Film Critic Roeper Calls MRC, Conservatives Racist, Elitist

Photo of Robert Knight.

Reacting to an MRC press release, Chicago Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper lashed out at MRC President Brent Bozell and Culture and yours truly for applauding the record-breaking viewer numbers racked up by Disney Channel’s "High School Musical 2." Roeper makes the nonsensical argument that Disney is known for wholesome stuff, so what’s the big deal? But then he wraps up his piece with this shot:

One more thing for the conservative movement to consider before they get too attached to the 'High School Musical' franchise: It could be argued that the primary messages contained in both 'High School Musical' movies are quite liberal.

As one parent and certified Disney-phile told me Monday, "As wholesome and family-friendly as these films are, both 'High School Musical' films promote tolerance, interracial dating and rejection of elitism -- all 'liberal' themes that drive those religious right-wingers nuts."

Translation: conservative religious people are for racism, intolerance and elitism. Pure ad hominem from Mr. Roeper, and a typical liberal media slam. For more facts on "High School Musical," click here.

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*points at Robert

*points at Robert Byrd*

*points at the previous topic about how Bushies are slightly st00pid*

*points at Affirmative Action*

*points at Newsweek article about how GW deniers are funded by oil companies*

*points at uber taxes for the rich*

*points at profiling done by liberals*

*points at Bill Maher*

*points at Ted Kennedy about Wind Farming*

*points at Croney-ism in Clinton White House*

*points at William Jefferson (D-LA)*

what?

I'm not quite sure how he can make the argument that interracial marriages and the like are somehow liberal. A liberal stance would be to break down all family values and borders when it comes to lovin'.

Roeper, go marry/unionize with a black man if you're so liberal. First start by adopting him from death row. Else you're just a hypocrite :D

"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage
morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested,
exiled, or hanged." -Abraham Lincoln

Too funny!

Or was he being serious?

Since when is rejecting elitism a liberal ideal? Look at the academic and social pedigrees of the Democratic leadership. Or, for that matter, those who are running the universities. Doesn't get more elitist than that.

Tolerance? One word response: Christians.

As for interracial dating; Libs seem to obsess over what categories people belong to. Is that how they choose their partners too? Silly me for wasting my time dating women I found interesting.

tolerance, interracial

tolerance, interracial dating and rejection of elitism -- all 'liberal' themes

Thanks to NB the libs are quickly losing their grip on these myths:)

The most intolerant people today are liberal

The most elite-minded people today are liberal

The most racist people today are liberal

And the best part is they demonstrate it themselves everyday - we only have to point it out:)

We should be paying them...

Elitism is only bad when

Elitism is only bad when you are not in power.  Conservatives are elitists because they hold the POTUS and the public confidence.  When liberals are in power there are no elitists, only conservatives are elitist as defined by liberals.  This is the same logic applied to non-Communist countries when they defend themselves or push back against agression by Communists.  Communists by definition liberate the people, capitalists by definition only subjugate people via colonialism.  It's the same circular reasoning that plagues most of liberalism.  Anything that does not fit the agenda is bad, alternatives are a distraction from the agenda.

The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. Marcus Aurelius

And isn't it a bit elitist

And isn't it a bit elitist to presume oneself entitled to pass judgment on whether a movie is worth seeing? Oh, and then to pass judgment on the kind of people who either enjoy or don't enjoy a certain movie?

Elitist? Who's elitist????

Since HBO is not part of

Since HBO is not part of basic cable and satellite packages and Disney is, couldn't we also argue that The Sopranos would have drawn 3x what they did, when you compare Disney's market penetration?

"As wholesome and

"As wholesome and family-friendly as these films are, both 'High School Musical' films promote tolerance, interracial dating and rejection of elitism -- all 'liberal' themes that drive those religious right-wingers nuts."

Funny, but I support tolerance, interracial dating and anti-elitism, yet consider myself a conservative. Weird.

;-) 

 

 

Keep it up and we will have

Keep it up and we will have you run out of town on a rail, tarred and feathered of course.  <sarcasm>

The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. Marcus Aurelius

I watched HSM2 with my

I watched HSM2 with my preteen twin girls and 6YO son, and we all enjoyed the show- wholesome indeed! So then in Roeper's perspective, we are elitist, entolerant and racist. But we are immigrant and people of color, who worship Jesus as Lord & Saviour and regularly goes to church!   

Roeper need to be stoned to death. Yep, we are "religious right-winger nuts", Roeper.

ROEPER and his fluffy 'job'

FIRST of all, I'd like to point out the fact that being a 'movie critic' is only for the superficial, self centered, and arrogant, and should hardly be considered a profession. Agreed?  Ok. 

