I’ve said this before and here goes again, only I really mean it this time. Vague impressions to the contrary, Hollywood Elsewhere is not — and will henceforth not be permitted to be — a good hangin’ place for crude conservative wingnuts who also enjoy movies. I realize that my blunt and sometimes combative judgments and willy-nilly writing style have attracted this element, but starting today I am renewing my efforts to rid this site of belligerent conservative growlers and rage-spitters.
I don’t care how undemocratic this may sound to some. All I know is that the voices of tedious right-wing liturgy are done on this site.
A guy I know and respect wrote yesterday with the following: “I just wanted to let you know that I read your blog and comments every day, but the number of Republicans on your comments board is so depressing I can’t stand reading it anymore, so I’m afraid I’ll have to tune you out for the next 67 days. I agree with you wholeheartedly on your politics, but these rightwing wackjobs are killing me. I know for freedom of speech you can’t delete them, but I just can’t read it anymore. Good luck to us all. I’ll be back on November 5th.”
I wrote him back and said, “I know, I know…I hate these guys also.” And then something snapped. Or a light bulb went on or whatever. I like right-wing guys personally. I enjoy reading George Will and Robert Novak (whom I feel for right now). I used to admire the writings of William F. Buckley and those of other old-school conservative thinkers. I fell in love with Barry Goldwater when I saw Julie Anderson‘s Mr. Conservative. But today’s conservative nutters are sickening. I hate them like a wheat farmer hates locusts.
It’s not what you believe or feel as much as the electric-ascendant or mind- numbing expression of same that counts. It follows that right-wing jackboot views are the essence of tediousness, as any Fox News sufferer can tell you. They’ve become especially malignant in this, an historic election year. And dammit, I haven’t built this site into a respectable Hollywood column over the last four years to provide a forum for thuggish Barack Obama bashers and Sarah Palin back-rubbers.
Interesting, thoughtful, well-phrased opinions of any kind are eternally welcome here. But the uglies, mark my words, are getting the boot. They can call this the Night of the Long Knives if they want, but the house is being tented and the bugs will be killed.
I believe in beauty, redemption, catharsis and the daily cleansing of the soul. I live for the highs of the mind — for the next nervy retort, impertinent crack, witty turn of phrase, turnaround idea or wicked joke. And I know — we all know — that blunt-gruff reactions and persistent ideological ranting works against the flow of such things.
To the extent that I am responsible for creating this climate, I profusely apologize and abase myself before God and the readership in hopes of forgiveness. I am trying to turn the tide, change the atmosphere, spray some air freshener around the room.
I will not permit the infinite array of reflections about life, movies and politics that could and should appear on Hollywood Elsewhere to be suppressed or pushed aside by the relentless hammerhead barking of a small cadre of ideological Mussolinis, tough guys, hardballers and friends of Bill O’Reilly.
I will not provide a forum for this or that Republican hooligan to spew acidic slash-and-burn, borderline-racist views such as Mgmax’s description of Barack Obama as “Spock Obama” and links to this or that National Review article by guys like Mark Steyn.