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ALPERN AT LARGE - Nobody likes a bully, and nobody likes a bigot...but what if someone who thinks he/she is a higher lifeform than Joe/Jane Ordinary American tells those Ordinary Americans what to do, how to think, and who to cancel?
Well, they can potentially infuriate those Ordinary Americans to fight back and show who runs this nation—not the oligarchies, not the beautiful people, but the ones who are NOT stupid, who are just as kind and thoughtful as those cloistered beyond both common reach and common sense.
Because inflation, illegal immigration, rampant crime, home unaffordability, and quality of life WERE legitimate issues for American to raise a ruckus about, and “shut up, you’re a Nazi if you don’t shut up, and you’re anti-American if you don’t shut up” is a pretty rough and downright mean message to pass off to others.
Which maybe wasn’t a message meant to be sent by the following bullies and bigots (who probably don’t know they come across as bullies and bigots)...but that message was indeed received from the following ten figures and icons:
1) Lorne Michaels of Saturday Night Live (SNL)—comedy was and is supposed to thrash and bash everyone, because there’s plenty of self-ridicule and ridicule of others to go around...so when and why did this once-respected comedy creator feel it was OK to play politics and tell half his audience to pound sand and leave?
2) Jimmy Kimmel—this guy owes his career to crude and rude male-style bashing, ranging from gay jokes to women bouncing on trampolines. Men tend to make fund of themselves as much as women, and to both macho men and effete men...and they’re funny! Kimmel made gay jokes aplenty about himself with conservative Republican Ben Stein (“Win Ben Stein’s Money”) before joining up with Adam Carolla to cohost the hilarious and popular Man Show. Then Kimmel went on to late-night entertainment, and decided to make his own Woman Show, and despite his sudden beard made it clear that his previous audience was yesterday’s news. Not funny anymore...just a self-absorbed horse’s rear end.
3) Stephen Colbert—fighting with the aforementioned Kimmel to achieve the award of “most in need of a smack on the side of the head” (figuratively, not literally, of course!) from the half of America he offended on a regular basis, this comedian used to be funny. Funny to all, critical to all, fair to all. But as much as Colbert and his enabling ilk (who produces Colbert’s show and Kimmel’s show...people who don’t want to make money?) dragged down an once even-handed Jimmy Fallon (who first ripped on everyone), they only made Americans who once regularly saw late night talk shows go to bed angry...with the aforementioned SNL carrying on this cruel new trend into the weekend.
4) The Gaggle of Holier-Than-Thou Women of “The View”—yes, they’re officially different people, and with different styles, and with different opinions. But no more—started as a forum of competing female voices that deserved to be heard in an all-too-male-dominated world of public debate and discussion, this show has sadly and terribly become a forum of Mean Girls who think they’re smarter, classier, and more instilled with wisdom than any man or woman who won’t grovel to their own personally-created Mount Olympus. Now they’re just predictable in their bullying and nasty rhetoric, and have all melded to become virtually the same one intolerant person who we all desperately strive to avoid.
5) Bill Maher and “Charlemagne Tha God”—major figures who proclaim they’re independent, who call it like it is, and who aren’t politically correct...but yet ended up favoring the same ‘ol, same ‘ol without any justification or explanation. These are individuals they call “posers” or “poseurs”. Perhaps now they can call Truth to Power—even if that Power comes from the Democratic Party who owns so much of Hollywood and Social Media.
6) Chris Rock, Drew Barrymore, and Ben Stiller and all the once-funny comedians who were once beloved by all, who laughed at themselves and made fun of all others, and who suddenly found it appropriate to genuflect and kiss the ring of the Democratic leadership. “Barack Obama as our father?” “Mom-ala?” “Every White Jewish Guy wants to be Black?” It’s one thing to favor one side or another, but it’s another thing altogether to debase yourself like a moron, to destroy your own credibility, and to offend half of the audience who brought you fame and fortune. Ditto for South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who used to rip on EVERYONE, including themselves, but who suddenly sold out, wimped out, and wussed out when they ridiculed Trump to pieces and gave Biden a blatant pass...in other words, they broke their own trademark model and took sides.