Now, what did he say again?  Roeper who? 

The American Revolution Continued

Groupies

Don't forget that they must also be star struck Groupies.  

Fearless journalism

Nothing like a bold definitive opinion that includes "it could be argued." It's also cowardly to hide your own opinion behind a "parent and certified Disney-phile" (which, I suppose, bestows absolute moral authority). Look, if you want to make a statement about conservatives or religious people, make it plainly. Don't take a cheap shot and hide.

I'm disappointed. Roeper even had a decent argument going, before he ruined it by choosing liberal sarcasm instead of analysis. Hollywood has room for family-friendly movies, as well as adult movies, and there's no reason why we can't have both. That argument fails, of course, because conservatives don't dislike adult themes. However, we do oppose targeting adult themes at children and families, which Hollywood does all the time.

BTW, did you catch that the Disney-phile contrasted "family-friendly" with tolerance and interracial dating? What does that tell you? 

Nothing like left handed

Nothing like left handed compliments to tear down others and they call us devisive when we point out the facts.   Of course since you are taking offense, you are now overly sensitive.  Never mind when you don't consider the whining of liberals in changing your opinion then you are insensitive or callous.

The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. Marcus Aurelius

I kind of think that someone

I kind of think that someone that makes their living working for a think tank is an elitist.

High School Musical

On the TV Guide Preview channel, the co-hosts ridiculed not only the show, but the country, saying its success "proves that America loves crap." The male co-host said, "it proved that America is a gay country--not that it's a bad thing!' Care to squirm, Mr. Roeper?

liberal themeology

Hmmm. Evidently stereotyping is a liberal theme as well.

Email to Critic

Hi Robert,

Thank you so much for your posting. I recently sent an email to Richard Roeper calling him on his obvious prejudices and stereotypes. If he has an interesting response I'll post on the site.

Roeper's comments got a bit

Roeper's comments got a bit out of whack, there, but I think he's responding to Bozell's annoying tone more than anything else.

Yes, there's an audience, but HM is an exception, not a rule. If it was, then 7th Heaven would never go off the air, nor American Dreams, etc.

Bozell's tone doesn't annoy

Bozell's tone doesn't annoy me:)

Well of course not! You

Well of course not! You enjoy looking down your nose at these "smut peddlers" just as much as he does!

Way to twist the argument, bal

Roeper is the one looking down his nose with his insulting column, but in your typical style you attempt to reverse the truth.  Nice try, bal.

Oh right, like Bozell isn't

Oh right, like Bozell isn't looking down his nose. Doesn't legitimize Roeper's response, but it explains its source.

give bal a break - he's

give bal a break - he's looking down his nose at me and it's damn hard to see anything I'm sure:)!

All he's really seeing is

All he's really seeing is his own snot.

But Bal...

Isn't that the "easy" one to prove?? 'Conservatives don't tend to like porn' -- interracial or not -- is a "duh file" issue. The explosive & totally-unproven allegation is the racism. Got any evidence for that?? If not, doesn't NB have a point about bias here?
JMR

Rally online with fans of Dr. Ron Paul.

I wonder - do feminists like

I wonder - do feminists like porn? They must be conservative

I bet "the view" crowd

I bet "the view" crowd loves porn:)

Oprah too

porn is huge on the upper

porn is huge on the upper west side I've heard...

Shhh. You're interfering with Balboa's answer!

Porn's the easy part (and yes, feminists & conservatives have collaborated against it, but a market for porn somehow still exists). My point is the racism allegation, because that's what the left can't prove, and I suspect Balboa knows that's true, but it would be nice to hear that explicitly from him...
JMR


Rally online with fans of Dr. Ron Paul.

oh, bal?!?!?

It would be very nice to hear, yes - I too await with baited breath...

...and don't worry I won't do the crickets...

I think liberals tend to be

I think liberals tend to be more accepting of interracial dating than conservatives. That's not a hard and fast rule, but I believe it to be true.

why, bal?

...because you keep hearing it from other parochial, elitist libs, over and over.  

Nope. Because of the people

Nope. Because of the people Ive been around, in my life, its the conservative folks who dont care for interracial couples.

Funny, in my family and the people I hang out with

...I see a vastly different picture.

Just as I thought, you see it through parochial, liberal eyes, prepared to see and remember in ways that fit your template.

Oh, so I dont remember

Oh, so I dont remember things as they actually occurred, but you always see things the way they actually were. What a load of crap.

No, bal, THIS is the load of crap

...with nothing to base it on, other than your own prejudices. 

