FX’s “Impeachment: American Crime Story” tries to correct the cultural record regarding Monica Lewinsky from a post-MeToo lens.
Tell that to Paula Jones.
The limited series, featuring Lewinsky as a producer, revisits President Bill Clinton’s impeachment scandal, one that nearly derailed his presidency. The same culture that relentlessly mocked Lewinsky at the time is now putting her in charge of its retelling. She even got to walk the red carpet to promote the saga.
“All that matters to me is what [Lewinsky] thinks,” Beanie Feldstein, cast as Lewinsky in the series, <a href="https://variety.com/2021/scene/news/monica-lewinsky-sarah-paulson-beanie-feldstein-impeachment-american-crime-story-1235054553/">told</a> The Hollywood Reporter about her performance.
Except Jones, played by actress Annaleigh Ashford in the series, isn’t happy with “Impeachment.” 
Jones sued President Clinton in 1994, claiming the then-Arkansas Governor exposed himself to her and requested oral sex in 1991 while she served as a state employee.
That suit empowered independent counsel Kenneth Starr to expand his Clinton investigation, eventually encompassing Lewinsky’s affair with the Commander in Chief.
Jones told “Inside Edition” on Sept. 14 that “Impeachment’s” version of her is both cartoonish and inaccurate. Worse, neither the production nor Ashford reached out to get her side of the story. Actors routinely connect with the real people they play on screen to prepare for the part.
Jones specifically mentioned a scene in which her husband asks for a role on a TV show amid the lawsuit. &#8220;That is so far from the truth,&#8221; she <a href="https://people.com/tv/paula-jones-slams-her-portrayal-in-impeachment-inaccurate/">told</a> Inside Edition of the scene.  
It’s ironic that “Inside Edition” conducted an insulting interview with Jones back in 1998, during which anchor Deborah Norville uncorked this question to her.
“With all due respect, why would Bill Clinton care about you? So you turned him down,” Norville <a href="https://www.insideedition.com/clinton-accuser-paula-jones-is-unhappy-about-her-portrayal-in-fxs-impeachment-american-crime-story">asked</a>.
Media outlets have praised “Impeachment” for allowing Lewinsky to reclaim her voice, her public persona. Yet the reaction to Jones’ complaints, which aired weeks ago, generated scant media attention.
Few complained that she didn’t get a say in the finished product, or that the culture treated her poorly, too, during the height of the scandal. It’s hard to forget how former Clinton advisor James Carville <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/19/bill-clintons-accusers-me-to">described</a> Jones back then: “If you drag a $100 bill through a trailer park, you never know what you’ll find.” 
Jones, like Lewinsky, didn’t deserve what she endured in the late 1990s. Yet Hollywood appears comfortable letting her suffer a second wave of humiliation, courtesy of prolific TV producer/activist Ryan Murphy, a main producer on “Impeachment.”
It’s part of a larger pattern of inconsistency in La La Land, particularly in the post-MeToo era. We just witnessed the collapse of Time’s Up, a nonprofit created in the wake of producer Harvey Weinstein’s 2017 downfall.
Major Hollywood starlets, including Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, and Jennifer Lawrence, supported the group engineered to aid sexual assault victims and fight gender inequity.
The group’s fuzzy financial picture drew some scrutiny, but the final straw came when its leadership <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/times-up-cuomo-harassment/2021/08/25/d4f9616e-05b9-11ec-8c3f-3526f81b233b_story.html">helped</a> shield Gov. Andrew Cuomo against accusations of sexual improprieties.
The same stars who rallied behind Time’s Up fell whisper silent as that news broke, even when this reporter directly asked some for comment. 
Then again, they similarly said little when accuser after accuser shared their painful stories about Gov. Cuomo’s alleged behavior last year.
It’s not the only time Hollywood feminists displayed a curious approach to supporting “all women” post-Weinstein. 
Celebrities railed against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 after Christine Blasey Ford alleged he assaulted her in 1982. Amy Schumer and Emily Ratajkowski purposefully got themselves <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2018/10/04/amy-schumer-protests-kavanaugh-tells-cops-yes-wants-arrested/1525322002/">arrested</a> to protest Kavanaugh’s nomination.
The same stars stood down, though, when Tara Reade accused then-candidate Joe Biden last year of sexually assaulting her in 1993, providing far more <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/clip-surfaces-of-tara-reades-mother-phoning-into-larry-king-live-alluding-to-biden-assault-claim">details</a> to buttress her story than Ford ever did.
The industry’s “Believe All Women” mantra faded to black while Biden’s campaign continued. 
Many feminists similarly stood down in the late 1990s rather than excoriate President Clinton during the impeachment scandal, Hollywood starlets included. 
They’re doing it again by not rushing to Jones’ side today. 
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>.

