Everyone’s a critic (Photo left: Gary Stein of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Photo right: Shirley Phelps-Roper of the Westboro Baptist Church —
via Good As You)
Despite the nascent Draft Sean Penn for California Governor movement happening over here, Penn’s pro-equality remarks at the Oscars this Sunday have drawn a shitstorm of criticism in the all the usual right-wing quarters.
In his acceptance speech for the film Milk, Penn said, “For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, I think it’s a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect on their great shame and their shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that support.”
The Catholic News Agency provides the following insight by Gary Stein of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, who apparently assumed it was Archbishop Roger Mahony and a militant mob of angry nuns, and not the Phelps klan, out in the streets in front of the Kodak theater protesting the wicked, gay-lovin’ goings-on within.
Gary Stein, a writer with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, was critical of Penn’s actions, saying he was “pompously and hypocritically ripping into protesters who were lining the streets near the Oscar show.”
“In his speech, Penn tried to shame these people, belittle them, and basically shame anybody who might have supported Proposition 8, which passed in California.”
Stein argued that Penn’s own past involvement in activist protests made his comments hypocritical.
“Stick to acting, Sean. The hypocrisy in personal politics is showing. And it’s not pretty.”
So, are we to believe that the Catholic News Agency and Gary Stein embrace the repugnant antics of the Reverend Fred Phelps and his God-Hates-Fags clan? And, does Stein think he and Fred Phelps should be entitled to express an opinion in public, but Sean Penn should stick to acting?
You silly people make this too easy.
But wait …
In 2004, those Commie, homo-loving sons of guns at Christianity Today revealed that critic and self-styled media watchdog Ted Baehr, of the Christian Film and Television Commission and Movieguide, accepted cash in exchange for promoting certain films in his reviews. There’s a word for that, but then little things like credibility and accusations of conflicts of interest don’t matter to professional homo-haters like Peter LaBarbera, of Americans for Truth about Homosexuality.
Pete’s Teddy Baehr buddy likewise hates the ‘mos, and that’s good enough for Porno Pete who headlines his post-Oscar, anti-Milk screed:
Sorry, Sean Penn, We’re PROUD to Defend Marriage — Hollywood Denounces God and Applauds Pedophilia
LaBarbera promises an upcoming review of Milk, but turns his critique over to Baehr, who opens with:
The Academy Awards showed its support for sexual perversions last night at its annual Oscar ceremony.
[ ... ]
In a mean-spirited curse, Penn said, “I think it’s a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect on their great shame, and their shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone.”
[ … ]
The audience also clapped when the winning screenwriter for MILK, Dustin Lance Black, proclaimed his bigotry when he commented, “If Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he would want me to say to all the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told they are less than by the churches, by the government, by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value, and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights, federally, across this great nation of ours. Thank you, God, for Harvey Milk!”
(emphasis: mine)
Not at all surprising coming from the cowboy-flick loving, one-trick-pony who wrote, for WingNutDaily no less, the following about Brokeback Mountain:
As we predicted above, there are sure to be many leftwing awards for this twisted, laughable, frustrating, plotless and boring piece of homosexual, neo-Marxist propaganda. If only the leftists, radical feminists and communists would show the same compassion for the wives of homosexual perverts like these two characters, the world might be a better place. Don’t count on that happening any time soon, however.
Bobbing and weaving through the usual chapter-and-verse, Baehr finally proceeds to simply outright prevaricate about the success of a couple of films that have what he calls “very strong Christian worldviews:”
Later in the telecast, atheist Bill Maher was given a platform to rail against religion when he said, “Someday we’ll have to confront the notion that our silly gods cost the world too greatly.”
Maher and Penn’s statements notwithstanding, statistics show that movies with very strong Christian worldviews like PRINCE CASPIAN and FIREPROOF averaged $43.5 million at the box office while movies with very strong atheist or anti-Christian worldviews like Maher’s RELIGULOUS averaged only $11.2 million and movies with very strong pro-homosexual content like MILK averaged even worse, only $6.3 million.
Most movie goers were probably not influenced by the alleged Christian-worldview of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. It’s a lightweight action flick in the same vein as the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Grab the popcorn, bring the kids.
And, Religulous, according to Box Office Mojo, cost $2.5 million to make, and, so far, has grossed $13,296,022 worldwide. That’s a hefty profit by any standard, and it’s just been released on DVD.
Focusing on the real contenders in this imagined competition:
According to Box Office Mojo, Fireproof grossed a respectable $33,456,317 in 126 days. The Reverend Donald Wildmon’s clan down in Tupelo is aggressively hawking the DVD online.
Milk, as of Feb. 22, 2009, had grossed $28,120,218 in the US in 89 days, and recently opened worldwide with $7,861,492 in box office receipts for a total of $35,981,710.
Fireproof was a no-show at the Oscars, and Milk received eight nominations and garnered three major awards.
Milk wins. Penn wins. Lance Dustin Black Wins. The truth wins.
And, the grifters, the lying-liars, the haters and the homophobes lose another one.
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