegated to catalog work for long. Her career took off, as she snagged more modeling assignments and television gigs on shows like “Model Employee” and “Lip Sync Battle.” 
She started a blog, “So Delushious,” scored more magazine covers and penned cooking books tied to her “Cravings.”
Teigen met Legend in 2006, when she starred as the love interest in his music video for the song “Stereo.” They became one of Hollywood’s starriest couples, and their fans even mourned with them when they lost their child to a miscarriage in 2020. 
Her social media presence, though, became her calling card. She could be funny, spicy, or snarky, and she racked up followers like few of her peers. Her current tallies? 13.5 million on Twitter, 34.9 million on Instagram.
That’s power in our digital age. And, as we’re now learning, Teigen used it repeatedly to bully some vulnerable souls.
TV personality Courtney Stodden told The Daily Beast in May that Teigen personally attacked her on Twitter in 2011. 
“I can’t wait for you to die,” the model/actress/author direct messaged Stodden, who was in her teens at the time.
Teigen publicly apologized after the revelation, but part of her mea culpa suggested the incident may not be her only example of cyber bullying.
&#8220;These were not my only mistakes and surely won&#8217;t be my last, as hard as I try but god I will try!!&#8221;
Stodden, who recently came out as non-binary, shared this reaction at the time:
&#8220;I accept her apology and forgive her … But the truth remains the same, I have never heard from her or her camp in private. In fact, she blocked me on Twitter.
&#8220;All of me wants to believe this is a sincere apology, but it feels like a public attempt to save her partnerships with Target and other brands who are realising her wokeness is a broken record.&#8221;
And, in true Cancel Culture fashion, Teigen started losing gigs after her bullying went public. She left a planned Netflix gig to <a href="https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/chrissy-teigen-bullying-never-have-i-ever-netflix-1234989246/">lend her voice to the comedy “Never Have I Ever.”</a> Target and Macy’s also stopped stocking her signature cookware line.
Teigen took the most shocking action of all for a while. She went radio silent, at least on social media. Days ago, though, she penned a <a href="https://chrissyteigen.medium.com/hi-again-3bb3faffa76d">lengthier explanation and apology</a> on Medium.
&#8220;There is simply no excuse for my past horrible tweets. My targets didn’t deserve them. No one does. Many of them needed empathy, kindness, understanding and support, not my meanness masquerading as a kind of casual, edgy humor.&#8221;
&#8220;I was a troll, full stop. And I am so sorry,&#8221; she added.
Immediately after the Medium post went live another person allegedly impacted by Teigen’s bullying stepped forward. Former “Project Runway” contestant Michael Costello said Teigen, along with her stylist, Monica Rose, targeted him in a personal manner. They allegedly did all they could to “blacklist” him in the fashion industry.
It all began after Teigen saw photoshopped images in which Costello appeared to share racist verbiage. They were fakes, and he claims he told her so at the time. She allegedly ignored his pleas, clapped back that he would never work again and meant it. (Update: In a report June 17, a representative for Teigen told Business Insider that the Instagram messages Costello posted alongside his bullying accusation showed inconsistencies and appeared to have been fabricated.)
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chrissy-teigens-team-claims-michael-costello-shared-fabricated-screenshots-of-alleged-bullying">Chrissy Teigen’s Team Claims Michael Costello Shared Fabricated Screenshots Of Alleged ‘Bullying’</a>
Costello says he started losing gigs “with no explanation,” and that the team of Teigen and Rose were likely to blame.
The duo “had gone out of their way to threaten people and brands that if they were in any shape or form associated with me, they would not work with any of them,” he wrote on his Instagram page about the alleged incident.
Teigen’s precipitous fall hasn’t been without its share of ironies. Legend previously teamed with gymnastic sensation Simone Biles to help others tune out online criticism.
Teigen led the expletive-fueled charge to boycott SoulCycle after the owner <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2019/08/07/celebs-boycott-equinox-soulcycle-trump-fundraiser-chrissy-teigen-billy-eichner/1948689001/">dared</a> to throw a fundraiser for a sitting president … President Donald Trump, that is.
She also shared more than a few woke asides over the years, like the time she insisted her young son wouldn’t grow up as another fountain of “toxic masculinity.”
&#8220;There is no &#8216;Be a man&#8217; in our house … There&#8217;s no right way to be a man, and John is so good about showing them through how he treats me how to be a good man, how to be a good father. It&#8217;s wonderful to see.&#8221;
Those progressive bona fides couldn’t protect her from the woke mob or her own sordid past. Even those who recoil at Cancel Culture in practice might think Teigen needs a dash of canceling, if not more.
The ultimate irony? The woke princess wants our forgiveness, something she offered in short supply in her own career — before it all came tumbling down.
This article has been revised to include push-back from Teigen&#8217;s team about Castello&#8217;s Instagram post. 
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