Hollywood’s #MeToo Hypocrisy Is Back On Center Stage

Entertainment

Readers Pass

Vaccine mandates are the newest cause celebre in La La Land.
Late night hosts are praising President Joe Biden for making them mandatory for businesses with more than 100 employees. Stars are doing all they can to promote vaccines in general, with a vaccinated but sickly Chris Rock joining that chorus this week.
Not every star wants vaccine mandates though, even if they risk the media’s wrath for admitting that.
The following seven stars are putting the brakes on any mandate talk. They don’t share the same reasons for their positions, and a few embrace shaky science along the way. They still remind us we’re allowed to have different views for critical discussions where all the facts have yet to be revealed.
Nicki Minaj
The hip-hop queen caused a kerfuffle when she shared a story of her cousin’s friend who she claims endured extreme testicular growth after receiving the vaccine. 
Anecdotes aside, Minaj also spoke out in favor of making up her own mind on getting the vaccine, challenging the progressive groupthink in the process.
&#8220;Pray about it,&#8221; she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nicki-minaj-skips-met-gala-over-vaccine-mandate-gets-into-twitter-fight-with-msnbcs-joy-reid">said</a>. “Don&#8217;t be bullied.&#8221;
That matters far more than her cousin&#8217;s story. So does her advice for fans to do their own research before moving forward.
<div id="attachment_290941" style="width: 710px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-290941" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-290941" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-177314882-300x206.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 22: Nicki Minaj onstage at the 2013 BMI R&amp;B/Hip-Hop Awards at Hammerstein Ballroom on August 22, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for BMI)" width="700" height="480" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/09/GettyImages-177314882-300x206.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/09/GettyImages-177314882-841x576.jpg 841w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/09/GettyImages-177314882-768x526.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/09/GettyImages-177314882-1536x1052.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/09/GettyImages-177314882-2048x1403.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for BMI</div>
Doutzen Kroes
Supermodel Doutzen Kroes started the fireworks by sharing an Instagram message suggesting some tried to “force” her to be vaccinated. 
&#8220;I will not be forced to prove my health to participate in society,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;I will not accept exclusion of people based on their medical status.
&#8220;Freedom of speech is a right worth fighting for but we can only solve this united in peace and love! Pass on the torch of hope and love and speak your truth.&#8221;
The backlash proved palpable, but Kroes&#8217; pal Gisele Bündchen cautioned against any pitchfork wielding cyber-mobs aimed at her friend.
&#8220;I can&#8217;t believe the hate being directed at her because she expressed her feelings. It saddens me to see all the judgment and the lack of empathy in so many peoples hearts. Hate is not the answer.”
Rob Schneider
The “Real Rob” star leveraged his Twitter flock to rage, rage against the vaccines themselves. Suffice to say he’s not keen on anything related to the word “mandate” at this point.
Schneider, who has veered to the Right since leaving “Saturday Night Live,” <a href="https://pagesix.com/2021/07/13/rob-schneider-blasts-covid-19-vaccines/">dubbed</a> the vaccines “unapproved experimental gene therapy” on Twitter in July.
<div id="attachment_290947" style="width: 710px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-290947" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-290947" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-854982238-300x195.jpg" alt="LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 27: Actor Rob Schneider attends the premiere of &quot;Flatliners&quot; at The Theatre at Ace Hotel on September 27, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)" width="700" height="455" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/09/GettyImages-854982238-300x195.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/09/GettyImages-854982238-887x576.jpg 887w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/09/GettyImages-854982238-768x499.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/09/GettyImages-854982238-1536x997.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/09/GettyImages-854982238-2048x1330.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic</div>
Jim Breuer
The comic known as “Goat Boy” on “Saturday Night Live” isn’t one to stir controversy. He’s cleaned up his comedy act in recent years, hoping to bring a more positive energy to his craft. Breuer is a touring comic, first and foremost, but the current vaccine debate clearly caught his attention.
Breuer joined a very small group of comedians taking <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/snl-alum-jim-breuer-cancels-shows-at-venues-requiring-vaccine-slams-segregation">a stand</a> against mandating comedy club patrons be vaccinated … or stay home.
He used Facebook Live to tell fans he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/snl-alum-jim-breuer-cancels-shows-at-venues-requiring-vaccine-slams-segregation">canceled</a> several shows that demanded patrons show their vaccination cards. 
“What these establishments are doing are wrong. What this dictatorship is doing is wrong,” said Breuer. “I know I’m going to sacrifice a lot of money, but I’m not going to be enslaved by the system, or by money, and nor should anyone that wants to laugh or be entertained.”
Breuer told fans he previously battled COVID, as did his cancer-stricken wife and daughter.
“No matter what your feelings are on it — I don’t care if you’re vaccinated. That’s great. It’s a choice.”
Eric Clapton
The “Layla” superstar dutifully got an AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination earlier this year. The results proved frightening for the guitar legend.
He said he suffered “severe” fallout from the first jab, but the symptoms subsided after 10 days. The second dose left him unable to play the guitar, among other simple acts.
“… my hands and feet were either frozen, numb or burning, and pretty much useless for two weeks, I feared I would never play again,” Clapton wrote to a friend about the side effects.”
He eventually recovered and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eric-clapton-says-he-reserves-the-right-to-cancel-shows-at-venues-that-require-proof-of-vaccination">vowed</a> not to play any venue demanding vaccination proof to attend. Several rock sites, including Rolling Stone, mockingly reported that Clapton broke that vow when he performed at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
<div id="attachment_290949" style="width: 710px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-290949" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-290949" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-106937962-300x222.jpg" alt="LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 17: Musician Eric Clapton performs at The Prince's Trust Rock Gala 2010 supported by Novae at the Royal Albert Hall on November 17, 2010 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)" width="700" height="518" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/09/GettyImages-106937962-300x222.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/09/GettyImages-106937962-779x576.jpg 779w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/09/GettyImages-106937962-768x568.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/09/GettyImages-106937962-1536x1136.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/09/GettyImages-106937962-2048x1515.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />Chris Jackson/Getty Images</div>
Chrissie Mayr
The podcaster and comic says she leaned to the Left during her college days. Now, she’s left the Left behind and backs free speech while bashing Cancel Culture on and off stage.
She also took a stand, as did Breuer and fellow stand-up Tyler Fischer, against clubs mandating patrons be vaccinated before entering the theater. 
&#8220;I’m a blast on stage but no amount of laughter is worth your freedom and privacy. People should not be coerced, shamed, or intimidated into a medical decision just to have a night out. This is what real authoritarianism looks like. We need to stand together,” she <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrissieMayr/status/1422623060654448640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1422623060654448640%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hollywoodintoto.com%2Fchrissie-mayr-boycotts-ny-vaccine-mandates%2F">tweeted</a>.
The New York resident prefers touring with Comedians of the Compound, an extension of Anthony Cumia’s Compound Media platform, and updating her podcast.
Travis Tritt
The country superstar took a swift stand against vaccine mandates via a statement to the press. Tritt cited all-American virtues like “liberty for all” in <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/travis-tritt-likens-concert-vaccination-requirements-to-discrimination">announcing</a> he won’t play venues demanding proof of vaccination.
“If you agree that any form of discrimination should be condemned and that basic human rights are worth defending, I urge you to stand up with me and let your voices be heard. The only way these injustices can be defeated is with a unified front against them. Use your voice to stand for what is right and against what is wrong. Long live freedom!”
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>.

