Democrats & Liberals Archives

Just wanted to add this in — the actual Streep quote was just published — plus a bit of backstage extra:

‘“I just want to say that I don’t think the two biggest problems in America are that too many people want to commit their lives to one another ‘til death do us part, and steroids and sports,” said Streep, whose film deals with AIDS. “I don’t think those are our two biggest problems.”

In his State of the Union Speech last week, President Bush said, “Our nation must defend the sanctity of marriage,” even if that requires adopting an amendment to the Constitution. He also criticized professional athletes who use performance-enhancing steroids as setting a bad example for children.

Backstage, Streep was asked what is the biggest problem facing America.

“It has three initials,” she replied, apparently a reference to Bush.’

No offense to Meryl Streep, who is a fine actress with a right to her own opinions. However, her status as an actress does not cause me to hold her opinions in high regard. Those who would allow a person’s celebrity to influence their own political opinions must simply be among the most intellectually lazy people on the planet.

While I disagree with Streep’s thought process, I certainly hold up her right to her opinion. I simply don’t think its worth any bit more than any other person’s opinion. She just has an audience to whom she can play.

Once again an actor has chosen to bring politics into an awards show. I just think that they should shut up and act. You don’t see Charlton Hesston bringing an AK to the Oscars or Mel Gibson speaking out against the ACLU at the podium. This class-less “progressives” forget that though this moment is about their work not their political views. I don’t think a darn thing should be done about it; actors making political statements at awards shows is so ridiculous that it hurts their whatever cause they are championing. But I would just recommend whenever giving an acceptance speech: be appropriate, be gracious, and be seated.

I applaud Streep’s remarks. If any of my friends said the same thing on national television, I would also applaud them even more. My applause for the content of her remarks has nothing to do with her celebrity status.

But I do applaud her simply for saying something, for indicating to the (mostly quiet) majority of Americans who agree with her that there are other people who think the same way and are willing to say so.

Some may try to discredit the message by disparaging the celebrity messenger, but in a world where people on the left are genuinely scared to say things critical of the president in politically mixed company*, it is heartening and encouraging (i.e, giving courage) to see someone do it in front of the whole country.

See, it’s a matter of setting an example for people to simply be outspoken about one’s politics. If Streep can say something like that and risk losing endorsements, fans, and probably money, then I can certainly say stuff like this to my colleagues, my grandfather, or strangers at a dinner party.

For what it’s worth, I detest Woody Harrelson and Alec Baldwin as actors, but I admire them anyway because of their noted outspokenness on political views I agree with. Mel Gibson I detest both as an actor and as a person.

-Cf

* Really, we are scared: we get accused of being traitors, terrorist sympathisers in this PATRIOT act-induced climate of fear and Ashcroft’s constitution-busting Justice Department… in the words of Ari Fleischer - “watch what you say”

I think it is sad that there is so much censorship in the United States. The fact that Streep was stopped from making these statements on national television is an outrage.

Funny that you detest Gibson as an actor and as a person. Do you know him personally to detest him? I know a few people that met him recently at a Passion screening and they said he was gracious, unassuming and excited. He’s being maligned by supposedly respectable publications such as the false report out of LA stating that the pope did not endorse the film when it turns out that the reporter seems to have simply been “mistaken.” Gibson did not use his times at the podium for best director, actor, &c other than to thank his God, the Academy and those that helped him. He does not ridiculously abuse an awards ceremony for the fine arts to make political speeches. Sure, Ms. Streep is entitled to say whatever she pleases, wherever she pleases, but it is insults her intelligence and the intelligence of the American public that she thinks accepting an award for acting extends her career into that of a political commentator. People should lighten up at awards ceremonies… they’re supposed to be fun. If you want to discuss politics, attend the conventions and forums. It’s like wearing white to a funeral. People should respect people.

> she thinks accepting an award for acting
> extends her career into that of a political
> commentator

How do you know what she thinks? Anyway, I certainly find it more surprising when people talk about their religion in public than when people talk about their politics. To turn another poster’s question around, what gives Gibson the right to tell me about his faith in God? (that was a rhetorical question)

In any event, the movie Streep was accepting the award for was an overtly liberal political film about (among many other things) the hostility of many Americans - and specifically the Reagan administration - towards gay people. Politics are integral to the whole cinematic endeavor in question.

-Cf

Why does ANYONE watch all these awards shows anyway? It’s just a self congratulatory moneyfest.
You MIGHT think Streep would notice that she’s whining about the priorities of the guy who was the first president to really pay serious attention to the AIDS problem, and in his SOTU address last year, announced $15 billion in aid to Africa to solve the problem.
Just like liberals and blacks never noticed that black folks dying in Africa wasn’t interesting to our ‘first black president, bill clinton, but was a real priority to the president they love to hate.

Sebastian

I love how you toss out the word “censorship” so lightly, as if it has any meaning at all to you. We all know that TRUE censorship exists to some degree in our world (no Saturday morning porn movies during cartoons etc.).

But to suggest that Meryl Streep has been censored when her comments are posted all over the web is simply humorous at best. Those presenting the show have a right to control to some degree the content of their show, in order to allow for higher ratings. Otherwise, under your ideals, actors and actresses could use the podium for whatever purposes they choose. That would not make for a fun show.

Meryl Streep has always been my favorite actress and now I love her even more. I doubt conservatives (exactly what is it you are “conserving”, anyway?? certainly not the environment, certainly not compassion and certainly not freedom) would be complaining if she had said something that they agreed with.
now, answer me this: How is Angels In America a “liberal” movie? Because it demomstrates compassion to a group of people who, especially in the 1980’s, were treated as pariahs by our then-president? Speaking of presidents, to say that GWB has done more to fight AIDS than any other president is insane. Have you actually followed up his administration’s policies since that State of the Union speech? If you had, you would have found that the funds he promised for Africa have been largely curtailed thanks to the “christian” right who object to anything they see as sex education. GWB, like Reagan, is a slave to the Jerry Falwells, Pat Robertsons and Ann Coulters of the Republican party. Scary thing is, GWB really is a fundamentalist Christian - Molly Ivins tells a story in her book “Shrub” about an argument that GWB once had with his mom Barbara in which he insisted that only Christians could ascend to heaven. She finally had to call Billy Graham and have him talk to GWB. Scary. Anyway, back to Meryl. She had a good point - what is wrong with two adults making a lifetime commitment in the name of love? And why is it a priority to ban gay marriages? And how do you ban something that is already banned? What is he afraid of? To quote a great Sheryl Crow song - “Love is a Good Thing”!

Joe, for what it’s worth Sebastian was not being serious.

He was mocking me for pointing out that Ari Fleischer’s “Watch what you say” comment might have given many of us who oppose the administration second thoughts about publicly expressing our political opinions.

-Cf