60th Annual GRAMMY Awards – Arrivals

The Rise And Spectacular Fall Of Chrissy Teigen

Chrissy Teigen

Director Julio Quintana knew he had a true story on his hands with “Blue Miracle,” but he took pains to make sure it wasn’t too true for comfort.
“If I had written this as a fictional story everyone would roll their eyes,” Quintana says of the debt-ridden orphanage rescued by a fisherman (Dennis Quaid) and some never-say-die Mexican lads. Even with a fact-based story from which to draw, the director still excised a few details that, while accurate, could make even true believers wonder about Hollywood excess.
The real head of the Casa Hogar orphanage, played by “Mayans M.C.” star Jimmy Gonzales, actually dreamed of his heroic moment just like it played out in both real life and on screen. That nugget got left behind, says Quintana, who co-wrote the film with veteran scribe Chris Dowling (“Run the Race,” “The Man From Nowhere”).
“True life seems to have some crazier things in it than fiction,” says Quintana, a filmmaker who studied under legendary director Terrence Malick earlier in his career. 
The true story behind “Blue Miracle” defied every odd it could find. The orphanage couldn’t afford entry into Bisbee’s Black &amp; Blue fishing tournament if not for an anonymous donor who ponied up for contestants who used local boats. The team’s improbable win made it the first time a Mexican squad came up victorious in the long-running tournament.
And, of course, the orphanage in question couldn’t survive much longer due to its staggering debt, a crisis made worse by a massive storm.
“Blue Miracle” may be a sports story on the surface, but the fishing perspective let Quintana steer clear of the genre’s cliches – like the inescapable training montage – while tackling meatier themes.
“It gave us the opportunity to explore the flip side of hopelessness … hope and optimism,” he says. Quintana’s personal back story offered plenty of both. 
The director’s family fled Cuba during the Castro revolution, a part of his legacy he cannot forget.
“My family was very much influenced by their experience in Cuba and the system they ran away from there,” Quintana says of the Communist government. In fact, his grandfather vowed never to return to his homeland while Fidel Castro remained alive.
Sadly, his grandfather passed the same year the Cuban dictator did, so “he never got the chance” to go back home, the director says.
Still, those family stories flavored his upbringing, and they’re never too far from his thoughts.
“Cuba and that history have been a formative influence in my life,” he says.
“Blue Miracle’s” title alone suggests it falls squarely in the faith-based movie genre, but looks can be deceiving. Both “Blue Miracle” and Quintana’s directorial debut, 2016’s “The Vessel,” with Martin Sheen, deal directly with faith, but each avoids some genre tropes.
The latter film follows a village shattered by a tidal wave which struck the town, killing 46 school-aged children in its wake. Quintana would rather tell a story than send a message. Films focusing on the latter, he says, lack the nuance great narratives demand.
“The filmmaker goes into it with a certain set of ideas that they want to come across,” he says. “It’s a trap.”
As a storyteller he’s not interested in telling people what to think. He’d rather explore challenging issues from multiple sides, allowing audiences to “take whatever they want from it.”
He got some help on the “Blue Miracle” set from its youthful cast, including Anthony Gonzalez, Nathan Arenas and Miguel Angel Garcia.
“They inject an energy, an enthusiasm and innocence into every scene they’re in,” the director says of the young actors, who were quick studies in memorizing their lines. “They’re joking around between takes … it’s easy to take your job so seriously. It’s so hard to get these movies made and have fun [at the same time].”
Quintana’s “The Vessel” graced a fair share of movie theaters during its 2016 release, while “Blue Miracle” went straight to Netflix like many movies do these days.
The film boasts eye-popping colors and wonderful vistas, but Quintana takes a pragmatic approach to bypassing theaters. More people will see “Blue Miracle” than “The Vessel,” he says.
“People who don’t have time to get to the theater now can watch it and talk about it with their family,” he says.
“Blue Miracle” co-writer Dowling says handing a script off to a collaborator can be “terrifying,” but his partnership with Quintana blazed a different path.
“Julio knew exactly what he wanted and how to pull it off … the look, characters even the color palette,” Dowling says. “He really took it off the page and brought it together in a very elevated way.”
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Premiere Of Outsider Pictures’ “The Vessel” – After Party