7 Stars Who Oppose Vaccine Mandates — Decry Groupthink

Vaccine Mandate

Imagine a documentary about Venezuela’s modern-day collapse that forgets to name-check a critical reason why.
Socialism.
Yes, the new documentary “A La Calle” essentially ignores that element of Venezuela’s decline, a shock given the film’s long running time and exhaustive detail.
The documentary, available now on HBO Max, still offers essential lessons on political corruption and humanity’s ability to rise above obstacles. What emerges is both bloated and powerful, albeit an incomplete portrait given the missing piece of the economic puzzle.
An obligatory dig at President Donald Trump late in the film, however, suggests socialism’s absence wasn’t accidental.
“A La Calle” takes a multi-year look at Venezuela, a state of affairs best captured by a single word &#8212; “hambre.” That’s hunger in English.
The locals are starving. The grocery stores can’t keep essential items like bread and diapers on the shelves. Hyper-inflation forces citizens to hand over stacks of cash to pay for necessities.
And then there’s “President” Nicolas Maduro, the dictator who bristles at the label. He’s a thick-haired thug who thinks nothing of punishing his people if it means a political win for himself.
The documentary follows the lives of several ordinary Venezuelans, resourceful souls who manage to survive Maduro’s version of socialist utopia. Some hold multiple jobs. Others do what they can to organize protests aimed at recapturing what’s been lost for too long.
Freedom.
It’s the word mentioned over and over again as we watch resistance leaders face imprisonment, and worse, for suggesting Maduro needs to go.
Young Venezuelans march on the front lines of the various protests, willing to risk their lives to regain freedom. Watching them stand up to Maduro’s police, get doused with tear gas and come back for more, is nothing short of inspirational.
And, in a way, frustrating for American viewers.
Compare them to stateside students shushing conservative speakers, crying foul over micro-aggressions and demanding segregated campus spaces in the name of “social justice.” Their toxic slactivism feels even more hollow after watching their brave Venezuelan counterparts.
The most engaging figure here is Leopoldo Lopez, a former mayor and quasi-leader of the Maduro resistance. He’s handsome and charismatic, bouncing from prison cell to house arrest during the course of the film.
Directors Nelson G. Navarrete and Maxx Caicedo give us an intimate glimpse of his suffering, sometimes via Skype or his cramped prison cell.
Why did Maduro throw Leopoldo in jail? He “incited violence.” Actually, he shared an alternative view of the country’s leadership, more than enough to separate him from his wife and children for years at a time.
One powerful scene finds Leopoldo shouting slogans from the window of his cell, as a small group of supporters gather outside. Just as captivating? Another resistance fighter describing how he used a chicken bone as a toothbrush while incarcerated.
The filmmakers shrewdly let a few Maduro supporters have their say.
“Capitalism … is the creator of poverty,” one worker tells us, after we’ve spent a good hour watching empty refrigerators and citizens stacked in line for food handouts.
At least part of the country’s media is on Team Maduro, of course, letting him broadcast his populist shtick to brainwash viewers. To hear him tell it, his fellow Venezuelans have round, full bellies thanks to him.
The film also features interim President Juan Guaidó, an inspirational resistance leader and talented politician with a populist’s touch — but he remains a minor figure thanks to Maduro’s power grab.
Would Guaido offer true hope and change? It’s unclear, but virtually anyone is better than Maduro.
“A La Calle” keeps the focus on Venezuela for most of the film, expanding the canvas only to show other countries where democracy is in retreat.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Turkey</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Syria</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">China</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Honduras</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">United States?</li>
</ul>
Yes, a quip from President Donald Trump asking China to investigate Joe Biden in 2020 is given similar gravitas to international leaders consolidating power in nefarious ways.
But what about President Hugo Chavez Frias, the revolutionary who set the socialist wheels in motion before his death in 2013? The film mostly ignores him until the 54-minute mark. Then, we’re treated to a crash course in how he tanked the economy by Harvard Professor Ricardo Hausmann.
President Chavez Frias expanded government programs as oil prices spiked, borrowed heavily despite that boom, and created a massive deficit in the process.
Does that sound familiar?
By 2012, the nation’s economy — according to the film — was “fictional and fragile.” Just don’t mention the dreaded “S” word to help explain why.
There’s much more here, from Maduro’s police bloodying protesters to his team rigging a national election after ignoring the previous one that didn’t go his way.
It’s a fascinating look at a defeated nation, but one that honors the citizens fighting for their nation’s survival.
That’s the best element of “A La Calle” &#8212; carefully framed portraits of those who won’t give up on their homeland. Their beautiful spirit, and their country’s natural splendor, suggest Maduro’s reign will end sooner than later.
Let’s hope they don’t repeat the mistakes he and Chavez Frias made that helped spark their country’s collapse when it does.
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>.

TOPSHOT-VENEZUELA-OPPOSITION-PROTEST

‘A La Calle’ : The HBO Doc On Venezuela’s Collapse That Fails To Mention Socialism

Socialism

Venezuela

There’s an art to aging gracefully, especially for the rich and famous.
We expect stars to stay forever young, while the artists themselves fight to maintain that image by any means necessary. Staying young isn’t always about appearances, though. Celebrities struggle to maintain their brands over time, even as the culture shifts under their feet. It’s what led Madonna to <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a37575648/madonna-butt-vma-2021/">don</a> an outlandish outfit over the weekend at the annual VMAs telecast.
The Material Girl, now 63, rocked a black leather bodysuit that left little to the imagination. The reaction on social media proved mixed, with many suggesting her days of barely-there wear should be behind her.
No pun intended.
The real message is clear. Once upon a time, Madonna shocked us on a regular basis to gin up publicity, separate herself from her pop peers, and, well, burnish her brand.
She was beautiful and fit, and while she remains fit to this day the image of a 60-something legend playing the sexuality card seems … desperate. She could have crushed a musical performance instead, letting fans talk about that, not her recycled shtick. And she might have done so wearing an outfit that flattered her still-svelte physique.
It’s not the first time the aging superstar tried to shock us. In recent years she’s shared naughty images on Instagram hoping to gin up some headlines. The moves feel desperate, not revolutionary. In short, her brand needs a makeover.
The same holds true for the self-described King of All Media.
Howard Stern once defied every conventional norm he could via his radio pulpit. He said all the wrong things, bucked broadcasting traditions and, of course, became an icon in the process. Even his shift to satellite radio in the early 2000s changed the game for broadcasters — then and now.
Stern isn’t the performer he once was, though. The years have seemingly reduced his edge, the signature rage he once aimed at his professional peers and Hollywood hypocrites alike. 
He’s friends with Rosie O’Donnell, for example, their age-old feud long behind them. You might say he oh, so gently went woke, adapting to the new rules regarding “problematic” barbs. That positioning likely helped him survive a 2020 cancellation attempt when his blackface past, and copious use of the “n-word,” <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/cancel-culture-howard-stern-jimmy-kimmel/">resurfaced</a>.
It’s more than that, though.
Howard went Hollywood, embracing his insider status in a way that Stern of yore would mock for weeks on end. You can sense him holding back these days, knowing a classic Stern skewering might upset his new chums.
The most depressing part? He’s now part of the media borg, the groupthink he once mocked for attacking his fighting spirit in the first place. Stern sided with an elderly presidential candidate who hid at home for much of the campaign while trashing President Donald Trump. That decision earned him fawning press coverage.
Does anyone doubt he lapped it all up? “They like me … they finally like me!” Meanwhile, longtime fans wondered who this new Howard Stern was behind the mic.
It helps explain why Stern cozied up to Trump critic and future ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo last year. Sharp observers knew Cuomo was crooked to the core. Who pens a triumphant book about pandemic leadership after his state ranked near dead-last with COVID-19 deaths?
That hypocrisy didn’t bother Stern. He chatted him up during the worst days of the pandemic as if they were old friends.
The media loved Cuomo and hated Trump. That was good enough for Howie, now a true conformist.
Didn’t anyone in Stern’s circle realize how many old New Yorkers died unnecessarily under Cuomo’s watch, a fact most knew long before the media stopped covering up for it? If so, perhaps they were afraid to share that inconvenient truth with their boss.
The “new” Stern approaches free speech differently, too.
In the 1990s Stern went to war with the FCC, outraged that his bawdy bits had to follow certain rules … or else. He was Captain Free Speech at the time. Now, it’s hard not to think he waged that war because it impacted his livelihood first and foremost.
His current status as a free speech pioneer could come in handy in the Age of Woke. Yet Stern has been mostly quiet about the Cancel Culture revolution. Instead, he’d rather lean into his cushy SiriusXM schedule, which affords him the summer off and endless vacation days.
The new, “evolved” Stern roared anew this week, and in a way it sounded like old times. He ranted about the unvaccinated among us, cursing them out and wishing them, well, death. How dare they disagree with him on a situation with many nuanced variables.
Stern even slapped Joe Rogan around, the podcaster who <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/tv/howard-stern-roasts-joe-rogan-for-taking-ivermectin-instead-of-cure-vaccine/">took over</a> the shock jock’s mantle as broadcasting&#8217;s biggest star.
“I heard Joe Rogan was saying ‘what are you busting my balls [for]? I took horse de-wormer and a doctor gave it to me.’ Well a doctor would also give you a vaccine, so why take horse-dewormer?”
The attack felt petty, like a fading athlete attacking the rookie about to replace him.
It’s ironic that a man 30-odd years older than both Madonna and Stern could teach them a thing or two on aging gracefully.
Clint Eastwood’s latest drama, “Cry Macho,” arrives via HBO Max and theaters this month. The 91-year-old legend directs and stars in a tale of a former rodeo cowboy coming to grips with his legacy and, of course, Father Time.
Eastwood looks every one of his 91 years, but he’s still making movies on his terms and flirting with the Oscar race.
Again.
Why does Eastwood endure? He knows what the public wants to see, both from him and his films. Think timeless tales that connect with our humanity, our quest to explore what it means to live in today’s world.
He’s not getting facelifts or prepping another “Dirty Harry” sequel. He’s tackling roles that fit his age and Hollywood status.
You can grow old in the public eye without sacrificing your dignity. Eastwood is doing just that, and making it look easy.
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>.

