What Has Blinded Hollywood to the Blind Side?

America has proven once again it knows a good thing when it sees one. This time, it's the new Sandra Bullock vehicle "The Blind Side." While America is hitting the multiplexes in droves see this inspiring piece of storytelling, Hollywood is acknowledging it with an OSCAR nomination nod, but only begrudgingly. Over the past couple of weeks I have heard so called experts, the Hollywood elitists, call the Blind Side "dull and boring." For those of you who don't know, in Hollywood, "dull and boring" is code for it's too main stream or too Middle America.

Most of Hollywood's comments on the "Blind Side" have been condescending, arrogant, and disrespectful. Not just to Middle America, but to one of their very own, Sandra Bullock. Bullock has made a lot of money for more than one ungrateful Hollywood executive. Her latest effort has made just over 238 million dollars as it approaches the end of it's domestic run. That doesn't count overseas box office numbers. To be fair, I'm betting the lefties in Hollywood love having their pockets lined with that kind of money, but they still don't get it when it comes to what drives Americans to spend their hard earned money on going to the movies. Especially in hard economic times.

Bob Mondello, the so called Hollywood expert over at National Public Radio called The Blind Side "contrived, storybook sweet, credulity-straining and ... um, true." Really??? I guess there wasn't enough sex or violence in it for Mr. Mondello. Or maybe it just didn't push the left's agenda. Maybe that was the problem. Maybe that was exactly the problem. You see, like Sandra, those portrayed in The Blind Side didn't wait for a bailout, government stimulus, or the liberal nanny state to fix the problem. In this real life situation, real people jumped in and took care of the real situation. Just like Sandra Bullock didn't wait for the government to step in before digging deep in her own pockets and giving of her millions freely after the tsunami in Indonesia, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and most recently the earthquakes in Haiti. She gave of herself and her checkbook, all with little or no publicity or fanfare.

Real America loves a real story, about real people and places, presented by the type of real actors and actresses exemplified by those in the Blind Side. And America love Sandra Bullock. Hollywood may control Oscar, but it's Middle America that controls the box office. Even if Bullock doesn't win an Oscar, she has already won something that is much more important, especially for an entertainer. The hearts of millions of movie goers across all parts of America. Pay attention Hollywood. Someone is sending you a message.....courtesy of the mainstream!

Til next time!

History Lesson From An Unlikely Source, August 27, 2006

With the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America just around the corner, the folks at CNN in Atlanta have announced that,as part of their 9/11 anniversary coverage, they intend to rebroadcast their actual on-air coverage from that fateful morning to the exact minute five years later on 9/11/2006. This airing is scheduled to take place on their online platform called "CNN Pipeline."

Normally, I am not a fan of CNN for several different reasons....not the least of which is their blatently one sided presentation of material on a wide range of subjects and even more blatent attempts at times to rewrite history so it better serves their underlying liberal agenda.

But this time, I believe that replaying the actual video of planes flying into the World Trade Center Towers, the subsuquent attack in Washington and the coverage from the farm in Pennsylvannia where United Flight 93 went down will be powerful enough by itself that any accompanying CNN "present day" commentary will be barely noticed.

Another reason that I feel that this an excellent move by CNN (I can hardly believe I just said that) is that in the five years following the attacks, much has been said and written about those attacks. Much of what happened on that day has politicized and seemingly commercialized with numerous documentaries, movies, and primetime tv dramas that have chosen to include the events of 9/11 as part of their storylines.

The re-airing of these events, on the anniversary in real time, will no doubt be painful for many. At the same time though, it will re-enforce the fact that 9/11 was a real event. A real attack on America that affected real people in real ways that so many of us have never experienced. It, I believe, will remind those who watch that the underlying issues still exist and the people who hate western society and America in particular are still out there. Hopefully, it will remind Americans with any common sense whatsoever that terrorism and terrorist are not problems to be treated as politicalweapons but as a human problems that need to be dealt with in an honest, straightforward, bipartisan manner. Because in the end the events of 9/11 and any future similar events effects everyone.....not just liberals or conservatives. Hopefully, Americans will pay attention to this history lesson from an unlikely source.

(originally posted 8/26/06 on Yahoo 360)