Over the past few weeks, Republican talk show host Rush Limbaugh has publicly called Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute” for supporting insurance coverage for contraceptives, Indiana Republican Rep. Bob Morris has claimed that Girl Scouts is a “radicalized organization” which promotes “homosexual lifestyles,” and Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum referred to people who go to college as “elite.” We will discuss all of these comments at a later time because, even though they are so absurd and ridiculous, they are also so offensive and out of line, they really shouldn’t be laughed off.
What can be laughed off is Fox Business Network reporter Lou Dobbs, who has taken on Dr. Seuss, claiming that “liberal Hollywood’s” The Lorax is “trying to indoctrinate our children.” For those who don’t remember the story – which has been a classic for 41 years, Lou – or haven’t read the book out loud to their own kids night after night, here’s the basic premise: a young girl living in a totally manmade town yearns to see a real tree, and her admirer heads straight to the source – the creature who speaks for the trees – to make her dream come true.
Dobbs accuses the movie of “espousing the virtue of green energy policies – come what may.” First of all, I don’t see the problem of espousing the virtues of anything that will help us protect the planet but it’s the “come what may” that’s my favorite part of that quote. Because, to Dobbs and company, the “come what may” of not using plastic bottles or cutting down trees is that – horrors! – corporate executives may not be able to enjoy the mega bonuses they’ve grown accustomed to. But what about the “come what may” of actually using plastic bottles and cutting down trees? Dobbs dismisses pollution, global warming or the extinction of wildlife as “insidious nonsense” which is far less consequential than financial profit.
And what about his buddy, radio host Matt Patrick, encouraging audiences to leave their litter all over the theater? Really, he just sounds like an idiot. Would he rather see a movie that sends a message to kids to throw their trash on the ground? For people who fight against teaching evolution in school because they so strongly believe that God created their green earth, these guys are sure disrespecting what He gave them.
As a movie reviewer for NickJr.com, I can tell you The Lorax is one of the best family films I’ve seen in a very long time. You’ll love it even if you don’t have young kids to bring with you.
Dobbs and his cronies call Hollywood moviemakers “not that bright” – but once again they’ve been proven wrong. The Lorax had the biggest opening this weekend of any movie this year, and those “not that bright” execs are laughing all the way to the bank to the tune of $70.7 million. That’s the kind of green I bet even Dobbs can appreciate.
Well said!! Amen to all that!! I am fiscally conservative, and have really seen enough social programs that only continue to promote dependency, and I am more a moderate Republican (than a conservative Democrat) as I don’t espouse all their views on such issues relating to women and procreation and all that good stuff and the environment which I believe strongly is in need of great protection and I simply ADORE The Lorax-the message and everything about it!!! Great post today!
Nice job. I don’t remember The Lorax, but kudos to Dr. Seuss and movie makers for the message to today’s audience. I am thrilled to see you take on folks like Lou Dobbs for their extreme views. I, too, challenge hypocrisy by the likes of Bill O’Reilly & Cal Thomas in their OpEd columns. My blog now has a category “Politics.” But I have been advised by an editor to take it down so as not to muddy my platform. No need to alienate future readers & publishers, she said. This saddens me because this election year is so important, and somebody has to dispel misinformation.
The problem with the leftist media is that it’s one sided presentation of ideas creates a leftist echo chamber where others opinions are distorted and demeaned and mocking holier than thou intolerance of fair and reasoned opinions that differ from yours are belittled. Rush Limbaugh was wrong to call Sandra Fluke a “slut” but it was not for supporting insurance coverage for contraceptives – it was for supporting changes to insurance coverage to make contraceptives free and forcing entities that offer insurance and medical care that believe it is morally wrong to do so to now do so. This is a limitation of religious freedom imposed by fiat inconsistent with our American liberties and rule of law. Colleges that promote quotas in the name of diversity limit diversity of opinions (plenty of articles have shown how conservative thought is demonized, limited and employment limited for those with non-leftist opinions). Like the main stream media, colleges promote elitist ideas (that it is right to limit liberties if imposed by those with the “right” opinions – see Bloomberg on big gulps, see Obama’s unaccountable “czars”- fiats imposed by Warren in the US Consumer “Protection” Bureau & it’s results, see Obama’s disregard for rule of law in the auto bailout, in recess appointments of cronies when not in recess and on and on). Such elitism prevents fair & open debate of ideas and limits exposure outside the the echo chamber. An honest examination of ideas, facts and results and the realities of human behavior show the limitations of this thought bubble. Finally, the point that Hollywood’s efforts to indoctrinate viewers to the point of rewriting history to make it fit that viewpoint is well proven (hard to cover in a comments section but I challenge readers to start reading Charles Krauthammer,James Taranto, the Wall Street Journal Opinion section and the DrudgeReport and NOT find their views changed). Conservatives have traditionally been big environmentalists but the green politically correctness en vogue and used to demonize business is what people are tired of as you hear. Sure people say dumb things on all sides of political issues but your dismissal of the frustration felt does not negate with the way one-sided leftist political viewpoints are disgustingly and inappropriately directed at children and any other opinion is demonized.