Alternative View – The 70th Annual Cannes Film Festival

Clint Eastwood Could Teach Madonna And Howard Stern a Lesson On Aging Gracefully

Hollywood

Darth Vader. Norman Bates. Hans Gruber. Karen Drexler … but you can just call her Karen.
Yes, the scourge of social media memes now has a feature film all her own, one that doubles as a Black Lives Matter recruitment film.
“Karen” is a B-movie thriller at its core, one that doesn’t have an ounce of fat on its progressive bone. It’s lean and mean when it’s not bordering on camp. The latter falls to “Orange Is the New Black” co-star Taryn Manning, hamming it up as the title villain.
By the time Manning’s face twitches with racist rage you know she’s gunning for a Razzie, not an Oscar.
Imani (Jasmine Burke) and Malik (Corey Hardrict of “The Chi” fame) just moved into an affluent Georgia suburb, their dreams of starting a family coming into sharp focus.
They’re smart, attractive, and deeply in love, and their future is bright enough to require shades.
Then they meet their new white neighbor, Karen Drexler (Manning). She’s prim, proper and impossibly nosy, the very worst kind of neighbor to have. And that’s before she starts referring to “your people” and other wildly offensive terms.
Karen hectors the new couple about HOA rules in between having black diners thrown out of restaurants for laughing too loudly. Oh, and she has a Confederate-themed soap dispenser in her house to match the old time photos of Civil War generals on the walls.
At one point she demands to speak to the manager. Of course.
She’s so Karen it hurts, and “Karen” leans hard into that sentiment. It doesn’t help that Manning looks and sounds like Rachel Dratch of “Saturday Night Live” fame, adding to the film’s campy veneer.
A smarter film might have let Karen grow into her villainy, letting her bigotry simmer until it boiled over in brutal fashion.
Nope.
She’s a monster from start to finish, which makes the events that follow hopelessly predictable.
Of course Karen has a racist brother who works in law enforcement, a plot device that essentially powers the film’s third act.
Add viral videos, a clumsy discussion on slavery’s fallout and a violent finale with very little tension and you have mediocrity gunning for social justice.
The film is set in Atlanta, a predominantly black city where almost every cop in town is white, apparently. It’s hardly the only detour from the real world, another reason the thrills rarely stick.
Burke and Hardrict, both solid, hit their marks as if appearing in a different film entirely. Their bond is sweet and real, and the arguments that grow from their attempts at parenthood prove sound.
They’re just at odds with the potboiler in play.
“Karen” is never dull, and while that feels like faint praise it isn’t in our woke age. Socially aware films can be dreadful to endure, like the 2020 dud “Antebellum,” an alleged horror film that doubled as a lecture on slavery’s repercussions. “Karen” knows what it is and delivers exactly what viewers expect given its crudely realized <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BK50TD5BdU">trailer</a>.
It’s also detached from reality, especially in the wake of the George Floyd riots. Any hint of racism in public behavior is no longer tolerated. Just ask disgraced country crooner Morgan Wallen, whose career got derailed when he used the “n-word” in private but without malice. 
So watching Karen, her racist cop brother and their goon squad behaving as if it’s still the worst of 1950s America lessens the film’s fear factor.
The film opens with a “Black Lives Matter” chalk message being scrubbed off the pavement, but the events play out like they occurred years before BLM’s ascendancy.
And yet “Karen” perfectly captures the progressive paranoia about race relations in 2021 better than most films could. In the “Karen” film universe secret societies exist to punish black Americans while protecting those who rob them of their rights. Police are to be feared at all costs, and the few honest cops are powerless to stop their crooked peers.
The screenplay, from writer/director Coke Daniels, hints at a culture with little tolerance for modern-day Karens, but it also says there’s no escape from them.
Daniels attempts to explain away some of Karen’s bigotry, but the piecemeal back story doesn’t help. What’s potentially fun is how some of the secondary players take notice of Karen being, well, a prototypical Karen.
“But what’s her real name?” Malik’s friend asks at one point, one of several snicker-worthy lines. That kind of meta commentary could have elevated the film to camp status. Too bad the film’s serious messaging won’t allow it.
Another intriguing element brought up and discarded? Karen finds Malik attractive, seeing him as a sexual object but not someone worthy of his humanity.
A few sequences are as amateurish as the worst student film. Consider a throwaway sequence where Karen’s pre-teen daughter, who has a black boyfriend (of course!), helps Imani pick up the trash Momma knocked over before Karen scolds her for helping a (black) neighbor.
The Rev. Al Sharpton might decry the film’s lack of subtlety.
“Karen” wraps with a short but overt lecture about race relations in America today, a wildly unnecessary touch given what we’ve just witnessed.
If you missed the movie’s neon light messaging by then you’ll never get it.
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 Screen Actors Guild Awards – Red Carpet