"I think liberals tend to be more accepting of interracial dating than conservatives." -balboa

 

Based on my experiences,

Based on my experiences, that is true. Sorry, charlie.

I KNOW that there are plenty of conservatives that have no problem with interracial marriage. I dont think all conservatives are against it. BUT in my experience, more liberals than conservatives have been AOK with mixed marriages than conservatives. That is my experience.

"Your experience", I suspect, is parochial.

I'm a converted liberal, a military brat, born in the South.  I've moved all around, and have met and lived with people all over the country.   I think my experience is broader than yours, and I can make a solid case that Northern Liberals are often phony in their claims of a lack of prejudice.   I suspect you've run into those phony declarations and accepted them for truth.  You don't even know how parochial you are. 

Careful, bal your "superior" liberal elitism is

bleeding all over the thread.  You're showing yourself to be no different than Pat Schroeder, Roeper, Rich, or any of the other libs who are convinced of their "superiority" over conservatives.

Same could be said of your

Same could be said of your superiority over liberals.

Wrong again, bal

I don't claim "superiority" regarding racism, but you have...over and over.

Boy that's really

Boy that's really obnoxious. You're not really that condescending, are you? You've "moved all around"! WOW! That trumps me! Hey, everybody! RJ's "moved all around"!

How in the world can you say your experience is "broader" than mine? You don't even know me, where I've lived, who I've met.

Just obnoxious...

Obnoxious?

I'm not the one who obnoxiously claimed, over and over his liberal superiority....but you are.

If you think your experience trumps mine in the area of understanding the difference between liberals and conservatives when it comes to racism, then lay it out my superior liberal.  So far, all you've done is say "I know better."

 

I have NEVER claimed

I have NEVER claimed superiority for liberals. I have been more than willing to admit pitfalls and foibles of liberals. What I said is that IN MY EXPERIENCE, liberals have been more accepting of mixed marriages than conservatives. Did I say this makes them better people? Did I say it makes conservatives evil? No. It's what I have experienced. I am never going to claim that liberals are superior to anyone, or accept that conservatives are somehow superior to liberals.

Sure you have, bal.

You've said over and over that you believe liberals are less racist than conservatives.   That implies, clearly, a belief in liberal superiority.

"I am never going to claim that liberals are superior to anyone...."

It's a stupid argument to now say that you think being a conservative racist is just fine, equal to "less-racist liberals."

More conservatives than

More conservatives than liberals I've met have been against to mixed marriages. I am not about to condemn a whole faction of the U.S. population just because of those experiences. More liberals than conservatives that I've met have been irrational about the other political faction. I don't condemn that whole group either.

Then you withdraw your STATEMENT

"I think liberals tend to be more accepting of interracial dating than conservatives." -balboa

without reservation?  No "buts?" 

;^>

Ah. That should be amended

Ah. That should be amended to say "It has been my experience" instead of "I think."

Saying more libs approve of

Saying more libs approve of interacial marriage is like someone from the south in the 60's saying blacks eat more watermelon than normal people...

This is the level of the left in this day and age...

I've amended my

I've amended my statement.  

OK - now no more

OK - now no more stereotyping like we do - hold on to your high ground bud

O RLY?  Tell me the

O RLY?  Tell me the couple.  Maybe I know them.

Rudy and Marnie. You know

Rudy and Marnie. You know Rudy and Marnie?

bal, I'm supprised! You

bal, I'm supprised! You don't agree with salt and peppa couples? fer-shame!

"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...

Did I say that?

Did I say that?

Cmon bal, you know it has

Cmon bal, you know it has more to do with the decline in racism in the U.S. rather than conservative vs. liberal. sheesh.

"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...

You asked if I was against

You asked if I was against mixed marriages; Im not.

Ok...

But keep in mind, that's the exact opposite of my similarly-unscientific personal experience. I was kinda hoping for an admission that at least the race part might just be media bias... I have yet to hear a single conservative, for example, react at all to the race of Justice Thomas's wife. I can't exactly say that for the left...
JMR

Rally online with fans of Dr. Ron Paul.

I dont even know who

I dont even know who Justice Thomas is married to. Look, if that was your experience, GREAT. Im saying where I grew up, the people who didnt care for interracial relationships were conservatives. If thats not true of your background, great, but it was of mine.

my point was

That despite our vastly different anecdotal experiences regarding political leanings & interracial marriage, neither one of us have anything like evidence. OTOH, evidence that some conservatives are extremely-upset by porn abounds practically daily on NB (and on the subject of the soft-core variety, I must again express my deepest possible appreciation for NB's ad with the smokin' hot t-shirt model!).

