Bill Maher's Response to ODS and the Politicization of Everything

I found this on Facebook today so I thought I'd share it here. When I heard that Michelle Obama had made a surprise appearance (via satellite) during the recent Oscar telecast, I knew some on the right would go on the attack. Sadly, some people have to make damn near everything political.

CTFD: Right-wing Outrage Over the Casting of Jane Fonda As Nancy Reagan

According to an article in The Hollywood Reporter, two-time Oscar winner Jane Fonda will portray Nancy Reagan in the upcoming bio The Butler. The film is a biopic of Eugene Allen, a butler who served in the White House from 1952 to 1986. Because the film will cover a long time period, Fonda's role will be a supporting one.

The casting of a liberal icon to play the wife of the most popular conservative president in U.S. history has gotten some people on the right in an uproar. In various spots on the Internet, conservatives have voiced their outrage. Below are some of the comments left on Michelle Malkin's Twitter curation site Twitchy:

"What a Slap in the face to Nancy Reagan, I for one will not pay to see this Hollywood Trashing of a Great Lady How Sick."

"A Liberal playing a Conservative. How F***ed is that."

"Liberal activist???  You mean liberal traitor!  America's Tokyo Rose.  She should be in jail with her comrade kerry."

You can read more by going to the Twitchy link I included earlier.

All I can say is ctfd! Should performers only portray people who share their political beliefs?! It's called acting for a reason.

For those who are still upset over Fonda's July 1972 trip to Hanoi, she's already apologized more than once. Since Fonda can't hop into a customized DeLorean and change what she did 40 years ago, I don't know what else she can do. 

If the right-wing really wants to get revenge on those evil liberals who have the audacity to besmirch the reputation of Nancy Reagan by casting Jane Fonda to play her, they should make their own film and cast either Janine Turner or our favorite "Politichick" Victoria Jackson in the role of Hillary Clinton. I'll bet those two could use the acting gig. Here's an idea! Turner and Jackson can go head-to-head in a real-life "Celebrity Deathmatch" to determine who gets the role. However, Jackson isn't allowed to pluck her prized ukelele or sing with that golden throat of hers because doing so would give her an unfair advantage.

Final Results of the Recent Game Change Poll

In the recent poll in which I asked people to give their thoughts on the HBO film Game Change, it was a landslide in favor of the movie. Here are the final results:

Thumbs up: 64%
Thumbs down: 0%
I plan on watching it: 7%
I have no interest in seeing it: 28%

The movie was a ratings hit as well. According to Nielsen, Game Change was watched by 2.1 million people on its debut night, which marks the highest ratings for an HBO film since 2004's Something the Lord Made (which starred Alan Rickman and Mos Def).

Thanks to all of you who participated in and commented on this poll.

Please Take A Moment To Vote In the "Game Change" Poll... Thank You

Ed Harris, Julianne Moore, and Woody Harrelson

Two nights after its 3/10 HBO premiere, I watched the movie Game Change. Based on the 2010 book of the same name, it details events of the 2008 presidential campaign. Although the book covers both the Democratic and the Republican sides from the primary races up to the election, the film narrows its focus by detailing the decision of John McCain (Ed Harris) and campaign strategist Steve Schmidt (Woody Harrelson) to select Sarah Palin (Julianne Moore) as the vice-presidential running mate.

Simply put, I thought the movie was awesome! In terms of great political movies, it ranks up there with the 1949 version of All the King's Men. For the most part, I thought the performances in the film were solid. However, the one which obviously has most people talking is Julianne Moore's uncanny portrayal of Sarah Palin. Moore has talked about the research she did on Palin in preparation for the role and it shows. The mark of a great performance is when you forget you're watching an actor and instead feel you are seeing the genuine article. When the Emmys and Golden Globes roll around, Julianne Moore's performance as Sarah Palin is going to be damn tough to beat.

One thing that may surprise people about Game Change is that it's not a hatchet job on Sarah Palin. Although the movie doesn't shy away from Palin's flaws, she comes off as a sympathetic figure at times. Credit for that goes to Moore's nuanced performance. Even when it's clear that Palin is in over her head, it's easy to feel a bit of empathy for her as she drowns in a sea of note cards prepping for interviews and the VP debate. The same goes for the scenes in which Sarah watches Tina Fey skewer her on SNL.

Whether or not you're a Palin detractor or a supporter, I think Game Change is a must-see film. However, I'm interested to hear what you think about the movie. In addition to voting in the poll (which is located at the top of the sidebar), please don't hesitate to share your thoughts about Game Change in the comments section.