REVIEW: ‘Karen’ Is the BLM Movie Nobody Asked For

The streaming revolution is both a game changer and a fiscal time bomb.
A few years ago streaming meant seeing Netflix content before your friends and neighbors. Now? If you want to catch the latest streaming fare it requires subscribing to Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, Paramount+, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Apple TV … and that’s a partial list.
What about Shudder? Discovery+? Acorn TV? Exhausted yet, not to mention worried about balancing your budget?
One solution is leaning on the free movie and TV platforms at your disposal. There’s a catch, of course. You’ll need a solid Internet connection and a smart device of some kind. 
And, of course, you’ll need to endure commercials like when your parents watched cathode ray TV.
These commercial loads are typically less cumbersome than your average broadcast channel, though. Before long you’re watching the free movie you came to see.
It’s a small price to pay for not having to worry about another monthly fee.
Pluto TV
This ingenious platform offers a visual guide that looks like a DirecTV or Comcast menu. That makes it both familiar and easy to follow. Look closer. Pluto TV serves up a bounty of classic content, from old-school TV favorites to newer fare, like a channel dedicated to “Tosh.0” reruns. 
Unsure where to start? Try “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” “COPS,” “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders” and “Black Ink Crew.” The guide offers general categories, like Comedy, Reality and Classic TV, scratching the surface of what’s to come.
Plus, the Pluto TV lineup is always changing, growing, and the selection is so diverse there’s something for virtually any consumer.
TUBI
This mighty app offers a crush of first-rate movies, TV shows and more. Just be careful. It could take you a while to surf through the various categories – think “action horror,” “back to school,” “Bollywood dreams” and “found footage horror.” There’s even a fitness channel with recent videos and classic “Jane Fonda” workouts. 
The kids category alone offers a robust array of sub-categories, from anime to content with “horses and ponies” and “friendly monsters.”
Tubi originals like “Swim” are for diehard horror fans, but there’s enough content here to delight most audiences.
Crackle
This “veteran” platform made waves by debuting Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” way back in 2012. Now, the service delivers a robust mix of existing TV shows and films, alphabetically assembled for your consideration.
The navigation is clear, although new users will be asked to sign in, free of charge, before getting access to the dashboard. The “Crackle Movie Classics” category could be richer, but it’s a nice alternative for those exhausted by woke storytelling.
Comedy fans get indie and mainstream fare along with plenty of stand-up specials.
Expect a rich variety of films across categories. And, if you’re worried about older films looking, well, old, a quick peek at the 1968 Monkees flop “Head” shows a crystal-clear picture. Results may vary, of course.
The intriguing Crackle wrinkle? You can opt for “Interactive” ads which require the bare minimum of clicking while dramatically reducing the commercial load.
Hoopla
This fascinating platform taps into the country’s vast library system. You’ll be asked to sign up (free of charge) and select your nearest library. Have your library card number handy for a quicker experience.
From there you’re able to digitally borrow movies, music, ebooks, TV shows and more, downloading them to your device du jour. Plus, you can either watch the content instantly or download it for later viewing.
Popcornflix
This app delivers big, beautiful movie posters to let you know what’s available in yet another seemingly endless carousel.
You’ll find the usual movie suspects along with lesser-known titles well worth your time. Think “Memory: The Origins of Alien” documentary or “Casino Jack.”
The “classic” horror channel is more than welcome, as is “Asian Action.” Too bad the latter category has only two titles at the moment.
The emphasis here is on indie and obscure content, which means you’ll make some wonderful discoveries and regret more than a few choices.
Plex
At first, this platform mimics the look and catalogues of its peers. Think movies, TV shows, and some colorful categories (“Best of the West,” for example).
We’re also treated to a Pluto TV-style guide that looks like live TV (and is called just that). The guide’s Music tab offers a diverse array of content, from “Party Time Karaoke” to “Qwest Classical.” You’ll also find channels dedicated to specific movie studios, like Magnolia and Lionsgate.
The neat twist here? Plex delivers podcasts on demand, from “Louder with Crowder” to “The Tim Dillon Show.” It’s a shame the video versions of these shows don’t pop up instead of the audio versions.
IMDB TV
The platform brings some serious online gravitas to the game given the namesake’s essential web site. Miss the TV shows of your youth? Chances are you’ll find them here.
What’s missing? You won’t find a cavalcade of classic films here. Most of the content is from the 1980s and up.
Users also can sample a small selection of films and TV shows which are, we’re told, freely available only on IMDB TV. Given all the competition in this space, that matters, but given the brand in play the pickings fall on the slim side.
Filmrise
The platform offers a plain but effective menu along with the standard issue categories. That’s enhanced by clever sub-categories like “True Stories,” “Great Sitcoms” and “Leading Women.”
Once again, the sub-categories fall on the falsely “ambitious” side. The “Great Sitcoms” banner leads to a grand total of five shows, including the satisfying but hardly “great” “Cybill.” 
Far better are its niche categories, like the robust “World Cinema” channel. Still, users should expect less mainstream fare when streaming content here.
Not satisfied? Smart devices (TVs, tablets, and Roku sticks) offer even more content apps than you can possibly imagine. Some offer the bare minimum of programming. Others focus on titles you’d probably rather skip given their microscopic budgets and sketchy performances. 
It’s fascinating to learn just how much content is out there, but after a while you may wish you didn’t set forth on this journey.
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>.

