Ben Stein on the Oscars

[MrRant 0]

Missed Tributes

By Ben Stein

Published 3/6/2006 2:08:21 AM

 

 

Now for a few humble thoughts about the Oscars.

 

I did not see every second of it, but my wife did, and she joins me in noting that there was not one word of tribute, not one breath, to our fighting men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan or to their families or their widows or orphans. There were pitifully dishonest calls for peace -- as if the people we are fighting were interested in any peace for us but the peace of the grave. But not one word for the hundreds of thousands who have served and are serving, not one prayer or moment of silence for the dead and maimed.

 

Basically, the sad truth is that Hollywood does not think of itself as part of America, and so, to Hollywood, the war to save freedom from Islamic terrorists is happening to someone else. It does not concern them except insofar as it offers occasion to mock or criticize George Bush. They live in dreamland and cannot be gracious enough to thank the men and women who pay with their lives for the stars' ability to live in dreamland. This is shameful.

 

The idea that it is brave to stand up for gays in Hollywood, to stand up against Joe McCarthy in Hollywood (fifty years after his death), to say that rich white people are bad, that oil companies are evil -- this is nonsense. All of these are mainstream ideas in Hollywood, always have been, always will be. For the people who made movies denouncing Big Oil, worshiping gays, mocking the rich to think of themselves as brave -- this is pathetic, childish narcissism.

 

The brave guy in Hollywood will be the one who says that this is a fabulously great country where we treat gays, blacks, and everyone else as equal. The courageous writer in Hollywood will be the one who says the oil companies do their best in a very hostile world to bring us energy cheaply and efficiently and with a minimum of corruption. The producer who really has guts will be the one who says that Wall Street, despite its flaws, has done the best job of democratizing wealth ever in the history of mankind.

 

No doubt the men and women who came to the Oscars in gowns that cost more than an Army Sergeant makes in a year, in limousines with champagne in the back seat, think they are working class heroes to attack America -- which has made it all possible for them. They are not. They would be heroes if they said that Moslem extremists are the worst threat to human decency since Hitler and Stalin. But someone might yell at them or even attack them with a knife if they said that, so they never will.

 

Hollywood is above all about self: self-congratulation, self-promotion, and above all, self-protection. This is human and basic, but let's not kid ourselves. There is no greatness there in the Kodak theater. The greatness is on patrol in Kirkuk. The greatness lies unable to sleep worrying about her man in Mosul. The greatness sleeps at Arlington National Cemetery and lies waiting for death in VA Hospitals. God help us that we have sunk so low as to confuse foolish and petty boasting with the real courage that keeps this nation and the many fools in it alive and flourishing on national TV.

 

 

Ben Stein is a writer, actor, economist, and lawyer living in Beverly Hills and Malibu

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

the oil companies do their best in a very hostile world to bring us energy cheaply and efficiently and with a minimum of corruption.

 

 

?

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Hollywood is shallow? What an old fool. That whole essay is as empty-headed and ignorant as the very thing he rails against.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

And thus concludes my twice-yearly trip to this folder. Thank you and good night.

[Guest SavageRulz]

Basically, the sad truth is that Hollywood does not think of itself as part of America, and so, to Hollywood, the war to save freedom from Islamic terrorists is happening to someone else. It does not concern them except insofar as it offers occasion to mock or criticize George Bush. They live in dreamland and cannot be gracious enough to thank the men and women who pay with their lives for the stars' ability to live in dreamland. This is shameful.

 

You know, I like Ben Stein. A lot. But he's been showing an uncomfortable tendency to pull the Ann-Coulterish play to the audience, regardless of how totally asinine his premise might be. And his premise that "Hollywood does not think of itself as part of America" is as shrill and phony as it gets.

 

Stein has found his way into a number of very popular Hollywood films, including "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"; "Planes, Trains and Automobiles"; "Ghostbusters 2"; "Honeymoon in Vegas"; "The Mask"; "Dave" and a host of lesser films. Is Ben trying to tell us that he phoned his roles in from Topeka?

