OPINION:
“So if you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech. You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg.
“So if you win, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent, and your God and %$@& off, OK? It’s already three hours long. Right, let’s do the first award.”
This was the last two paragraphs of the opening monologue by comedian Ricky Gervais who was the host of the 2020 Golden Globe Awards. Most amazingly, he said this while standing just a few feet away from most of Hollywood’s elite.
Rarely do I tune into these shows, but while watching the end of the football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Philadelphia Eagles on NBC, my wife asked what time the Golden Globes were on. I said right after the game, and since this was Ricky Gervais’ final time hosting the show, I thought it would be interesting to watch his typically irreverent monologue. It was priceless.
Hollywood Hypocrisy. That’s what he exposed.
Even before they started, the 2020 show was already a bit of a joke with their announcement that they would serve a 100 percent plant-based meal. “If there’s a way we can, not change the world, but save the planet, maybe we can get the Golden Globes to send a signal and draw attention to the issue about climate change,” said the president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Never mind that the flowers came by jet from Ecuador and Italy.
While we’re on the topic, why are 100 percent plant-based meals so great for the environment? Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air, combine it with water and light, and make carbohydrates. This process is called photosynthesis. If carbon dioxide is a major contributor to the “climate change” crisis, eating more plants seems counter-intuitive.
Did any of the stars use mass transit to arrive at the Golden Globes? Or is their idea of mass transit a stretch limo?
Similar thoughts came to mind when watching celebrities like Jane Fonda, Ted Danson and Sam Waterston get arrested on Fire Drill Fridays. How many of these self-important types flew to Washington, D.C., to get their exposure? How many flew on private jets?
If they are serious about the crisis, they should walk or ride a bike to their protests. How many of the stars in the room at the Golden Globes have access to an entire fleet of private jets?
In other words, don’t lecture the rest of us on the severity of “climate change” unless you’re ready to make some real sacrifices. Put up or shut up is the clear message to the Hollywood Hypocrites.
“Climate change” isn’t the only issue that exposes the faux concern of these left coast elites. On issue after issue, the performance often does not match reality.
Stars routinely push for absolute equality for transgender and non-binary people. At the same time, movie studios routinely edit out references to gay or lesbian lifestyles in films distributed to major markets around the world in countries that expressly prohibit homosexual content. The latest example was removing a kiss between two women for the release of the movie “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” in the Middle East and in Singapore.
Many of the same celebrities rush to criticize Israel and support the BDS movement. The irony was not lost on me last June as I left the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and we saw banners on the street for the Gay Pride parade. In contrast, homosexuality is a serious crime in most Muslim countries.
Many of these same countries also have horrible records when it comes to the treatment of women, yet movies are routinely made there. Part of the latest “Star Wars” movie was filmed in Jordan, which U.S. News & World Report listed as one of the 10 worst countries for gender equality.
On the other hand, a wave of actors and actresses announced plans to boycott states that enacted laws to protect unborn children once they can feel pain. These states are defending the ultimate victim.
And how long did Hollywood know about Harvey Weinstein? How many others do they still know about?
Plus, how does Bill Clinton get a pass? Hollywood stars have fallen over themselves for years to be supportive of him. He admitted to an affair with an intern in the Oval Office. Sounds like an abuse of power to me. Yet they held a big bash for him when he left and the same crowd showed up for his 65th birthday party.
Hollywood Hypocrites. They’ve been doing it for years. Ricky Gervais just had the guts to tell it to their face. Bravo.
• Scott Walker was the 45th governor of Wisconsin. You can contact him at swalker@washingtontimes.com or follow him @ScottWalker.
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