Watching Netflix On iPad

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John Krasinski

23 Conservative Movies That Defy The Hollywood Trend

Conservatism

It takes years, sometimes decades, for a movie trope to get planted in Hollywood’s head. 
We didn’t call Jamie Lee Curtis a “final girl” while watching 1979’s “Halloween” for the first time. It took dozens of subsequent horror films featuring lone heroines to make the trope stick.
It’s a minor miracle, then, that we’re watching new movie tropes appear almost overnight… thanks to Hollywood’s woke makeover. And yes, they’ve already worn out their welcome. 
The following predictable tropes blossomed in recent years, and they typically make their stories worse, not better.
Unstoppable Female Heroes
It’s one thing for Captain Marvel or Black Widow to take down the bad guys, no matter their size or strength. They’re superheroes, not to mention Avengers. It comes with the territory. Plus, these are comic book stories at their core.
But it&#8217;s exhausting to see petite actresses take down hulking men on screen without breaking so much as a sweat. It happens time and again, and no matter how skilled stars like Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron may be, it beggars belief to see their superpower-free forms take down thugs twice their weight, with ease.
<div id="attachment_278942" style="width: 1118px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-278942" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-278942 " src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-2182508-755x576.jpg" alt="HOLLYWOOD - JULY 21: Actress Angelina Jolie attends the world premiere of the film &quot;Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life&quot; at Grauman's Chinese Theatre July 21, 2003 in Hollywood, California. The film releases nationwide July 25, 2003. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)" width="1108" height="845" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/08/GettyImages-2182508-755x576.jpg 755w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/08/GettyImages-2182508-300x229.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/08/GettyImages-2182508-768x586.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/08/GettyImages-2182508-1536x1172.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/08/GettyImages-2182508-2048x1563.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1108px) 100vw, 1108px" />Kevin Winter/Getty Images</div>
Show-Stopping Lectures
Woke TV shows are notorious for embracing this soul-crushing trope. One minute you’re watching a police procedural on broadcast TV, the next you’re hearing a lecture about Black Lives Matter, immigration or another hot-button issue from a progressive point of view.
The ‘80s-set comedy “The Exchange” offers a perfect example. The story follows a French exchange student from Paris who happens to be of Arab descent. Not only does the screenplay hyper-focus on the white locals’ reaction to his ethnicity, but several characters give speeches about how wrong it is to treat the teen in a bigoted fashion.
On The CW’s’ “Batwoman” series, co-star Luke Fox (Camrus Johnson) spits out this monologue which sounds suspiciously like … a lecture … after surviving a shooting. Only he didn’t want to wake up.
“When I was under, I saw my dad, and, I mean, he was right there. Why the hell would I want to live in a world where we get shot for no reason, where the gunmen get out of jail free so it&#8217;s not a matter of if there&#8217;s another bullet coming, it&#8217;s when? Why would I go through it when I can be with my dad again?”
Heroic Chinese Characters
This trend exists for pragmatic, not progressive reasons. Hollywood covets Chinese theatrical cash, so screenwriters now insert Chinese characters into their films to make them more appealing to that nation’s movie goers.
Said characters can’t be villains, though, nor display any tendencies that would make audiences question a Chinese person’s values. Thus, they’re dull and one-dimensional, all the better not to rub Chinese censors the wrong way.
So why include this trope here?  These characters, and the absence of plots critical of China, remind us that the woke mob lacks a true moral backbone. If it did, it would spend endless energy savaging China’s authoritarian tactics and its Uyghur Muslim concentration camps. 
Instead, said mob cares more about using the very best pronouns and making Mary Sue characters lead the charge than tackle China’s human rights crises head on.
White Racists at Work
Disney+’s “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” features a clunky sequence where a banker is praising the black Avenger right to his face. I’m a huge fan! The next moment? The banker is denying him a loan on grounds that feel a tad racist.
It’s a small scene in the show’s first episode, but it’s emblematic of moments attempting to show black Americans face that kind of racism all the time. True? False? What’s clear is how clunky, and inorganic, these moments are in the scheme of the stories in play.
A similar incident happens during “In the Heights.” A Latina character recalls being accused of theft at her college, presumably because she’s a person of color. The memory adds little to the story, and it should be the kind of moment a smart, and driven woman can bully past, not allow to crush her scholastic dreams.
Racism exists, but when it’s depicted in ways tied to a larger, woke narrative the story suffers as a result.
<div id="attachment_278943" style="width: 1160px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-278943" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-278943 " src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1169850732.jpg" alt="ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 23: (L-R) President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Emily VanCamp, and Wyatt Russell of 'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier' took part today in the Disney+ Showcase at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2019 in Anaheim, Calif. 'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier' will stream exclusively on Disney+, which launches November 12. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)" width="1150" height="767" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/08/GettyImages-1169850732.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/08/GettyImages-1169850732-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/08/GettyImages-1169850732-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/08/GettyImages-1169850732-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1150px) 100vw, 1150px" />Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney</div>
Red State Sucker Punches
The indie thriller “The Boy Behind the Door” delivers more chills than many modern shockers. The story follows two pre-teens trying to escape from a kidnapper’s home. A quick sequence following one of the movie’s villains, though, takes pains to show the bumper sticker on his car. It has a “MAGA” slogan on it.
These out of the blue sucker punches are increasingly common. It’s the filmmaker’s way of sharing what side he or she is on, but they really only serve to take us out of the experience.
Take the lifeless comedy “The Dead Don’t Die,” which featured a local yokel wearing a Trump-style hat to let you know he’s one of the bad guys.
The Oscar-winning “BlacKkKlansman” ended with an out of context clip of President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2019/03/21/trump_didnt_call_neo-nazis_fine_people_heres_proof_139815.html">allegedly praising neo Nazis in Charlottesville</a> following the 2017 melee which left a woman dead.
“The Crown” decided to weaponize its fourth season against Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, jabs that likely had little purpose beyond pure ideology.
Meet Mary Sue
The term refers to female characters who are so flawless they leave little room for audiences to connect with them. Emily Blunt’s character in “Jungle Cruise” qualifies. Her only flaw? She can’t swim, a problem fixed through narrative necessity later in the film. Katniss Everdeen could easily fall into this category, proving heroic beyond all measure in the “Hunger Games” franchise.
The biggest recent Mary Sue remains Rey, Daisy Ridley’s character in the latest “Star Wars” trilogy. She’s darn near perfect, with powers that rise up whenever necessary. What a bore.
<div id="attachment_278944" style="width: 1154px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-278944" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-278944 " src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-891638894-945x576.jpg" alt="LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 13: Daisy Ridley during the 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' photocall at Corinthia Hotel London on December 13, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)" width="1144" height="697" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/08/GettyImages-891638894-945x576.jpg 945w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/08/GettyImages-891638894-300x183.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/08/GettyImages-891638894-768x468.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/08/GettyImages-891638894.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1144px) 100vw, 1144px" />Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images</div>
Old Properties, New Faces
It’s one thing to reboot or reimagine an older story with fresh themes. The “Bates Motel” TV series did that to critical acclaim, as did NBC’s “Hannibal.” 
Too often an existing property is reborn, but with a gender or ethnic switch. So “Overboard” 2.0 swaps the genders in the main story, while, the upcoming “Saint” reboot casts a black performer, Rege-Jean Page of “Bridgerton” fame, to play the previously white hero.
The most infamous example? The 2016 “Ghostbusters” debacle which cast four actresses in a franchise known for male ghost busters.
These decisions could have creatively smart consequences, opening up fresh story angles to invigorate the properties. More often than not, they’re duds-in-the-making, witness uninspiring flicks like “The Hustle,” “What Men Want” and “Life of the Party.”
Anachronistic characters
It’s hard not to cringe as Dwayne Johnson utters the hokey phrase, “wait for it …” during “Jungle Cruise,” a story set in 1916. That’s a minor blip compared to other characters in the film behaving as if they just stepped out of Doc Brown’s time machine from 2021.
Minor Spoiler:  
Johnson’s character, a crusty skipper, proves very accepting when a key character in the film reveals himself as gay. The real Johnson would likely act the same, which is great. Would a 1916-era bloke offer a similarly open reaction?
Showtime’s “Black Monday” series, set in the 1980s, recently had two white characters <a href="https://newsbusters.org/blogs/culture/elise-ehrhard/2021/06/13/blm-inserted-80s-showtime-comedy-insane-how-many-cops-are">spouting off</a> as if they time traveled to 2020 America at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests:
<blockquote>Tiffany (Casey Wilson): They want you to give the eulogy? I mean, that is even more insane than how many cops are white supremacists. 
Republican Congressman Blair Pfaff (Andrew Rannells): Not really, when you consider the American policing system was initially designed to protect white property owners.</blockquote>
It&#8217;s one thing to reimagine the past in ways to increase diversity, as Lin Manuel-Miranda brilliantly did with Broadway’s “Hamilton.” The same can be said of Netflix’s wildly popular “Bridgerton” series. It’s entirely different to create period stories but populate them with characters, and attitudes, ripped from the 21st century.
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>.

Los Angeles World Premiere Of Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Endgame”