TCM Remembers Lena Horne

As a tribute to the legendary Lena Horne (who passed away on May 14th at the age of 92), Turner Classic Movies will be airing a 3 film salute starting at 8 pm EST on Friday, May 21st.

Making her film debut in the 1938 musical The Duke Is Tops, Lena became the first black performer to sign a long-term contract with a major Hollywood studio when she joined MGM in the early 1940s. For the most part, Lena's film appearances during the 30s and 40s were in "specialty" roles in which she'd perform a song that wasn't essential to the film's plot. This allowed her appearances to be easily edited out when the movies aired in Southern states. This tactic is deftly illustrated during the outstanding 1998 documentary Melvin Van Peebles' Classified X, which explores the portrayal of blacks in American films throughout the 20th century. The two exceptions during this period where Lena had substantial film roles were Cabin In the Sky and Stormy Weather (which ironically was produced by one of MGM's rivals, 20th Century Fox).

Although Hollywood rarely made proper use of Lena Horne's talents, she was a trailblazer in the truest sense. Every black actress from Dorothy Dandridge to Gabourey Sidibe owes Ms. Horne a debt of gratitude.

Below is the lineup of Lena Horne films that TCM will air on Friday, May 21st:

8:00 PM ET The Duke is Tops

9:30 PM ET Cabin in the Sky

11:15 PM ET Panama Hattie



You can read TCM's article on the career of Lena Horne by visiting the following link:



TCM Remembers Lena Horne

Shortly after Lena's death, I was contacted by someone at Newsy.com who wanted to know if I'd be interested in sharing the following short video with my readers. The video is a tribute to Lena's career that showcases the media response to her death and her comments on racial identity. If you have problems watching the embedded video, please click here.

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

Vanity Fair's "New Hollywood" Cover... Does the "Fair" Stand For "Fair Skin"?

The cover of Vanity Fair's March issue celebrating "New Hollywood" has caused a bit of a stir over its lack of diversity. The issue features (from left to right): Abbie Cornish, Kristen Stewart, Carey Mulligan, Amanda Seyfried, Rebecca Hall, Mia Wasikowska, Emma Stone, Evan Rachel Wood, and Anna Kendrick. All reasonably attractive, all with promising careers, and all white. Unless Vanity Fair's definition of diversity is throwing a redhead (Emma Stone) into the mix, they need to do better in 2011.

Now I'm not saying that Vanity Fair should have included minority actresses on the cover just for the sake of diversity, but come on... they can do better than this. For one thing, Vanity Fair already had both Stewart and Seyfried on an August 2008 cover heralding "Hollywood's New Wave." As you can see, this cover is also diversity-free!


Even though movie roles for minority actresses continue to be scarce, women of color are managing to make an impact in Hollywood. Here are just a few who were worthy of being featured on the Vanity Fair cover:

Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe: Up for an Academy Award for Best Actress In A Leading Role for playing the title character in Precious, Sidibe will next be seen in the 2010 film Yelling To the Sky. As a side note, Sidibe does have an interview with Vanity Fair that's included in the issue. For her take on not being a part of the cover, click here.



Freida Pinto: One of the stars of the Best Picture Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire, Pinto will be back on movie screens this year in the Woody Allen film You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger and is also starring in Dawn of the Gods (which is scheduled to be released in 2011).



Charlyne Yi: In addition to co-starring in the 2009 rom-com Paper Heart, the multi-talented Yi also co-wrote it, co-produced it, and helped write the soundtrack!



Zoe Saldana: She only co-starred in two of the biggest blockbusters of the past year... Star Trek and this little movie called Avatar. Slacker! Admittedly, Saldana isn't exactly new (she made her film debut in 2000). However, featuring her on the Vanity Fair issue would have been justified when you consider that Evan Rachel Wood (who's been around since the late 1990s) got a spot on the cover.

Update: Zoe was featured on the 2008 "Fresh Faces" cover of VF:

http://guestofaguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/cusl14_hollywood_covers0803.jpg

Let me also add that I knew Vanity Fair had done previous "Hollywood" issues that featured a diverse mix of actors/actresses on the cover. This is why I was surprised when I saw the cover of the March 2010 issue. In the spirit of giving credit where credit is due, here is a partial list of minority actors/actresses who have been featured on the cover of Vanity Fair's "Hollywood" issues in the past:

Angela Bassett

Benicio Del Toro

Will Smith

Jada Pinkett

Jennifer Lopez

Djimon Hounsou

Thandie Newton

Penélope Cruz

Samuel L. Jackson

Don Cheadle

Dev Patel

America Ferrera

The 1949 Movie Pinky Airs On TCM!

