The October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks on Israel by Hamas revealed the Left’s free speech hypocrisy.
Progressives who sat by as the Biden administration teamed with social media giants to censor Americans suddenly howled after Hamas apologists were “canceled.”
The free speech battles within Hollywood have been even more hypocritical, with or without the Hamas atrocities. An industry which praised free speech during the Bush years went silent as conservative stars were repeatedly punished, for their views, sensitivity readers ransacked beloved authors and comedians looked over their shoulders for sharing “problematic” jokes.
Yet two actresses have been “canceled” for supporting the Palestinian cause, albeit in extreme fashion.Was that right? Should stars be able to share potentially abhorrent views sans punishment?
Rising star Melissa Barrera of “Scream” fame lost a role in the next film in the horror franchise after her pro-Palestinian views went public. She didn’t just call for a ceasefire or express empathy for an impoverished people. She shared a story on Instagram suggesting pro-Israeli forces distort the Holocaust to boost the nation’s armed forces.
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She also suggested the media is controlled by Jews and that Israel’s war against Hamas amounted to “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing.”
For that Spyglass Media Group, the studio behind the “Scream” franchises, cut her loose.
Oscar winner Susan Sarandon’s agent severed ties with the superstar after she crudely compared the raging anti-Semitism in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks to what Palestinians endure in America.
Both actresses hardly appear contrite.
Sarandon’s X account is now a non-stop wave of pro-Palestinian propaganda. Barrera stood by her comments, sans apology.
JNI/Star Max/GC Images
Barrera, who recently marched in a pro-Palestinian protest during the Sundance Film Festival, contends her comments reflect mainstream views on the issues in play.
“The people who know me in my family know the truth about me and where I stand, and I think most people in the world also do,” she said.
Plus, Barrera has more gigs lined up, meaning her cancellation will be short-lived.
Sharing ardently anti-Israeli rhetoric also cost CAA agent Maha Dakhil her gig. Dakhil, who has represented Tom Cruise, Madonna, and more, resigned from the agency’s internal board after she accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza.
Other stars have shared aggressively pro-Palestinian, anti-Israeli views without overt consequences. John Cusack promotes those views ‘round the clock on his X platform but no longer works as regularly as he did in days gone by.
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Other stars rallied to promote an Israeli/Hamas ceasefire, often with little attention to either the Oct. 7 atrocities or the hostages still in the clutches of Hamas.
A few media outlets suggested the Barrera/Sarandon cancellations amounted to a new Hollywood blacklist.
It’s worth noting other stars have been canceled for far, far less. Roseanne Barr lost her signature sitcom, along with her Hollywood career, for one gross, racially charged Tweet in 2018 for which she immediately apologized.
Actress Gina Carano’s cancellation proved even more cruel. The “Mandalorian” star lost her Disney+ showcase after suggesting American conservatives were being dehumanized in a similar fashion to Jews in Germany in the 1930s.
Agree? Disagree? Either way, it hardly mentioned a reprimand, let alone a pink slip. Carano joined The Daily Wire’s “Terror on the Prairie” western after her dismissal but hasn’t worked in mainstream Hollywood fare since.
And that’s the bigger problem afoot.
Hollywood’s stance on free speech is all over the map, emotionally driven and progressive to the core.
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Carano’s commentary pales compared to that of her “Mandalorian” co-star, Pedro Pascal. The actor compared Trump voters to Nazis before deleting the post.
He suffered no consequences for his ghastly comparison. Slamming Republicans is encouraged, after all, in La La Land.
And let’s not forget the constellation of stars who wished for President Donald Trump’s death in recent years. The list includes Madonna, who dreamed of blowing up the White House, presumably with Trump inside, director Joss Whedon, Charlie Sheen, Johnny Depp and more.
None suffered any professional blowback for sharing those views. Only Kathy Griffin, who infamously shared a photograph of her holding a bloodied Trump ahead aloft, felt professional pain for her views.
Other repugnant celebrity comments also got ignored. Ellen Barkin pined for disgraced comedian Louis C.K. to be raped and shot via her then-Twitter account and nothing untoward happened to her career.
Bette Midler repeatedly cheered on the neighbor who attacked Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). The Republican gadfly suffered serious injuries as a result, but Midler kept on working (even for Disney+, for what it’s worth).
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Employers have the right to terminate employees who break the law or disgrace the company with their actions. No one is calling what Spyglass did to Barrera illegal in any fashion.
Hollywood’s lack of free speech logic, let alone moral clarity, is disturbing. Stand for absolute free speech or judge stars who say egregious things in something close to a reasonable, consistent manner.
Pick a lane.
The current mania regarding the Israel/Hamas war could have one result that has little to do with free speech or Cancel Culture. Will Jewish actors, or anyone who cares about the Jewish people, rush to work alongside someone like Barrera? What about Cusack?
The actor recently shared a post featuring “Egypt’s Jon Stewart,” Bassem Youssef, saying the Oct. 7 attacks didn’t happen. That’s despite video after ghastly video, sharing across the globe, confirming the atrocities.
This goes beyond free speech. Actors can opt in, or out, of a given project for any number or reasons. Some may start choosing their co-stars more carefully.
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Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of HollywoodInToto.com. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at @HollywoodInToto.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.