Other Stuff
Spitting In The Eye Of Half Your Customers
by John Romano
Before 9-11, I was a neophyte musician and ex-New Yorker living in Venice, CA. I liked both political parties to a degree, but wasn’t heavy into beltway rubbernecking. Clinton seemed cool in a “I can’t believe my teacher had beers with us” kind of way and Republicans in no way seemed as scary as the press made them out to be. However, 9-11 was a defining political moment for me as I’m sure it was for many Americans.
It was obvious to me that America and Americans were in for some serious soul searching. Many of us shifted right and continue to reside on that side of the political spectrum. Others came to different conclusions.
Hollywood’s utter distortion and sheer hatred for all things conservative or Republican continues to push me rightward. Especially over the last four years.
For instance, last month my wife and I rented the movie “Two Days in Paris.” Paris is very dear to me as I own a company named Link Paris that offers day trips from Paris to the landing beaches in Normandy, among other places. Suffice it to say, any movie in English set in Paris is a guaranteed rental in our house. We were very excited about “Two Days in Paris.”
Popcorn in hand, we settled in for the film. Not three minutes into the movie, Hollywood offers up one of the most anti-American and anti-Republican moments in film history.
The two lead characters are at Gare Du Nord (The North Station) in Paris attempting to get a cab. A group of overweight Americans, Hollywood’s clue that they aren’t from New York or LA, asks the lead, played by Adam Goldberg, for directions to the Louvre. Of course one of the untidy Americans is wearing a Bush Cheney ‘04 t-shirt! I’m surprised the group wasn’t asking for directions to McDonald’s. Maybe in the first draft of the script they were.
Adam Goldberg’s character nonchalantly sends them in the wrong direction. He intentionally sends his own countrymen the wrong way. His reasoning? “They voted for Bush…they are the physical embodiment of everything that is wrong culturally and politically in this world.” His girlfriend, played by Julie Delpy, answers “You are so mean, but so right! I love you! You are so smart.” So that’s how you get friendly with leftist chicks in Paris! Any single dudes heading to France, take note.
Me, I gave up on the movie right there. My wife watched until the bitter end. In my last post I mentioned how adding politics into art can ruin an entire piece of entertainment. This was like adding an entire can of sardines to a quart of marinara sauce. A terrible turn-off indeed.
I’m starting an informal list of the worst anti-American and anti-conservative moments in film. I’m not looking for an instance of conservative bashing, (too many to list), I’m looking for moments when Hollywood intentionally spits in the eye of half of its customers. Moments that Hollywood goes out of its way to knock America. Moments that filmmakers, knowingly or not, aim to break the spirit of what it is to be an American.
I wish I could say that the French director of “Two Days in Paris” was setting up the male lead as a mean guy, but after watching the entire film for this column, that is not the case.
To get started I’ll put the scene from “Two Days in Paris” at number one.
Oh and here are some McDonald’s locations in Paris for those so inclined.
Originally Posted at bighollywood.breitbart.com