The Final Frontier: 10 Political Messages Beamed Through “Star Trek”
December 12, 2010 at 11:30 pm | Posted in NewsRealBlog | 2 CommentsTags: Borg, Communism, environmentalism, Hollywood, Klingons, NewsReal Blog, Peace, Romulans, science fiction, Socialism, Star Trek, The Concession Stand, United Nations
by Walter Hudson, contributed to NewsReal Blog
Science fiction affords storytellers the opportunity to couch political ideas within fantastic metaphors. In this way, ideas can be explored which might otherwise seem objectionable. In some cases, an audience might not consciously realize they are being influenced to think a certain way.
Perhaps the greatest example of science fiction writing which has pushed a particular ideology upon the popular culture is Star Trek. Over the course of nearly five decades, the brand has expanded from televisions series into feature films, countless books, fan conventions, and mounts of merchandise.
Why has Star Trek been so popular? Creator Gene Roddenberry attributed the original series’ success to the philosophy it espoused.
Continue Reading The Final Frontier: 10 Political Messages Beamed Through “Star Trek”…
Conservatives Must Saddle Up and Blaze New Trails Into Minority Communities
December 10, 2010 at 4:00 pm | Posted in NewsRealBlog | Leave a commentTags: Black Conservatives, Blazing Saddles, Hollywood, Mel Brooks, NewsReal Blog, race relations, Racism, tea party, The Concession Stand
by Walter Hudson, contributed to NewsReal Blog
One of my all-time favorite comedies is Mel Brook’s Blazing Saddles. Truly a product of its time, the racially provocative mock Western could not be made today. Nor could it have been made any time before it was. The moment in popular culture was just right for black Sheriff Bart and his quest to earn the respect of skeptical townsfolk in time to save them from annihilation.
A large part of what made Blazing Saddles both an effective comedy and a scathing social commentary was its unapologetic confrontation of racial stereotypes. The film did not minimize the ethic differences between racial groups. Rather, it proposed that those differences matter less than where individuals stand on freedom.
This is a message largely lost on today’s political culture, where racial and ethnic identity is often expected to determine political ideology. The black community in particular is expected to display loyalty to the Democratic Party, to Marxist “social justice,” and a professed victim status. While the voting habits of the black community meet this expectation, it is high time for conservatives to present them with an alternative.
Tone Deaf Kathy Griffin Mocks Bristol Palin in Front of American Troops
December 8, 2010 at 11:00 am | Posted in NewsRealBlog | 1 CommentTags: Body Image, Bristol Palin, Hollywood, Kathy Griffin, Military, NewsReal Blog, sarah palin, The Concession Stand, VH1, Weight Issues
by Walter Hudson, contributed to NewsReal Blog
The first rule of public performance is – know your audience. Know what they like, and what they don’t, or risk becoming the latter. Self-professed D-list celebrity Kathy Griffin apparently never learned that lesson.
While hosting a VH1/USO salute to American troops, Griffin saw fit to mock Bristol Palin. Strange as that choice was, stranger still was how she chose to do it.
“She’s the only contestant in the history of the show to actually gain weight,” Griffin said in reference to Bristol’s trip to the finals on “Dancing With the Stars.”
Even after the troops’ loud booing, Griffin continued the attack.
“No, come on, come on. She gained like 30 pounds a week, I swear to God, it was fantastic,” Griffin said. “She’s like the white Precious.”
(Actress Gabourey Sidibe played the role of “Precious,” a 350-pound black woman in the hit Lee Daniels film which was released last year.)
This is how you maintain D-list status. Parade in front of an audience that values honor, respect, and decency, then take an unwarranted cheap shot at a public figure’s daughter.
Al Franken for President
December 7, 2010 at 11:00 am | Posted in NewsRealBlog | Leave a commentTags: 2012 Presidential Election, Al Franken, Barack Obama, Hollywood, Michael Lerner, NewsReal Blog, Stanley Kurtz, The Concession Stand
by Walter Hudson, contributed to NewsReal Blog
I imagine, were I to wrangle up a fluxed-out DeLorean and travel back to 1995, I would have a difficult time convincing my sixteen-year-old self that the actor then portraying Stuart Smalley would go on to be the United States Senator from Minnesota. Smalley, if you do not immediately recall, was Al Franken’s signature character on Saturday Night Live, a self-professed self-help guru with a show on cable access television.
Franken’s shtick played off the irony that Smalley so obviously needed help himself. Each sketch would start with him gazing vacantly into a full-length mirror, reciting the then familiar affirmation.
I’m good enough. I’m smart enough. And gosh darn it, people like me.
It was comedy of the absurd. Smalley was a clown. No one in their right mind would turn to him for advice.
Fifteen years later, much as it once seemed incredible, Franken holds a seat in the Senate. Could he go further? Might Franken challenge Barack Obama in the 2012 Democratic primary?
“Agenda: Grinding America Down,” NewsReal Interviews Filmmaker Curtis Bowers
December 6, 2010 at 7:00 pm | Posted in NewsRealBlog | Leave a commentTags: Academic Infidels, Agenda: Grinding America Down, Agendas of the Left, Christianity, Communisim, Communist Party USA, education, Group Think, Hollywood, homeschooling, In The Family Way, Judaism, NewsReal Blog, politics, religion, social engineering, Socialism, Tactics of the Left, tea party, The Concession Stand
by Walter Scott Hudson, contributed to NewsReal Blog
Glenn Beck has, with evermore frequency, paused to appreciate the extent to which his beliefs have changed in recent years. He has come to accept the existence of agendas which he would have dismissed as conspiracy theory only a few years ago. His experience has not been unique.
