Courtesy of USA Today:
A group of Hollywood celebrities has a message to share about gun violence.
Beyonce, Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez, Jaime Foxx, Conan O'Brien, Ellen DeGeneres and other entertainers are appearing in a PSA calling on Americans to "demand a plan" to stop gun violence.
"How many more?" the stars ask, before action will be taken.
No more "if we had just done something yesterday," says Aniston in the video, which was released Friday.
Well THAT ought to get some attention.
Of course the NRA supporters will simply say that the fault for the increase in violence is on the heads of these actors who participate in fake violence in movies, instead of putting the blame on the accessibility of weapons which allow unhinged people to perpetrate REAL violence in our elementary school classrooms.
David Koch Now Taking Aim At Hurricane Sandy Victims
ReplyDeleteKoch’s top deputy in New Jersey, a surly gentleman named Steve Lonegan, who heads the local AFP state chapter, called the aid package a “disgrace.” “This is not a federal government responsibility,” Lonegan told reporters. “We need to suck it up and be responsible for taking care of ourselves.”
http://www.thenation.com/blog/171906/david-koch-now-taking-aim-hurricane-sandy-victims#
I wonder if Jaime will reconsider the roles he takes that truly glorify gun violence? He needs to do some deep soul searching on this issue, I'd say. It's difficult to stand as an advocate, when what you do to make your living, starring in gun infested bang 'em up movies, is directly in opposition to that stand. Yes, it is FAKE violence, but the eyes and brain don't differentiate. Especially when those visual images feed an already damaged psyche looking for a way to act out.
ReplyDeleteI am hopeful that this wave of awareness that is sweeping through the public discourse sustains itself and that EVERYONE including Hollywood, make some changes, but I won't hold my breath.
Yes, Newtown was horrific, but no less horrific than the 100+ shootings since then, and the senseless death of a 2 year old, just now, who picked up his grandfather's gun and shot himself...
I'm sure those NRA gun lovers enjoyed watching Clint Eastwood, Charlton Heston, and John Wayne's glorified gun fight movies.
Delete21 Vintage Gun Ads That Will Make You Wince
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/20/23-vintage-gun-ads-featur_n_2339449.html
Texas restaurant owner Eddie Nimibutr found himself the subject of a massive backlash this week when he posted a racist rant on Facebook regarding the victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Nimibutr's Facebook is inaccessible, Nimibutr wrote, in part, “I’m failing to give a damn about the CT shooting. I don’t care if a bunch of white kids got killed. When kids from minority groups get shot nobody cares.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/19/thai-noodle-house-eddie-nimibutr-death-threats-sandy-hook_n_2333029.html?ref=topbar
Ill-conceived racist rant? Yes, but he has a point. There is never any mention of minority children who were killed by gun violence.
DeleteUntil these stars refuse to be in productions that include ANY sort of gun play or violence then their "heartfelt" message doesn't really mean much to me. Beyonce is married to a "gangsta" rapper that makes his fortune from songs glorifying violence and misogyny. As someone stated earlier, Jamie Foxx made his fortune from movies glorifying violence. Aniston is guilty only of not being able to act and making bad chick flicks, but at least no one usually dies, except from boredom. As for the rest of those in the video, if you've ever made a movie or song glorifying violence then you need to recognize that and don't do it again, if you really want the change that you speak of.
ReplyDelete^^ +1 Well said.
DeleteYou won't see Tom Selleck in those P.A.s. he's on the board of the NRA.
ReplyDeleteHe needs to get OFF the board of the NRA or suffer the same fate as Mel Gibson.
BTW did you see Laurence O'Donnell on Wayne LaPierre and the NRA? Pretty entertaining stuff. And the NY Post and Daily News had covers calling LaPierre Nuts, Crazy and a Loon. Good stuff.
We must not back down. 4 million of them to 300 million of us.
DeleteThe only meaningful stand Hollywood can make is for every actor to refuse to appear in movies with gratuitous gun violence and gun handling. Quit making it look glamorous.
ReplyDeleteWOW!
ReplyDeleteThis from the industry who's responsible for hugely violent movies about blowing people away with massive amounts of amo.
Ugh. Liberal hypocrisy once again rears its head.
I think it's great that they're doing this. Yeah, some have been in movies or television shows that glorify guns, or *GASP* m ma mar marr married to someone who's a rapper.
ReplyDeleteThey're at least using their celebrity to "Demand a Plan to End Gun Violence". It's at least a step in the right direction. It's far better than the NRA's lame nonstarter and whatever bullshit he repeats on Meet The Press.
Where's Aaaarnold? Al Pacino? Robert DeNiro?Sylvester Stallone?Elmer Fudd? The writer's of children's books, mutilating three visually impaired rodents with a knife ain't a pretty picture.
We're not going to get anywhere if we nit pick particulars on either side.
Peter Dinklage!! I love him in King of Thrones.
ReplyDeleteThis made me cry. I just can't understand those sick people who think that their freedom is getting taken away. When did the loud mouthed minorities in this country take over the conversation?