Hollywood Film Director Can’t Forget Family’s Escape from Castro’s Cuba

Socialism

You’d think every star in the Hollywood galaxy would be lining up against Cancel Culture.
After all, the noxious trend inhibits creativity, demands total allegiance and treats forgiveness like an incurable rash. Plus, stars behave badly like the rest of us do.
Sometimes a tad worse.
Yet for every <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/5-stars-who-stood-up-to-cancel-culture-and-5-who-bowed-down">Ricky Gervais</a> or Dave Chappelle there are others who, on the surface, salute Cancel Culture in all its insidious forms. These stars may have ulterior motives for their positions. Taken at face value, they have no problem with their peers being canceled for reasons both understandable and absurd.
<h4>Katt Williams</h4>
The veteran comic has a rap sheet that suggests he could be Canceled at any moment. <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/katt-williams-unleashes-anti-mexican-rant-heckler-phoenix-show-article-1.950941">Williams shouted racially charged insults</a> at a Mexican heckler in 2011, and got charged with assault following a 2018 airport incident. He’s been arrested at least a <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2018/10/07/katt-williams-arrested-charged-assault-driver-argument-over-dog/1558437002/">dozen times over the years</a>, from throwing a salt shaker at someone to shoplifting and verbal threats.
Now, Williams insists that Cancel <a href="https://deadline.com/2021/06/katt-williams-cancel-culture-cancellation-doesnt-have-its-own-culture-1234770093/">Culture doesn’t actually exist</a>. What does, he argues, is holding people responsible for their actions.
“Some of these things are for the benefit of everything,” Williams responded. “Nobody likes the speed limit, but it’s necessary. Nobody likes the shoulder of the road, but it’s there for a reason. My point is, [people] weren’t all that extremely funny back when they could say whatever they wanted to say.”
He also says of the people being canceled… good riddance.
“I don’t know what people got canceled that we wish we had back. Who are they? It’s done for the reasons it’s done for and it helped who it helped …If all that’s going to happen is that we have to be more sensitive in the way that we talk, isn’t that what we want anyway? I’m saying, your job as a comedian is to please the most amount of people with your art. Don’t call somebody this word when you know it affects all of these people.”
<h4>Seth Rogen</h4>
The “Knocked Up” alum became a star via bro-tastic comedies where the men-children used up all of their white privilege, to steal the far-Left’s vernacular.
Think “Superbad,” “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Pineapple Express.”
Now, he’s ready to apology for his unwoke jokes and make movies where the progressivism laps the laughs. His 2019 dud “Long Shot” proved the latter all too well.
Rogen also spends interview time regretting the laughter that lined his pockets for the past decade. He all but slaps Cancel Culture on the back and asks if he can buy it a drink.
Sound harsh? Consider what <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/2021/05/seth-rogen-comedians-complaining-cancel-culture-1234640086/">Rogen told an interviewer</a> recently while promoting his new tome, “Yearbook.” Sounds like he has no beef with maligning his own material. Call it the woke version of, “kill your darlings.”
“There are certain jokes that for sure have not aged well, but I think that’s the nature of comedy… I think conceptually those movies are sound and I think there’s a reason they’ve lasted as far as people still watching and enjoying them today. Jokes are not things that necessarily are built to last.”
He also resents comedians complaining about Cancel Culture.
“To me when I see comedians complaining about this kind of thing, I don’t understand what they’re complaining about. If you’ve made a joke that’s aged terribly, accept it. And if you don’t think it’s aged terribly, then say that.”
Is he kissing up to the woke mob, knowing they might “resurface” one of his “problematic” jokes next? Only Rogen knows for sure.
<h4>Tina Fey</h4>
The “30 Rock” alum fought back against an early version of Cancel Culture after woke scolds said her “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” show dabbled in culturally insensitive storytelling. One example? Caucasian co-star Jane Krakowski played a character on the Netflix comedy who learns she is part Native American, sparking an effort to connect with her heritage.
Fey’s response?
“<a href="https://www.vulture.com/2015/12/tina-fey-is-opting-out-of-explaining-her-jokes.html">My new goal is to not explain jokes,” Fey said before</a> theoretically dropping the mic. Even a Native-American actor on the show, Gil Birmingham, <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/gil-birmingham-interview-hell-high-water/">dismissed the criticism outright.</a>
That was in 2015. Now, months after blackface episodes of her signature “30 Rock” show got erased Fey is <a href="https://variety.com/2021/tv/features/tina-fey-mean-girls-movie-snl-1234967386/">singing a far different tune</a>.
“Everyone’s figuring out what the new rules of comedy are. They definitely have changed for the better. Trope and joke structures that were based around othering people or minimizing people, good comedy writers are challenging themselves to walk away from that.”
<h4>Levar Burton</h4>
The “Reading Rainbow” alum flirted with becoming the new “Jeopardy” host following Alex Trebek’s death at the age of 81. It could still, in theory, happen following his guest hosting gig.
That flurry of press allowed him to weigh in on a number of issues, including Cancel Culture.
“The View’s” Meghan McCain pressed Burton on the subject, given the recent cancellation of beloved author Dr. Seuss and the star’s “Reading” fame.
First, Burton downplayed how Seuss, Inc. removed six books from his collection after a likely small number of complaints of racially charged imagery emerged.
Next, the <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/levar-burton-meghan-mccain-cancel-culture_n_6086e01ce4b0ccb91c27d75d">actor defended Cancel Culture</a>, saying it’s an inappropriate name for what it actually does.
“I think we have a consequence culture, and that consequences are finally encompassing everybody in this society, whereas they haven’t been ever in this country.”
<h4>Jameela Jamil</h4>
The actress best known for her work on “The Good Place” is one of the industry’s wokest stars. So it’s no shock to hear her defend Cancel Culture … to a point.
Her take on the trend is more <a href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/09/jameela-jamil-talks-cancel-culture-in-hollywood/">nuanced than expected</a>, though. She’s mostly fed up with her fellow stars who think being critiqued is the same as being expunged from the industry.
“We need to separate what’s been canceled and what’s being called out. Celebrities are such snowflakes. They don’t know how to take criticism, because they’ve never been criticized before. So when they’ve just been called out, they’ll cry cancel culture, but that’s not very helpful because it muddies the waters to what cancellation is. Cancellation means being de-platformed, having your rights taken away, your job taken away, your finances being harmed. That mostly happens to civilians, not celebrities. I got canceled 45 times in February. All of my shows got recommissioned, I landed a huge campaign, and my book deal remains. I’m [expletive] fine.”
It’s worth noting her hard-left positions inoculate her against some, not all, of the woke mob. In other words, she might have a change of heart should she eventually share the “wrong” opinion someday.
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Seth Rogen Hosts Hilarity For Charity’s Head To Head Virtual Game Night, Presented By Biogen