Jeanne Crain and Ethel Waters

On Wednesday February 3rd at 8 pm EST, Turner Classic Movies airs the 1949 classic Pinky. Starring Jeanne Crain in the title role, Pinky tells the story of a light-skinned black woman who returns to the Southern home of her grandmother after passing for white while living in the North as a nursing student. In addition to facing the everyday problems that came with being black in the South, Pinky also has to deal with such complications as the return of the man she loves (a white doctor she met while studying up North) and a nasty courtroom battle.

Although I would have liked it if Lena Horne (who campaigned for the role) was given the chance to play the lead, I understand why 20th Century Fox went with Jeanne Crain instead. Money talks and Crain was one of the studio's biggest stars at the time. Also, it was 1949 and a majority of moviegoers weren't ready for a film that featured love scenes between a black actress and a white actor. Having said that, Crain does a fine job as Pinky (earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress). Along with being believable, Crain also demonstrates fearlessness and dignity in the title role. Also earning Oscar noms were two Ethels (Waters as Pinky's wise grandmother and Barrymore as a sickly rich woman who is cared for by Pinky). In addition to these three, the cast is solid throughout. Some of the standouts include Frederick O'Neal as a shady character who lives near Pinky and her grandmother, Evelyn Varden as a racist relative of Barrymore's character, and Dan Riss as an attorney.

Although I've seen Pinky numerous times, I am really looking forward to checking it out again because it's been several years. If you've already seen Pinky or plan to watch it Wednesday night, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

Below is the opening scene of Pinky.

TCM To Air Interracial Romance Triple Feature

On Friday, November 20th starting at 8 PM EST, Turner Classic Movies is airing a triple feature spotlighting interracial romance on film involving blacks and whites.

First up is the 1964 drama One Potato, Two Potato starring Barbara Barrie ("Nana" on Suddenly Susan), Bernie Hamilton (Capt. Dobey in the series Starsky and Hutch), and Richard Mulligan (Soap and Empty Nest). One of the earliest to deal with interracial marriage, the movie tells the story of a white divorcée (Barrie) with a young daughter who marries a black co-worker (Hamilton). Things are fine until her ex-husband (Mulligan) returns and sues for full custody of their daughter, claiming that a mixed racial household is an improper environment to raise the child.

The 2nd film is the 1970 comedy-drama The Landlord starring Beau Bridges as the son of a wealthy landlady who takes over managing a building in a black Brooklyn ghetto. Bridges gets involved in the lives of some of his tenants, including the wife (Diana Sands) of a radical (Louis Gossett Jr.). The cast also features Pearl Bailey, Lee Grant, and Robert Klein.

Wrapping up the triple feature is another film from 1970, the boxing drama The Great White Hope. A fictionalized account of the life of early 20th century heavyweight champion Jack Johnson , the movie stars a lean, mean James Earl Jones as Jack Jefferson and Jane Alexander as his wife Eleanor Backman. Rounding out the cast are Hal Holbrook, Beah Richards, and Moses Gunn.

For more background on the films airing during the triple feature, please visit the link below.

Interracial Romance On TCM

You can also click here for an interview from last year featuring TCM host Robert Osbourne and film historian Donald Bogle discussing interracial romance on film.

Putney Swope Airs On TCM

As part of its cult movie showcase "TCM Underground", Turner Classic Movies is airing the 1969 satire Putney Swope late Friday/early Saturday (Nov. 6th/Nov. 7th) at 2:30 am EST. Directed by Robert Downey, Sr. (yes, Iron Man's dad), the film details what happens when Swope (the only black man on the executive board at an advertising firm) is accidentally put in charge after the chairman of the board dies. Once at the helm, Swope (played by Arnold Johnson) makes some drastic changes which cause the firm to be not only successful, but the target of the U.S. government.

Because I've heard so much about Putney Swope, I've been wanting to see it for awhile. Along with Arnold Johnson, the cast also includes Antonio Fargas ("Huggy Bear" of Starsky & Hutch), Allan Arbus (Dr. Sidney Freedman on M*A*S*H), and Shelley Plimpton (mother of actress Martha).

To watch a clip of Putney Swope, you can click here.