7) All the singers who made it clear that this was a woman vs. man thing, and who decided to alienate both male voters and a giant fraction of their female audience. In all fairness, I think that Taylor Swift both overshot lines of propriety but was more classy in her critiques of conservative politics and her political recommendations. Swift wasn’t at all as obnoxious as the other singers who were both offensive and apparently well-paid to promote the Democratic nominee, but she made the mistake of overshooting her influence...and helped piss off even more Americans against the “beautiful people” of our cultural elites.
8) Oprah—once beloved by all, her hubris and partisan leanings are now coming home to roost. You can’t be that rich and powerful AND play the victim, and telling a now ethnically-mixed conservative (or at least moderate to conservative) portion of America that they’ve chosen the wrong side of our nation to think, vote, and live in. ARE there actors and directors and cultural icons who are conservative, or at least moderate Of course! But it’s become clear that only one side can be allowed to speak without endangering their economic futures. The proper message for any conservative- or liberal-leaning Hollywood figure is to be veeeeeeeeeeeeeery respectful of the other side if they want to publicly back a given candidate or party.
9) Mark Ruffalo and the Avengers, Michael Keaton/Batman, etc.—you clowns honestly believe that most of your audience are mean girls and guys who scream about toxic masculinity? You really wanted to defecate on the overwhelming majority of your fan base? Well, maybe your future will be just fine, but just realize that those who will boycott your movies are doing so because YOU offended THEM (which is YOUR FAULT, not THEIRS). It’s easy to blame Zachary “Shazam!” Levi as “just as bad” as the aforementioned army of actors who play superheroes...until one realizes that Levi has overtly placed his own career at risk, unlike the majority of actors who comfortably reside in an echo chamber of “you’ll definitely get the part now” from Left-Worshiping producers.
10) Moderators and “nonpartisan journalists” who have inappropriately put their thumb on the scale of politics to create a “Right Party” and a “Wrong Party”—it was quite evident that the one debate between Harris and Trump was won by Harris—she overperformed voters’ expectations, while Trump underperformed. Yet it ended up being a “draw” because the so-called moderators (David Muir and Linsey Davis) were so one-sided that both Trump supporters and independents were as angry with the moderators as they were annoyed at Trump. At least the CNN debate between Trump and Biden showed an effort of impartial professional demeanor...and it’s therefore safe to say that Dana Bash and Jake Tapper have a far better future than the self-absorbed Muir and Davis. And let’s not even get started with the “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Harris, OK?
In short, and to summarize...no one likes a bully or a bigot. We’ll never know how much the voters chose Trump because they liked him or his policies, versus how much they hated Big Hollywood, Big Journalism, and Big Social Media.
But perhaps we know why Bezos and other major journalistic leaders are trying to become apolitical...they sensed this 2024 tsunami weeks to months before it became apparent to all that a Revolution of the Common Man/Woman was in full swing.
And it must be confronted by all that the popular vote was based on conclusions that a whole lotta independents decided that REAL fascism, and REAL cultural tyranny, and REAL free speech suppression, was coming not from Donald J. Trump but from his opponents.
(And...PSSST, by the way, many if not most of those who voted for Trump don’t like him but his policies, and chose to vote not for Trump but for a future where Western/American culture still has a chance to survive!)
(Kenneth S. Alpern, M.D, is a dermatologist who has served in clinics in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties, and is a proud husband and father. He was active for 20 years on the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC) as a Board Member focused on Planning and Transportation, and helped lead the grassroots efforts of the Expo Line as well as connecting LAX to MetroRail. His latest project is his fictional online book entitled The Unforgotten Tales of Middle-Earth, and can be reached at [email protected]. The views expressed in this article are solely those of Dr. Alpern.)