 

I get so gd sick of the rightwingnuts bitching, bitching, and bitching if we don't say the Pledge every ten minutes (with strong emphasis on UNDER GOD), don't say Merry Christmas to every stranger we might see, or happen to show the very very bad form of making a joke about the current administration. For years we have been hearing that the Oscars are too damned political, so the Academy purged every political reference from the ceremonies. And how does Stein respond? Wah wah wah. He wants HIS brand of politics interjected. And it wasn't just a tribute he wanted, he wanted a very tightly scripted tribute honoring the men and women in Iraq (very deserving) with absolutely no mention of the unbelievable cost of this war. Because mentioning the cost in lives, limbs, psyches, and dollars (which are sacred only if oil companies make them, not if bureaucrat spend them on endless wars) would be seditious and giving aid and comfort to the enemy.

 

Save it for the Republican Convention, Ben.

[Dangerous A 0]

I think he's wrong in his take about Wall Street and Big Oil doing their best with minimum corruption.

 

He's dead on about Hollywood being out of touch with the real world, but that's nothing new or groundbreaking.

[Stephen Joseph 0]

Sadly, those who disagree with most of his comments aren't suppported via economic history.

 

Stephen's Fun Fact of the Day :

 

In Iraq, 4% of our military has been killed or wounded. This is the lowest level of casualities compared to any major or minor war since, well, the Civil War (possibly excluding the spanish american war).

 

Whatever...no one gets it. extremism on either side of the isle is so much easier and so much more emotionally appealing than looking at the facts objectively

[Guest Brian]

Ben Stein's a lawyer and an economist? There's a jewish joke in there for KKK.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Sadly, those who disagree with most of his comments aren't suppported via economic history.

 

Stephen's Fun Fact of the Day :

 

In Iraq, 4% of our military has been killed or wounded. This is the lowest level of casualities compared to any major or minor war since, well, the Civil War (possibly excluding the spanish american war).

 

Whatever...no one gets it. extremism on either side of the isle is so much easier and so much more emotionally appealing than looking at the facts objectively

Just because this war has been conducted with comparatively low rates of casualties doesn't make it better. Fixation on statistics won't explain it away either.

[Sandman9000 0]

Looks like the oil companies are the ones who will win Ben Stein's Money.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ugh.

[Cowboy Battlenuts 0]

In Iraq, 4% of our military has been killed or wounded. This is the lowest level of casualities compared to any major or minor war since, well, the Civil War (possibly excluding the spanish american war).

 

Whatever...no one gets it. extremism on either side of the isle is so much easier and so much more emotionally appealing than looking at the facts objectively

 

I think suggesting it's ok for a certain amount of people to die because it's less than we're used to is pretty extreme. I don't think anyone with dead friends and relatives are gonna take comfort in "at least it's not as bad as the spanish-american war".

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

I'm sure gays, blacks and everyone else are treated equally throughout the country, with no problems whatsoever.

[The Czech Republic 0]

That didn't read like Ben Stein, but okay. Has its points, has its faults. Lot of jingoistic blather in there--"the oil companies try their best" was a real groaner--but a lot of the stuff on Hollywood is spot-on.

 

Is Ben trying to tell us that he phoned his roles in from Topeka?

No. When did he say that? He's certainly not a typical actor, though. He's a lawyer, economist, speechwriter, so on, who managed a few roles here and there. He's not really part of the crowd.

[NoCalMike 0]

Hollywood is out of touch on a lot of issues, but that mostly has to do with the same issues that corporate-elite right wing america is out of touch with, and that is your average joe schmo.

 

And I am sorry but being against the Iraq war is not "Out of the mainstream" When was the last time Ben Stein checked Bush's approval ratings....34% and falling.

 

He bashes the actors for wearing suits and gowns that cost more then a soldier's uniform, but where is his outrage at Haliburton for basically raping the military and taxpayers by inflating the costs of everything simply because "they can" not to mention the fact about losing 8 or so billion dollars, or the fact that Contractors there are making 100X what a troop does.

 

Hollywood is what it is, but to target Hollywood as a basis to talk about the Soldiers is pretty lame, considering he pretty much avoided any real concrete issues, but alas that is basically what right-wing media does anyway.

 

He also basically takes the liberty of telling us what hollywood actors all think of themselves. When has an actor ever said he or she felt like they were the working blue class heros of america? Has that legit every come out of one of their mouth's? If so, then of course it is fucking stupid, but who in their right mind thinks that is the general consensus of what actors think of themselves?