5 Hollywood Stars Who Say, ‘Bring on Cancel Culture’

Jon Voight spent much of his career amassing killer performances, Oscar nominations, and the respect of moviegoers nationwide.
These days, he’s branched out into cultural commentary, without the kind of woke handcuffs embraced by the likes of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/seth-rogen-comedians-should-stop-complaining-about-cancel-culture-accept-it-if-jokes-age-poorly">Seth Rogen</a> or <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/tina-fey-woke-comedy-rules/">Tina Fey</a>.
Yes, Voight is that rare creature, an outspoken Hollywood conservative who continues to land major roles like Mickey Donovan, the ethically challenged father in Showtime’s “Ray Donovan.”
Voight’s most recent work is in “Roe v. Wade,” the pro-life feature recalling the 1973 Supreme Court fight over abortion. The superstar spoke about his early days, being an out and proud conservative and much more during <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-11-a-one-on-one-with-jon-voight/id1557742167?i=1000523145924">an hour-plus chat on “The Truth with Lisa Boothe” podcast.</a>
At 82, Voight could be slowing down or resting on his considerable laurels. He keeps chugging away, but he says his ideology does him few favors in Tinsel Town.
“It&#8217;s costing me work, of course,” he said of the industry’s left-leaning status, adding others like him typically stay silent rather than face the Blacklist-like music. “Because&#8230;people who would have common sense are afraid to be exposed for having common sense.”
Voight plays a KGB agent in the upcoming “Reagan” biopic, due next year, and it’s clear how much Communism influences his current thinking. He touched on how Hollywood and Communism haven’t been strange bedfellows over the years, and why we’re seeing a resurgence in collectivist thinking.
“You see, initially the KGB targeted the United States and, and Khrushchev said, you know, we won&#8217;t, we&#8217;ll overcome you, but we won&#8217;t do it with guns. You know, we&#8217;ll just, you&#8217;ll vote us into office,” Voight said. “That&#8217;s pretty much what&#8217;s happened. I mean, they know what they&#8217;re doing. They targeted the film industry because of its influence.”
Communists, he said, exploited America’s free speech to infiltrate and help shape enough hearts and minds to impact the culture at large.
“They used it as a tool for themselves,” he added.
He calls Communist thinking an “evil” trying to “overtake the country.”
“Why is it that people want to come to this country? Why is it that people are breaking down, you know, our borders to get to us and why is it that the people who are most concerned about us are people from- who have lived under this, this tyranny of socialism, communism, you know, across the world, people from Poland, people from Russia, people from Cuba?” he said. “We&#8217;re turning into a Venezuela and they see it.”
Voight is just as blistering when it comes to the mainstream media, which he describes as being in the pocket of the Democrats.
“Don&#8217;t journalists have any sense of pride…You see, they repeat the party line. This is just like Russia. I mean, this is just like Pravda. There&#8217;s no difference. You read the New York Times, you&#8217;re getting phony stuff,” said Voight, who has a measure of sympathy for low-level reporters doing their bosses’ bidding. “So what does a [reporter] do if he wants to feed his family and he needs to keep his job? It&#8217;s those pressures that keep it going, I think.”
Voight won’t be welcomed by social media these days, if only because he told Boothe the 2020 presidential election wasn’t on the up and up.
“There&#8217;s so much evidence that it was a stolen election. I take this back to the moment when Soros realized that Trump had been elected by the American people and he said, this is a disaster,” the actor said. “And he meant it.”
Voight shared stories of his childhood and early days in Hollywood in the early part of the conversation. He also confessed to losing his religion after starting his now-legendary show business career.
“I grew up a Catholic, and when I hit New York, I kind of lost that. You know, I kind of left that behind. And got in trouble with it, you know, got away from this understanding of God and the rules of life and stuff,” he said. “And even the examples of my parents who were admirable people, I lost my way a little bit. And then I came back around.” 
“God is real, and we have to be our better selves,” he added.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

