Madonna has lost her legs. She’s lost her voice. She’s lost whatever little talent she once had.
But she’s still got her shock value.
During the Washington, D.C. leg of her tour, she proclaimed her love for President Barack Obama in sterling terms, and explained why the American people should vote for him:
“Y’all better vote for f–king Obama, OK? For better or for worse, all right? We have a black Muslim in the White House! Now that’s some amazing s–t. It means there is hope in this country. And Obama is fighting for gay rights, so support the man, g-damnit.”
Now, it’s easy to dismiss such a rant as the ravings of a lunatic who long ago outlived her 15 minutes of fame. But the truth is scarier: Madonna’s case for Obama represents the opinion of a vast swath of Hollywood. Hollywood isn’t voting for Obama because they like the tepid recovery he’s overseen – Hollywood has taken it in the shorts since President Obama took office. In 2009, the US and Canadian box office gross receipts were $10.6 billion, with 10% of that coming from 3D screenings; in 2010, they were again $10.6 billion, with a full 21% coming from 3D screenings; in 2011, they were down to $10.2 billion. Box office admissions are down from 1.42 billion in 2009 to 1.34 billion in 2010 to 1.28 billion in 2011. And they’re down again this year; the summer box office receipts were down 3% from 2011, and admissions were down 4%. The Obama economy isn’t helping Hollywood.
Neither is it Obamacare. The majority of working people in Hollywood have phenomenal healthcare provided through a union, since Hollywood is one of the most unionized towns on the planet. And as for taxes, Hollywood elites are getting ready to fork over the dough big time starting January 2013.
And it can’t be President Obama’s love for free speech that drives Hollywood support, either. Since the attack on the Libyan consulate in Benghazi and the murder of our ambassador, Obama has spent a significant chunk of time ripping the First Amendment, loudly proclaiming that amateur moviemakers who insult particular religions are reprehensible, with the understanding that this would also be true of those who did so with professional panache. Even though some in Hollywood – Mia Farrow, Russell Simmons – pretend that Obama’s assault on free speech is actually justifiable, most of Hollywood has remained silent.
There are really only three reasons that Hollywoodites love President Obama so much, despite his record. The first is that he’s tremendously liberal, and Hollywood is a socialist town. Not in practice, of course. But in theory. Demand redistributionism on Harvey Weinstein’s porch, and you’ll likely find yourself bleeding from multiple dog mauling wounds. But talk with Weinstein over coffee about economic policy, and he’s likely to tell you that he’d like to see a more even distribution of wealth in the country.
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