Many concerned citizens, possessed by an instinctive sense that the country is on the wrong track, have sought to understand why. Among them is Curtis Bowers, a former Idaho state representative and auteur of an outstanding new documentary film called Agenda: Grinding America Down.
Produced independently by Bowers and his immediate family, Agenda nonetheless stands toe-to-toe with the best professionally produced films of its type. The production quality is top notch. The content is relevant. Best of all, the information is structured in a rational, topical, and compelling manner.
Bowers shines light upon the communist movement in America, connecting the dots from Karl Marx through the Fabian socialists to ACORN and the Communist Party USA. The result is a scathing exposé the likes of which has driven the Left nuts.
Is Religion Ridiculous?
December 4, 2010 at 10:30 pm | Posted in NewsRealBlog | Leave a commentTags: Bill Maher, Hollywood, Miracles, NewsReal Blog, religion, Religulous, Science, The Concession Stand
by Walter Scott Hudson, contributed to NewsReal Blog
In a recent post answering the anti-religious zealotry of Bill Maher’s documentary-style film Religulous, I concluded that the film’s topic is “the argument of our time.” That is to say, our political paradigm is founded upon our spiritual paradigm, how we define and perceive the nature of man.
If you believe mankind to be the product of an ongoing, emergent, evolutionary process, then you will tend to believe that human consciousness can be applied to drive evolution in a favorable direction. This belief tends to metastase into an elevation of some men above others. Whether the basis for distinction is national identity, race, creed, intellect or some other factor is irrelevant. The end result is the same – a loss of freedom, and often life.
Conversely, if you believe mankind to exist in a state of sin – moral retardation, then you will abandon the futile task of perfecting man and work toward maintaining a society which minimizes the potential for abuse by defusing power and maximizing individual liberty. This was the position of the American Founding Fathers, who wrote and spoke extensively regarding the fallibility of man (even those with crowns) and the necessity to bind them with the chains of the Constitution.
In this follow-up, I would like to answer some thoughtful points raised by one of our readers. Continue Reading Is Religion Ridiculous?…
Dr. Laura Schlesinger Set to Return to Radio & Tackle Race Baiting Head On
December 3, 2010 at 9:00 am | Posted in NewsRealBlog | Leave a commentTags: Bigotry, Discrimination, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, NewsReal Blog, prejudice, race relations, Racism, SiriusXM, talk radio, The Concession Stand
by Walter Scott Hudson, contributed to NewsReal Blog
Dr. Laura Schlesinger, the outspoken radio talk show host who was derided into resignation over an August on-air controversy, is set to return “uncensored, expanded, and exclusive to” SiriusXM Satellite Radio in January. True to form, Schlesinger plans to come out swinging on the very topic which drove her from terrestrial airwaves.
In confirming the exclusive arrangement to bring her talk show to satellite radio beginning Jan, 3, Schlessinger said Monday she intends to introduce roundtable discussions. Within the first three weeks one topic will be race relations and free speech.
“Racism, bigotry and hate,” Schlessinger told the Hollywood Reporter, “what they really are, instead of the politically-inspired efforts to eliminate dissenting opinions or state facts.”
This is a worthwhile and timely topic. However, Schlesinger must approach it from an angle which keeps the message intact upon delivery.
Glitz and Glamor Are No Match for Good and Evil in Holiday Box Office Wars
December 2, 2010 at 2:00 pm | Posted in NewsRealBlog | Leave a commentTags: Angelina Jolie, Family Films, Hollywood, Jeff Bridges, Johnny Depp, NewsReal Blog, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Concession Stand, The Tourist, Tron, Tron: Legacy
by Walter Scott Hudson, contributed to NewsReal Blog
It appears that high-tech glitz and A-list celebrity glamor are not the keys to moviegoers’ hearts. Pre-release box office tracking for movies hitting theaters this holiday season has yielded some interesting results. Disney’s long-hyped cyber-reality actioner Tron:Legacy may end up a financial loser.
The 3D sci-fi film has been marketed heavily for months en route to its Dec. 17 bow, and many have been suggesting a big opening and leggy theatrical run based on built-in interest from the cult base of its 1982 predecessor. But at this point, tracking suggests Tron: Legacy with as little as $35 million.
In the spirit of the original, Tron: Legacy boasts state-of-the-art computer graphics. The bells and whistles include a digital facelift for actor Jeff Bridges, who reprises the role of a character 28 years his junior. Some shots of the digitally de-aged Bridges seen in the film’s trailers look remarkably convincing. Others could use some work before release. Regardless, considering it cost about $200 million to make, an opening weekend take as low as predicted would make profitability doubtful.
Peter Jackson Fires Casting Agent for Racial Discrimination, Pakistani “Hobbit” May Result
December 1, 2010 at 7:00 pm | Posted in NewsRealBlog | Leave a commentTags: Hollywood, NewsReal Blog, Peter Jackson, Political Correctness, Racisal Discrimination, Racism, The Concession Stand, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings
by Walter Scott Hudson, contributed to NewsReal Blog
“Discrimination” is among the most abused words in our political discourse. It is flaunted with such regularity and negative connotation that its actual meaning is all but lost.
An example of just how ridiculous we have allowed racial sensitivities to become was reported from the New Zealand production of The Hobbit this week. The film is Peter Jackson’s follow-up and prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
A casting manager working on The Hobbit has been sacked over allegations a British actress was turned down for a role in the film because of her skin colour.
Naz Humphreys, who has Pakistani heritage, auditioned in the New Zealand city of Hamilton last week… but alleged she was rejected because movie bosses only wanted “pale-skinned” actors.
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