71st Annual Golden Globe Awards – Press Room

‘Don’t Reporters Have Any Pride?’: Jon Voight Sounds Off On The Media In Exclusive Interview

Actor Dennis Quaid is getting bolder, and busier, in his golden years.
The Hollywood veteran could be coasting on his legacy, banking on nostalgia and celebrity goodwill to snag easy projects. He built plenty of both with memorable turns in “Great Balls of Fire,” “The Right Stuff,” “Traffic,” “Far From Heaven” and “Any Given Sunday.”
Instead, the 67-year-old is embracing projects that clash with current industry trends. Think spiritual films and a biopic that could leave his peers with their mouths agape.
Quaid’s nuanced turn in 2018’s “I Can Only Imagine” found him in an unabashedly faith-based feature, and his newest film, “Blue Miracle,” flirts with that genre as well. 
He stars as Wade, a washed-up fisherman tasked with saving a Mexican orphanage headed for extinction. To do so, he’ll have to win Bisbee’s Black and Blue tournament, a fishing battle royale where luck, skill and Mother Nature collide. 
The fact-based tale brims with optimism, perseverance and faith, elements he hardly shies from. In fact, that’s part of the reason he joined the Netflix feature in the first place.
“There’s been a real burgeoning of faith-based films in this country, inspirational films, if you wanna call them that,” Quaid told The Daily Wire. “These are great stories that people want to see. There’s enough negativity out there.”
“Blue Miracle” director Julio Quintana says Quaid is an underrated actor with a knack for “putting something positive into the world.”
“He follows his heart, and the audience seems to respond,” Quintana says.
The fact that the orphanage featured in the film, Casa Hogar, actually exists and the fishing championship played out as it does in the movie sweetens the story.
His character in “Blue Miracle” is hardly the heroic type at first blush. He’s cruel to strangers, initially dismisses the orphans who are banking on his fishing skills and sees their presence as his ticket into the competition, nothing more.
“He pretends to be something that he’s not … he sort of brags to the world, puts on airs,” Quaid explains, a far cry from the character’s true sense of self worth. “He’s bankrupt inside.”
When Wade confronts his own past, and the orphans’ immediate future, he starts to change.
“That’s when miracles happen,” the actor says of the forces pitted against the fisherman.
Most actors might avoid talk of “miracles” and “faith-based” inspiration. Not Quaid. Then again, his entire career is a miracle of sorts. He’s suffered more than his fair share of flops in the early going, including “Dreamscape” and “Jaws 3-D.”
A cocaine addiction, and a very public breakup with “D.O.A.” co-star and wife Meg Ryan, also threatened his career trajectory. He overcame both, proving his worth as a leading man and supporting player.
In fact, he’s repeatedly bounced back from professional lulls, surprising critics and fans alike with superlative turns in projects that depart from his screen persona. Think a brash rogue with a grin that can’t always be trusted.
Age has softened some of those distinctive traits, but they still come in handy with “Blue Miracle.”
The biggest project on his 2022 calendar may require all of his former and current strengths. Quaid previously played presidents on screen, from the fumbling leader in “American Dreamz” to Bill Clinton in the TV drama “The Special Relationship.”
Now, he’s gearing up for what could be the biggest role of his roller coaster career &#8211; the country’s 40th president.
Quaid has immersed himself in all things Ronald Reagan for the project, one that kept shooting with strict COVID-19 protocols through the early months of the year. 
“Reagan,” directed by Sean McNamara of “Soul Surfer” fame, is based on Paul Kengor&#8217;s book, “The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism.” 
The film, co-starring Nick Searcy, Penelope Ann Miller (Nancy Reagan), Menu Suvari (Jane Wyman) and Jon Voight, promises the big screen’s first full-bodied look at the Gipper’s life and presidency.
“Reagan was not a rich man … that surprised me,” the actor says of his intensive research to prepare for the role. Quaid visited the Reagan ranch, an historic venue where parts of the film are being shot. 
“The house itself was 1,700 square feet with a ‘king-sized bed’ that was two single beds strapped together with zip ties,” says Quaid, who doesn’t hide his affection for the conservative icon.
President Reagan favored principles over politics, Quaid adds, and his arrival on the national scene came when his nation needed him the most.
“We thought our best days were behind us as a people. He brought us back and won the Cold War,” he says, adding Reagan’s knack for uniting ideological foes remains part of his legacy. “There were so many ‘Reagan Democrats.’”
Quaid became a superstar in the Reagan era, a time when filmmakers didn’t worry about offending special interest groups or pulling creative punches. Today’s Hollywood is quite different thanks to Cancel Culture, but Quaid suspects the woke trend is on borrowed time.
“I think that the pendulum swings,” he says with a subtle laugh in his voice. “Cancel Culture is of the moment, but it’s not something that’s going to really be around for a long time.”
It might be hard to be optimistic about the cultural wave inhibiting artists and platforms alike, but the veteran actors says ordinary Americans “are starting to get the message” why it’s not the best way to create art.
That’s even true for those who may have cheered on the movement only to find themselves targeted by the same cultural forces, like Chrissy Teigen.
“It’ll cancel itself,” Quaid predicts, saying free speech will prevail sooner than later.
Quaid’s busy schedule leaves him little room for side projects of late. He’s already slated to appear in “Blue Miracle,” “American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story,” “The Tiger Rising” and “Born a Champion” before 2021 wraps.
He still found time to hit the studio for his latest passion project – a new album with Dennis Quaid and the Sharks. 
Audiences may know Quaid best for his acting, but from the very beginning of his career he was a double threat – actor and singer. Quaid is putting the finishing touches on a new gospel album he’s recording in Nashville, which could hit stores as early as August. His band may lean on the rock ‘n’ roll side, but he said his gospel songs are kissed with bluegrass and country flavors.
The unnamed record combines gospel tracks he wrote in the past as well as newer compositions. He left plenty of room for songs that speak directly to his heart.
The album will have “quite a few traditional gospel songs that I love and grew up with,” he says.
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Blue Miracle

