It?s being called a return to McCarthyism. But forget about Reds
and Pinkos, the new enemy is the opinionated Hollywood actor. In
attempts to ensure repeat business with advertisers, the producers
of this year?s Oscars award ceremony have decided to gag voices of
peace-loving Hollywood actors by blacklisting them from presenting
at the event. They may still appear in the audience dressed to the
nines in no-audio cameo appearances, but don?t expect to see Meryl
Streep, Sean Penn, Vanessa Redgrave, George Clooney, Dustin
Hoffman, or Spike Lee making any dissenting comments on March 23.
The greater fear is that directors like Michael Moore will be
punished for speaking out against the establishment with his movie
Bowling for Columbine, which is likely to win the
documentary feature award. ?If Moore does not win an Oscar,
insiders claim Hollywood will be reverting back to the
witch-hunting 1950?s, when Senator Joseph McCarthy and his cohorts
destroyed the careers of supposed Communist sympathizers,? writes
Annette Witheridge, U.S. correspondent for the Scottish newspaper
The Scotsamn. Now if they can only find a way to keep Joan
Rivers quiet.
–Nick Garafola
