Hollywood’s Box Office Malaise

There have been several articles and news stories written lately about how the movie industry isn't doing too well these days.

Well Govindini Murty over at libertas - the self proclaimed forum for conservative thought on film scored a major coup when she managed to get the L.A. Times to publish an opinion piece about Hollywood's Box Office Malaise.

"The most obvious explanation for box office malaise is consistently overlooked: Hollywood’s ruling liberal elites keep going out of their way to offend half their audience. Constant gibes about Republicans, Christians, conservatives and the military litter today’s movies and award show presentations like so many pieces of trash on theater floors."

Well you can count me as one of the offended.

I am not an actor, producer, or director. I don't live in hollywood. I don't work in hollywood. I have nothing to do with the hollywood movie industry. But I am absolutely essential to the success of the hollywood movie industry.

I am a movie goer.

or at least I used to be.

My wife and I used to spend every saturday afternoon at the movie theater. We went to laugh, to cry, to be scared, to be excited. We went to be entertained.

We don't go to the movies much anymore. We find ourselves looking at the movie listings and asking the question: "Has anyone (actor, director, producer, etc.) connected with this picture done or said anything in public lately that would make us feel dirty or guilty for about putting money in their pockets?"

If the answer is yes, then we don't go see that movie.

We haven't been to many movies lately. Because we see way to many actors and directors shooting their mouths off about how much they hate everything that we believe in, love, and respect about our lives and country.

We don't mind seeing some high school drop out getting paid millions to pretend to be someone else for our entertainment. But when that dimwit tries to preach politics to us we refuse to continue to support their career. Hollywood needs to stick with what they are good at - pretending to be someone entertaining.

Everytime we see a news article about how hollywood is floundering our response is "Good!" Maybe if they slide far enough they will one day wake up and realize that we I want to see and hear Johnny Depp play an over the top pirate, not hear him tell us that

"America is dumb, it's like a dumb puppy..."

Also, besides being ex-movie patrons we are also the filter that determines what movies our children will see. Hollywood had better get their act together because my kids are growing up with my narrow-minded patriotic, pro-American biases.

I'm not saying Hollywood can't think and feel anything they want. Just don't expect me to pay you to insult us, and lecture us. What we want to hear you talk about is your job. Just your job! You need to put on your costumes and make-up, pretend to be someone else for a while, then show up at the Oscars and gush over how excited you are that everyone really likes you.

You do that and we'll see you around. I'll be the guy in the theater with the large popcorn, the beautiful wife and the three adorable children.