‘It’ll Cancel Itself’: Dennis Quaid Rips Cancel Culture, Talks Upcoming ‘Reagan’ Biopic, New Film In Exclusive Interview

Gal Gadot discovered the nasty side of social media when she recorded “Imagine” with some famous friends last year during the pandemic. The choice of song, and the optics of the super-rich singing from their mansions, struck many as <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/gal-gadot-s-imagine-instagram-video-was-peak-cringe-year-ncna1261685">tone deaf</a>.
She probably thought her recent <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/gal-gadot-israel-palestine-controversy-1234952290/">uplifting message</a> tied to the recent Israeli-Hamas conflict would fare better. <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/gal-gadot-israel-palestine-controversy-1234952290/">She was wrong</a>, but it certainly wasn’t her fault.
Gadot was born in Israel and served in her homeland’s military before becoming Hollywood’s Wonder Woman. Her social media message following the latest Middle East fighting took a mostly apolitical stance.
“My heart breaks. My country is at war. I worry for my family, my friends. I worry for my people. This is a vicious cycle that has been going on for far too long. Israel deserves to live as a free and safe nation. Our neighbors deserve the same. I pray for the victims and their families, I pray for this unimaginable hostility to end, I pray for our leaders to find the solution so we could live side by side in peace. I pray for better days,” Gadot tweeted.
Gadot doesn’t have a ton of celebrity support when it comes to Israel’s current conflict. Many stars keep their heads down on the issue. Others, like John Oliver and Trevor Noah, even throw shade at the Jewish state.
Supporting Israel is rarely popular in Hollywood. It’s even less cool now given the industry’s far-Left stance. Still, over the years, these stars have been outspoken supporters of Israel.
Howard Stern
The self-proclaimed King Of All Media famously called himself half-Jewish early in his radio career. More recently, he’s repeatedly spoken out on Israel’s behalf in no uncertain terms.
He once savaged Roger Waters for his chronic anti-Israel rhetoric. &#8220;What is it with Roger Waters and the Jews,” Stern <a href="https://freebeacon.com/culture/stern-rips-roger-waters-as-anti-semite-israel-hater/">cried</a> in 2015 before launching into a full-throated defense of the nation.
&#8220;There are so many Arab countries and so much land around Israel that if you threw a pin in a pool, that’s what Israel is … Picture a desert with no natural resources, no water, no oil. It was a s***hole that nomads would essentially walk over. So they figured, where’s the one place they can stick Jews where no one will be offended.&#8221;
The previous year he all but demanded more Hollywood stars defend the beleaguered nation.
“They’re all afraid,” he <a href="https://jewishjournal.com/commentary/opinion/rob_eshman/131441/">suggested</a>.
He also slammed young pop singer Lorde in 2018 for turning down the chance to perform in Israel, suggesting she bowed to pressure from the BDS movement.
“Lorde is gonna play Russia. She has no problem with Russia. The only place she can’t play is Israel. What’s the one thing about Israel that’s different than all other places? There’s Jews there,” he <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/howard-stern-lorde-roger-waters-israel/">said</a>.
Jon Bon Jovi
The hair band rocker capped his 2019 world tour by <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/bon-jovi-gives-love-for-israel-a-good-name-596875">performing</a> at Tel Aviv’s Park HaYarkon venue, with 45,000 fans in attendance. Working with Live Nation Israel, Bon Jovi ducked the BDS movement’s attempt to keep singers out of the Jewish nation.
“Well, good evening, Tel Aviv. I told you we’d be back. We have a lot of catching up to do. I’m not going to do a lot of talking.”