8 Woke Movie Cliches Hollywood Loves Using In Movies

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Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein’s 2017 fall created a cultural earthquake that spread far beyond La La Land.
Other bad actors, from PBS’s Charlie Rose to NBC’s Matt Lauer, saw their careers crumble following a crush of damning accusations. They weren’t alone.
Hollywood may be the land of make believe, but by championing the nascent MeToo movement, stars sparked an overdue revolution. Powerful men in any industry, especially politics, would no longer get a pass for their awful behavior.
Or so we thought.
We eventually learned these MeToo warriors often cared as much about party affiliation as guilt or innocence. What started as a noble, necessary movement — in Hollywood of all places — morphed into yet another ideological cudgel.
The MeToo movement&#8217;s relative silence on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s fall, which began last year and culminated in his resignation, proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt. In retrospect, the signs were there all along.
Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax isn’t a household name, yet the dramatic <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/justin-fairfax-accuser-vanessa-tyson-speaks-out-sexual-assault/">testimony</a> from two women in 2019 claiming the Democrat sexually assaulted them was hard to ignore. Except the Hollywood elite did just that, failing to rally behind these alleged victims. The previous year the stars assembled to savage Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh — President Trump’s right-leaning selection — for a sexual assault charge sans corroborating data.
Actress Amy Schumer and model/actress Emily Ratajkowski were arrested in October 2018 during those star-studded Kavanaugh protests. We saw what Hollywood feminists <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/News/celebrities-helped-launch-metoo-movement-react-kavanaugh-hearing/story?id=58126207">could do</a> given a singular, alleged monster.
Flash forward to the 2020 presidential race. Former Vice President Joe Biden survived a bruising primary campaign to emerge as the Democratic standard bearer to face President Trump. This despite Biden’s history of uncomfortable <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2019/04/trevor-noah-joe-biden-lucy-flores-daily-show.html">interactions</a> with women, captured in fact-based memes and mocked on late night TV.
Those charges included eight women claiming he inappropriately touched them over the years. That group included <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2020/05/07/a-time-line-of-tara-reades-sexual-assault-allegations-against-joe-biden/?sh=1a6da26879d1">Tara Reade</a>.
The former Biden aide offered shocking clarity to those charges during a March 2020 podcast interview. She said Biden sexually assaulted her during a 1993 encounter.
Not only had Hollywood elites looked past Biden’s creepy track record up until that point (including Lady Gaga, who co-starred in a sexual assault <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/lady-gaga-joe-biden-appear-in-psa-on-sexual-assault">PSA</a> with Biden in 2017) but they stood down when Reade’s allegations went public.
The “believe all women” battle cry shared during the Kavanaugh imbroglio turned to ash in a Thanos-like snap.
Alyssa Milano, who resurrected her career by adding “activist” to her Twitter profile, <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/alyssa-milano-joe-biden-metoo/">explained</a> why “believe all women” suddenly required an asterisk.
“Even though we should ‘believe women’ and that’s an important thing, and what that statement really means is that for so long the go-to has been not to believe them … We have to societally change that mind set to ‘believing woman,’ but that does not mean at the expense of not giving men they’re due process.”
As for the Biden-Reade matter, Milano said she did her “due diligence” on the subject.
“I just don’t feel comfortable throwing away a decent man I’ve known for 15 years in this time of complete chaos.”
Politics won the day. Again. Biden was too important to Milano to cast aside. And she wasn’t alone.
So when woman after woman accused Gov. Cuomo of inappropriate behavior late last year it didn’t take a crystal ball to predict Hollywood’s reaction. The industry which helped coin the phrase “Cuomosexual” stayed mostly silent. (They did give him an Emmy for his pandemic press conferences, though).
That silence endured as the number of accusers climbed, and climbed, topping out at 10.
No marches. No speeches. No one getting arrested outside the governor’s mansion demanding justice.
They couldn’t completely stay silent following Letitia James’ IG report on the governor’s sexually inappropriate ways, though. This time, the Time’s Up legal group, formed following Weinstein’s fall, suggested the governor resign via Twitter. Milano shared a pair of Tweets suggesting the same.
Meanwhile, Time’s Up, a group Hollywood helped form, appears directly linked to the governor’s defense team, sparking the <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/566977-times-up-leader-resigns-over-ties-to-cuomo">resignation</a> of the group’s leader, Roberta Kaplan.
That news cycle coaxed some Time’s Up clients and ex-staffers to savage the group. Their <a href="https://aturkos.medium.com/enough-is-enough-an-open-letter-from-survivors-to-times-up-c1351bcf7673">open letter</a>, bereft of any high-profile celebrity signees, said the group had &#8220;abandoned the very people it was supposed to champion.&#8221;
Mega-producer Shonda Rhimes, Ashley Judd, and Eva Longoria currently serve as Time&#8217;s Up board members.
Hollywood <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2021/07/30/climate-change-hardliners-jennifer-lopez-ben-affleck-vacation-on-130-million-carbon-spewing-super-yacht-in-italy/">hypocrisy</a> is nothing new. The celebrity &#8220;kids in cages” <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/grammys-kids-cages-biden-trump/">chorus</a> went silent once President Biden held the key to said cages.
And remember those star-studded Women’s Marches? Where did they go? Did the PatriarchyTM vanish after Biden took the oath of office?
To be fair, one Hollywood voice has been unwavering in her MeToo support. “Charmed” alum Rose McGowan, who <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/i-havent-exhaled-in-so-long-surviving-harvey-weinstein">claims</a> Weinstein raped her in 1997, has hammered Cuomo and her fellow stars over the past few years, calling out their hypocrisy along the way.
In many ways, Hollywood changed the culture for the better by boosting the MeToo revolution. Now, their nuclear-level hypocrisy on the vital cause might just burn it to the ground.
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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>.
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Tribeca Festival Welcome Lunch – 2021 Tribeca Festival