 

And excuse the fuck out of me Mr. Stein, but to me the real cowardice is the actors and actresses not speaking out against a war and policy that they are against. They were probably all instructed by Mr. Corporate Media to be on their best behavior.

 

I am still cracking up at him suggesting any of the films were about "worshiping gays" what a Hoot.

[Guest InuYasha]

This kind of essay from Ben Stein is no surprise to me. He was one of Nixon's speech writers, after all. He's one of the oldest old guard conservatives still alive.

 

However, that doesn't discredit the few good points he made. While I think Ben Stein is a very smart man, he is socially and economically still stuck in the late 70's.

[Guest SavageRulz]

That didn't read like Ben Stein, but okay. Has its points, has its faults. Lot of jingoistic blather in there--"the oil companies try their best" was a real groaner--but a lot of the stuff on Hollywood is spot-on.

 

Is Ben trying to tell us that he phoned his roles in from Topeka?

No. When did he say that? He's certainly not a typical actor, though. He's a lawyer, economist, speechwriter, so on, who managed a few roles here and there. He's not really part of the crowd.

 

Stein is most definitely NOT some sort of outsider in Hollywood who made a few brief appearances. Check out his bio -- he has written a ton for Hollywood in addition to his acting. And living in Beverly Hills/Malibu.

 

His comment about Hollywood being anti-American is either self loathing or unadulterated bullshit; I'm guessing ca-ca to garner applause from those who delight in such pronouncements.

[Dangerous A 0]

NoCal, I agree with all your posts except this bit...

 

 

He also basically takes the liberty of telling us what hollywood actors all think of themselves. When has an actor ever said he or she felt like they were the working blue class heros of america? Has that legit every come out of one of their mouth's? If so, then of course it is fucking stupid, but who in their right mind thinks that is the general consensus of what actors think of themselves?

 

 

Hollywood type folk are constantly trying to put themselves over as "down to earth" types. They may not outright say they are the working class heroes, but they imply and work on coming off like they are regular, middle america types. They may not come out and say exactly what you are talking about, but I think quite a bit of them believe they are closer to middle america and it couldn't be further from the truth.

[SuperJerk 0]

This is idiotic. Saying something is wrong because it is "out of the mainstream" or not "down to Earth" is not a rational argument, because being those things doesn't automatically make you correct or even just. An idea doesn't have to be popular in order to be right.

 

As far as Stein goes, I could care less what he thinks. He's as much entitled to his opinion as George Clooney, and I'm just as entitled to disagree with him as he does with George Clooney.

 

 

 

Sadly, those who disagree with most of his comments aren't suppported via economic history.

 

Stephen's Fun Fact of the Day :

 

In Iraq, 4% of our military has been killed or wounded. This is the lowest level of casualities compared to any major or minor war since, well, the Civil War (possibly excluding the spanish american war).

 

Y2Jerk's fun fact of the day that's actually a fact:

 

The American Civil War had the highest number of casualties of any war in American history with over 560,000 deaths.

 

I'm sorry, was there even a real economic argument even put forth? Most of it was the same empty "support our troops" platitudes conservatives use every time dares to question the justness of military action.

[Dangerous A 0]

I never said anyone was right or wrong. I was arguing NoCal saying that no actors actually say word for word what he was talking about, but the implication is there that's how a lot of the actors and actresses want to come off, since that is also part of their appeal.

 

No where in there did I say or suggest anyone was right or wrong, but thanks for not reading my post and jumping to conclusions, asshole.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

NoCal, I agree with all your posts except this bit...

 

 

He also basically takes the liberty of telling us what hollywood actors all think of themselves. When has an actor ever said he or she felt like they were the working blue class heros of america? Has that legit every come out of one of their mouth's? If so, then of course it is fucking stupid, but who in their right mind thinks that is the general consensus of what actors think of themselves?

 

 

Hollywood type folk are constantly trying to put themselves over as "down to earth" types. They may not outright say they are the working class heroes, but they imply and work on coming off like they are regular, middle america types. They may not come out and say exactly what you are talking about, but I think quite a bit of them believe they are closer to middle america and it couldn't be further from the truth.

 

Almost all wealthy people in America try to do this. Reverse snobbery is big here in the states. See Bush, George W.