“No one will cancel my show,” he <a href="https://www.cufi.org.uk/news/bon-jovi-performs-in-israel-tells-boycotters-i-chose-israel-no-one-will-cancel-my-show/">added</a> off stage.
It wasn’t his only goodwill gesture toward Israel. Days before the concert the rocker visited with an Israeli woman, a hardcore Bon Jovi fan, suffering from breast cancer. She wasn’t healthy enough to attend the show due to her treatments, but the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer <a href="https://forward.com/schmooze/428832/bon-jovi-made-time-in-israel-to-meet-israeli-superfan-who-is-battling/">visited</a> her anyway, snapping pictures and giving her a memory she’ll never forget.
Gene Simmons
The KISS frontman has plenty of reasons to love Israel.
He was born there, for starters. The rocker’s real name: Chaim Witz. His mother is a Holocaust survivor, providing another bond to the nation and his family’s Jewish heritage. Simmons previously <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/1.5140478">slammed</a> those who boycott Israel and often brings his iconic band to the country’s rock venues.
More recently, he shared a Tweet about Israel giving doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to Palestinians.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Israel to give some coronavirus vaccines to Palestinians &#8211; ABC News <a href="https://t.co/FvCtR82SM0">https://t.co/FvCtR82SM0</a>
&mdash; Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) <a href="https://twitter.com/genesimmons/status/1356014650379264006?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Jon Voight
The “Ray Donovan” standout is a Hollywood legend and one of the most outspoken conservatives in the industry. He’s also unafraid of defending Israel, even against some within his acting community.
He wrote a guest <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/jon-voight-pens-letter-ignorant-723007/">column</a> in The Hollywood Reporter in 2014 blasting Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz for <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/penelope-cruz-clarifies-stance-israel-722367/">calling</a> Israel’s military actions against Hamas something akin to genocide.
“You should hang your heads in shame,” Voight wrote to the pair, both of whom backpedaled from their original stance.
Madonna
The Material Girl caught heat from pro-Palestinian activists when she decided to perform at the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv.
She sang all the same, striving to be as apolitical as possible during the kerfuffle.
“I’ll never stop playing music to suit someone’s political agenda nor will I stop speaking out against violations of human rights wherever in the world they may be,” Madonna <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2019/5/14/madonna-defends-decision-to-perform-at-eurovision-in-israel">said</a> in a statement supplied to Reuters.
It wasn’t the first time Madonna brought her act to the nation. Seven years prior, the pop superstar kicked off her MDNA world tour in Ramat Gan stadium near Tel Aviv.
Bill Maher
He’s the man behind “Religulous,” the 2008 documentary trashing organized religion, but the “Real Time with Bill Maher” host still isn’t willing to side with Waters or other Israel critics.
He <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-maher-anti-israel-boycott-bds-movement-a-bulls-purity-test-2019-8">blasted</a> both the BDS movement and some of its most vocal backers in 2019, including members of the far-Left “Squad.”
&#8220;It&#8217;s a bulls*** purity test by people who want to appear woke but actually slept through history class,&#8221; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EHlj5nAxJM">Maher told his HBO audience.</a>
Squad member Rep. Rashida Tlaib <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2019/08/22/bill-maher-mocks-rashida-tlaibs-boycott-after-they-disagree-bds/2081837001/">responded</a> by demanding people boycott Maher’s show, to little success.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Tons of Rock 2019