OPINION: CuomoGate Should Be The Final Nail In Hollywood’s MeToo Coffin

Andrew Cuomo

MeToo

The Gotham Independent Film Awards this year either went 100 percent woke or toppled the first domino in Hollywood’s rush for gender neutrality.
Maybe both.
The New York-based group announced this month it will <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/awards/gotham-awards-move-to-gender-neutral-acting-categories/ar-AAMYJDK">no longer separate honorees by gender.</a>
The Best Actor and Actress categories are history for the indie-minded movie group. Instead, up to 10 stars will vie for outstanding lead performance, with another group of up to 10 fighting for outstanding supporting performer honors.
Why stop there?
Hollywood’s woke embrace is a fait accompli. Turning the Academy Awards into a coronation of that shift makes perfect sense. Most Americans no longer watch what was once appointment television. The ratings continue to sink every year, with each new broadcast spending more and more time lecturing that dwindling crowd.
We don’t know if the Oscars will follow Gotham’s lead quite yet. Let’s start with installing a new set of awards recognizing Hollywood 2.0. Who needs a Best Animated Short or Editing category when you can honor what the industry now truly cares about?
Here are seven award categories that shows should start offering to fulfill their woke obligations.
Best Resistance Moment
Oh, you thought Hollywood put down its you-know-what hats the moment President Donald Trump left the White House? The industry still seethes over Trump’s very existence, and we’ll likely see Trumpian characters on the big screen for the foreseeable future.
The new documentary “The Meaning of Hitler” connects the former president to one of history’s worst monsters.
The Resistance persists, and this award will make it official.
Biggest Gender Swap Flop
Hollywood loves to reboot, remake or reimagine existing properties. That often means swapping out men for women without much forethought.
The 2016 dud “Ghostbusters” serves as Exhibit A.
The strategy often fails in spectacular fashion – the female Ghostbusters cost Sony <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/ghostbusters-box-office-loss-sequel-unlikely-918515/">a cool $70 million</a>, according to media reports. Why not celebrate that? It’s not about art or economics, after all. Virtue signaling reigns supreme, so trumpeting the biggest gender swap fail is a fitting tribute.
Most Woke Speech
The beauty of this award is that it isn’t confined to actual movies. The winner could be selected for an awards show speech given at previous galas, or even via social media post. 
Consider Leonardo DiCaprio’s eco-speech after winning Best Actor for 2015’s “The Revenant” as a prime example. Even better? Joaquin Phoenix’s vegan manifesto after winning an Oscar for 2019’s “Joker.”
The only complication? We might see actors try to earn next year’s Most Woke Speech award while picking up their current trophy. 
Crankiest Mansplaining Scene
Modern screenwriters love penning moments when a female character snaps back at a male co-star for offering advice or wisdom. It could be about anything, from a battle plan to deciding what car to drive for the getaway.
No matter. These feminist morsels let actresses talk down to the man in no uncertain terms. You might think this wouldn’t happen in films set in the 20th century, or earlier. Today’s Hollywood doesn’t care what era the film is set in. It’s always a ripe time for a, “you go, girl” smackdown.
Best Quasi-Coming Out Moment
Hollywood is trying its darndest to bring more LGBTQ voices to the screen. Except they know select foreign markets, like China, aren’t too keen on these reveals. So they split the difference, making microscopic nods to social justice awareness without fully embracing its spirit.
Case in point – a blink and you’ll miss it lesbian kiss at the end of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” Also recall the micro-moment in “Avengers: Endgame” when a man tells Steve Rogers he’s having a hard time dating after The Blip, the five-year chasm caused by Thanos’ snap. The man briefly referenced that he dates men, not women.
This award will honor these micro-moments, and more half measures are certainly on the way.
Take That, Patriarchy
The new tic in modern movies lets women dress down men for any ol’ reason. A great recent example? Laura Dern trashing Han Solo 2.0, Oscar Isaac, during “The Last Jedi.”
“Jungle Cruise” similarly featured Emily Blunt’s character both exposing and triumphing over the early 20th century “patriarchy” in the film’s first act.
This Oscar might give voters a difficult task. How many patriarchy-bashing clips must they see before determining that year’s winner?
Best China Kowtow
Hollywood covets China’s cash, so it often renders a collective shrug over the nation’s human rights abuses. It’s a perfect symbol of woke gone wild. The industry rallied to protest abortion legislation in Georgia while later turning a blind eye to genocide.
That makes this award as woke as it gets.
These cringe-worthy moments signal fealty to the Chinese government. It could be adding a superfluous, but heroic, Chinese character or awkwardly removing a story element that previously existed in the printed source material (like making China the source of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/world-war-z-changes-scene-fearing-chinese-censors-2013-4">zombie outbreak in “World War Z”).</a> 
Of course, the best “kowtow” moments are invisible to most movie goers. They’re the evil Chinese characters or groups that are never written in the first place for fear of angering the country’s censorial board.
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>.

88th Annual Academy Awards – Show

7 Woke Categories Awards Shows Should Start Including

There’s nothing wrong, or new, about movies sticking to formulas.
Does anyone want the guy and gal not to end up together in a rom-com finale? Should John McClane meet his Maker rather than dispatch the euro-thugs in “Die Hard?”
Woke movies are different, though.
The new film bylaws offer a fresh round of surprise-free storytelling. Social justice scribes shape their screenplays in very particular ways, and it doesn’t take Columbo to suss them out. You won’t find a better example than Disney&#8217;s “Jungle Cruise.”
Story spoilers ahead:
The Disney blockbuster stars Emily Blunt as a scientist on the hunt for a legendary flower, one with the power to cure any illness. Dwayne Johnson plays the skipper guiding Blunt’s character down the Amazon river to see if it’s just a legend, or the real deal.
The action takes place circa 1916, and the period details capture that era to the letter. It helps to have all that Mouse House cash at a film’s disposal.
The woke nods begin almost immediately. Blunt’s character, Dr. Lily Houghton, sounds like a character out of a 2021 Blue State. She dresses like a man, not a woman, begs various characters to free the caged animals in their keep and refuses her skipper’s advice even though he has decades of experience at the helm.
Don’t mansplain to Dr. Houghton!
Right away audiences know Lily will be darn near flawless and, by extension, far less interesting than the filmmakers hope. And they’re right. Even her one sizable flaw – she can’t swim – is swept aside in the third act.
Astute film watchers will quickly predict a few shots at the patriarchy in that first act, and they arrive right on cue. To be fair, it is cute when Johnson’s skipper calls Lily “Pants.”
Lily’s brother, McGregor (Jack Whitehall), joins the jungle cruise along with his parade of wildly inappropriate ensembles. He may look smashing, but you don’t pack your best duds for an arduous trek down the river.
McGregor is consistently mocked during the first act, ridiculed for his dandy behavior and disconnect from the mission. Then, he confesses to Johnson’s Frank Wolff that he’s close to his sister for more reasons than usual. She’s stood by him while others teased him for being, well, the film can’t have him say, “I’m gay,” so he dances around the phrase but the meaning is perfectly clear.
The family-friendly romp stops cold to introduce a gay character whose sexuality adds nothing to the story beyond a virtue signal.
Woke 101.
In real life, no one wants someone like McGregor to be mistreated in any way due to his sexuality. Here’s where things get complicated. In a movie set in the early 20th century, it’s likely a crusty skipper living in the Amazon isn’t so progressive toward that lifestyle.
Instead, Frank all but says, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” and the story moves on.
More importantly, the woke moment telegraphs the next stage of the film. Suddenly, McGregor is a worthy adventurer, and the comedy attacks on him all but vanish. A modern screenplay could make fun of a foppish fool, but it won’t do the same with an apparently gay character who revealed himself to his new friend.
Who saw that coming? Well, everyone who understands the cultural climate.
Lily, Frank and McGregor run into a group of natives not once, but twice. The second time finds the trio in serious trouble, surrounded by an aggressive band of armed and angry tribespeople.
Wait. This is a woke Disney adventure. There’s no way the film would recreate the often-demeaning portrayals of native tribes seen in films dating back to the 1933 “King Kong.”
There must be something afoot, so the chance that our heroes are actually in grave danger is slim to none, leaning hard toward none. Your assumptions are correct.
None of this is accidental.
We all know Disney, Inc. is one of the wokest companies on the planet – except when aligning itself with a nation known for <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/disney-mulan-backlash-chinas-xinjiang-province-human-rights">running concentration camps against Uighur Muslims</a>. Being woke means having massive holes in one’s moral compass.
The studio fired actress Gina Carano from “The Mandalorian” last year after her social media messages triggered Woke Nation. Meanwhile, “Mandalorian” star Pedro Pascal, who is openly liberal, shared a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/backlash-against-disney-grows-after-liberal-actor-in-show-with-gina-carano-made-similar-posts-still-has-job">more aggressive version</a> of the message that got her fired and suffered no professional comeuppance.
The company’s “<a href="https://nypost.com/2021/05/08/disney-goes-woke-with-new-anti-racist-agenda-for-employees/">anti-racist” employee rules</a> similarly caught the public’s attention, preaching Critical Race Theory to its unsuspecting worker drones.
We’re seeing that woke spirit permeate its blockbuster entries, a trend that unofficially started with the progressive posturing that helped sink “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” in 2017.
The recent “Cruella” made a legendary villain into a heroine, of sorts, because she represented Girl Power on steroids.
Woke is officially part of the company’s creative DNA, with “Jungle Cruise” being the latest example. What’s worse? Knowing a film studio has gone woke means less surprises, and diminishing returns, at your local movie house.
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>.

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Christian Toto