[Dangerous A 0]

Wealthy people is probrably a better way of going about it than just actors and such.

[Special K 0]

I never said anyone was right or wrong. I was arguing NoCal saying that no actors actually say word for word what he was talking about, but the implication is there that's how a lot of the actors and actresses want to come off, since that is also part of their appeal.

 

No where in there did I say or suggest anyone was right or wrong, but thanks for not reading my post and jumping to conclusions, asshole.

 

Do you expect them to eat hundred dollar bills while strippers blow them in public? Of course they're going to try to act with some sense of modesty, either real or false. And I'm sure plenty of actors and actresses are decent, down to earth people. They're not all spoiled child stars like Lindsey Lohan.

[NoCalMike 0]

NoCal, I agree with all your posts except this bit...

 

 

He also basically takes the liberty of telling us what hollywood actors all think of themselves. When has an actor ever said he or she felt like they were the working blue class heros of america? Has that legit every come out of one of their mouth's? If so, then of course it is fucking stupid, but who in their right mind thinks that is the general consensus of what actors think of themselves?

 

 

Hollywood type folk are constantly trying to put themselves over as "down to earth" types. They may not outright say they are the working class heroes, but they imply and work on coming off like they are regular, middle america types. They may not come out and say exactly what you are talking about, but I think quite a bit of them believe they are closer to middle america and it couldn't be further from the truth.

 

 

Well maybe I am just not sure what Stein is arguing. I took his rant as arguing the politics of "liberal hollywood" trying to say just because you have a lot of money you aren't supposed to be a liberal minded person or something.

 

If Stein simply wanted to rant on the stupidity of Hollywood and it's characters, then he would get no argument from me, but it seems that this rant was motivated by the show failing to salute the troops, and instead of sticking to that specific theme he went on and on about nonsense.

[SuperJerk 0]

No where in there did I say or suggest anyone was right or wrong, but thanks for not reading my post and jumping to conclusions, asshole.

 

Except I wasn't talking specifically to you, I was referring to the thread in general. I was using your phrase to criticize Stein's point.

[Dangerous A 0]

Sorry bout that then.

[2GOLD 0]

I never said anyone was right or wrong. I was arguing NoCal saying that no actors actually say word for word what he was talking about, but the implication is there that's how a lot of the actors and actresses want to come off, since that is also part of their appeal.

 

No where in there did I say or suggest anyone was right or wrong, but thanks for not reading my post and jumping to conclusions, asshole.

 

Do you expect them to eat hundred dollar bills while strippers blow them in public? Of course they're going to try to act with some sense of modesty, either real or false. And I'm sure plenty of actors and actresses are decent, down to earth people. They're not all spoiled child stars like Lindsey Lohan.

 

I still want an American President who gives us all the finger when he's in his last term. Someone who just has enough of hearing about pointless stupid stuff that doesn't involve him and just goes off without giving a damn about what happens to his party. That'll be awesome.

 

And yes, I do want them to eat hundred dollar bills and strippers to blow them in public. When you can have it done to you, do it. You are living our dream, let us really want it more. Don't act like me, act like you have enough money to hire someone to wipe the sweat from your face.

[Stephen Joseph 0]

My point was simply to point out that we're bombarded with negative images by the media every day...and that when we put this war in persepctive on just the casualty rate, its really not that poorly run on that figure.

 

I read the washington post express this morning. Not a single positive story for 10 pages.

 

Just saying...

[The Czech Republic 0]

Reverse snobbery is big here in the states. See Bush, George W.

See also: Democrats, hundreds of

 

As far as Stein goes, I could care less what he thinks.

COULDN'T CARE LESS. I thought you were a teacher.

[SuperJerk 0]

Sorry bout that then.

No, it was my fault for not being more specific.

 

 

My point was simply to point out that we're bombarded with negative images by the media every day...and that when we put this war in persepctive on just the casualty rate, its really not that poorly run on that figure.

 

And that point was valid. With the notable exception of Desert Storm, casualty rates in past wars dwarf what we are currently seeing in Iraq.

[Dr. Zaius 0]

As far as Stein goes, I could care less what he thinks.

COULDN'T CARE LESS. I thought you were a teacher.

 

Technically, his use of "could" is correct. If he couldn't care less, he probably wouldn't have posted on it at all.