These 6 Stars Unapologetically Support Israel

Israel

“Roe v. Wade” faced a crush of <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/secret-roe-v-wade-film-now-shooting-new-orleans-1124557/">challenges</a> in the run-up to its April release date, from crew members quitting mid-production to secured locations suddenly preventing the crew from working on their property.
That’s only part of the story, according to two figures behind a film that takes a pro-life perspective on the infamous 1973 Supreme Court abortion decision. They allege the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) attempted to crush the film before it could reach the public, a charge the union vigorously denies.
Nick Loeb, who stars in “Roe v. Wade” as well as co-writing and co-directing the feature, says he initially kept quiet about the matter.
“We were so scared to talk about it … you know how powerful SAG is,” Loeb says. So why open up about the matter now?
“We’ve got nothing to lose,” says Loeb, whose film has been available on major streaming platforms like iTunes and Amazon for the last few weeks. “The story needs to be told.”
Loeb says SAG assigned a representative to work with “Roe v. Wade,” a standard practice in the industry. Though he didn’t know the background of the SAG person assigned to his film initially, he later learned she was Pearl Brady, who doubles as a volunteer clinic escort for Planned Parenthood.
Brady’s <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/pearl-brady-she-her-6a3b571b7/">LinkedIn page</a> confirms her ties to both SAG and Planned Parenthood. SAG did not return a request for comment on why Brady was assigned to rep “Roe v. Wade” given her <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/witness-the-trauma-of-abortion-clinic-harassment-in-virtual-reality_n_59258870e4b0650cc020a068">personal history</a> and the film’s subject matter.
Loeb says SAG routinely requires productions like “Roe v. Wade” to set up a deposit early on in production to ensure enough money exists for actors to be compensated for their work.
“They wanted an exorbitant deposit, which isn’t normal,” he says.
While that situation was being discussed, he says SAG reached out to the agents of several cast members, warning them the production wasn’t in compliance with SAG rules. One actress, a younger star from a famous film family, left the production due to those calls, Loeb alleges.
“Older guys, like [‘Roe v. Wade’ co-star] Jon Voight … they know the game. They didn’t give a f***,” Loeb says. It still hurt the production. “We had to scramble and call everybody and say we are in compliance.”
The SAG pressure didn’t end there, according to Loeb, who explained that SAG representatives usually spend a limited time on set to ensure stars are being treated fairly.
“Then you never hear from them again. Not on our movie,” says Loeb, who previously worked as an actor before trying on multiple hats for “Roe v. Wade.”
The SAG representative repeatedly showed up on the set, at one point alleging two crew members were illegally acting in the film, which Loeb says wasn’t true.
SAG fined the production just south of $500,000 as a result, claiming the film couldn’t be released until the sum had been paid.
Contacted by The Daily Wire, SAG denied Loeb’s charges “categorically.”
“Furthermore, this project started production several years ago, and this is the first we have heard of these baseless claims. The production in question also violated several terms of our contract during production including non-payment of performers and still has several active claims for non-payment with our legal department. The union is legally required to take a serious interest in productions that can&#8217;t even make basic wage payments to our members by monitoring them through set visits and other means,&#8221; SAG said in a statement sent to The Daily Wire.
A second “Roe v. Wade” source, one close to the production, backs up Loeb’s claims.
“I’ve been doing this for 15 years, and I’ve never had an issue with SAG … maybe extra paper work, but nothing contentious, just pushing papers,” the source said.
The source says SAG reprimanded the “Roe v. Wade” production for offering walk-on roles for the film to those who took part in a crowdfunding effort to bolster the film’s budget. The production took down the offer but pointed out that other projects had offered similar perks, like the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2014/03/12/kickstarter-funding-brings-veronica-mars-movie-to-life.html">crowdfunded</a> “Veronica Mars” film.
“We were in our right to do so … but we did take it down,” the source says.
At one point, the source reached out to Brady to iron out some of the issues enveloping the film, but that conversation went poorly.
“She started screaming at me, [saying] she has 10 other more important projects to deal with. She didn’t have the time putting so much energy into ours,” the source says. “I’ve never gotten into a conflict with a SAG rep before .. it was extraordinary.”
Brady’s pro-choice work seemed like a conflict given the tone of “Roe v. Wade,” which the film’s team told SAG.
“We notified SAG of her bias … they elevated our project to her boss, her boss would deal with it .. the harassment didn’t end,” the source says. “One SAG rep spent the entire day [on the set], interrogating some of our cast members. ‘Are you being mistreated?’”
“It’s been a complete nightmare,” the source says. “SAG had the power to block our release. It’s most powerful union in the entertainment industry.”
One matter is beyond debate. “Roe v. Wade” faced obstacles unlike most feature films. 
When reached for comment, SAG-AFTRA Chief Contracts officer Ray Rodriguez said:
<blockquote>In order to protect our staff against harassment and defamation, we will neither confirm nor deny the involvement of any particular staff person.  We will confirm, however,  that this picture&#8211;along with the many thousands of similar projects we sign each year&#8211;was handled in the ordinary course by the staff who are normally assigned to work on this type of production.  Throughout the process, this production has been consistently uncooperative and difficult to work with and has resisted compliance with basic rules that are applied equally to all productions (e.g., you are required to pay your cast).  We regard it as unfortunate when our staff must use valuable time to enforce common-sense rules that competent producers should observe without having to be told. This accusation is an attempt to deflect from the real issue: non-payment to performers of their salaries.</blockquote>
Editor&#8217;s note: This article has been updated to include an additional comment from SAG.
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="http://www.hollywoodintoto.com/">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto?lang=en">@HollywoodInToto</a>. 
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Christian Toto