Also, it became clear during those endless hearings that Justice Thomas is married to a white lady. That was also when I heard the nasty remarks about her from a Democrat.
JMR

Rally online with fans of Dr. Ron Paul.

I have made a comment about

I have made a comment about the ad a week ago to the management, so sarc you can blame me if it gets pulled.  I don't think it to be consistent with the conservative message but then all conservatives are not monolithic about the issue.

The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. Marcus Aurelius

DS

have you read the shirt?

 

“The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”   -Chief Justice John Roberts

Yes, however, I still would

Yes, however, I still would have read it without the distraction of the implied suggestive pose with the shirt up enough to show the abs.  Obviously she isn't unclothed, but using a provocative pose.

The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. Marcus Aurelius

The conservative message?

What isn't consistent? 

DS

it's marketing, if you go to the link there are some excellent shirts.  Of course you are entitled to your viewpoint.

“The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”   -Chief Justice John Roberts

Phooey! :-p What I've

Phooey! :-p

What I've seen at work tells me that Liberals are
- without fail - the ones who always have some snide remark about who
is gay, who's dating someone who isn't the same 1. age range, 2.
neighborhood, 3. income level, 4. race, background, 6. you name it,
etc. etc. etc.

"Whatever it is, I'm against it!"  --Groucho Marx (singing the Democrat Theme Song) 

truthmonger

What kind of degenerate watches this pornography filth anyway:-)

Hey shawn, do you know

Hey shawn,

do you know anyone who does?! lol

ask me another religous question - i'm kinda bored here:(

truthmonger

Gasp... certainly not truthmonger, I would not be associated with anyone that has such loose moral behavior.

Ok here is one. If it is true if man even looks at another woman with lust in his heart he has commiteed adultery, is he suppossed to literally gouge his eye out and stomp on it?:)

Shawn...

Well, it is "better" to do that:

And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

Matthew 18:9

hey, good thing we can just nail Jesus back up on the cross everyday, right? pass me a nail...

Next question...

tm

Wow, did not know it was that easy. So I can sin until the day I die, I just have to ask Jesus to forgive me right before the Haagen Daz trucks hits me and I am forgiven? No hell fire and brimstone?

and if you join now - you

and if you join now - you get 3 ginsu knives - a $39.95 value absolutely free

ROFL, LOL...  sides

ROFL, LOL...  sides hurt...   I like your sarcasm, it's so to the point.

The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. Marcus Aurelius

C'mon now Shawn

you made up the stomp on it part.  what do you think?  it's raining cats and dogs literally means it is raining hard.

“The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”   -Chief Justice John Roberts

"stomp" is in the Xtreme

"stomp" is in the Xtreme Bible Edition - it's totally rad

botg

Guity botg.....I totally admit it. I did not make it up though, I really thought that is what it said through memory. My bad. Here is the verse in its entirety

"You have heard that it was said, `Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has
already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right
eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to
lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it
away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole
body to go into hell."

cheers me right up:)! "an

cheers me right up:)!

"an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind"

M. Ghandi

...when Jesus said this he

...when Jesus said this he was speaking figuratively. He didn't mean for you to actually gouge out your eye. He means that if that is your only choice then it would be better to go to heaven with one eye or hand rather than to go to hell with both.

This verse means that it is better to have pain of getting rid of something, not necessarily physical pain, than to keep something that causes you to sin.

Next question...

tm

Do you feel that God was too vindictive when he flooded the Earth?

Shawn

Yeah, but He was kinda new at being God back then...

You tend to ease up with more experience...

tm

My grandfather was a big time Christian and he always told me God was perfect with no flaws. I mean with the exception of Noah and his relatives and 2 of every animal. He wiped out every man, woman, and child Earth. They could not have all been sinners could they? God vowed he would never again flood the earth again. Is that sort of like admitting he was wrong?

Shawn

of course they all were sinners, even the ones He spared

“The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”   -Chief Justice John Roberts

botg

How bad could they have sinned to be wiped out by a flood? How about the children that under 5 yrs old, did they deserve to be wiped out. I swear I am not trying to be condecending, but these are some of my beefs with God.

they were pretty wicked

they were pretty wicked dude...

just like the US today:)

Next time

That's why next time, there won't be a flood.

There WILL be LOTS of FIRE... 

Res tantum valet quantum vendi potest.

non sequitor

Shawn - how does deciding not to repeat an action equal error ?

fs

The Bible is up for interpretation right? I feel maybe he felt he was kind of harsh, so he would not do it again

you can think it's harsh -

you can think it's harsh - it was harsh

We're all sinners - it

We're all sinners - it started with Adam and Eve.... 

God is never wrong. But He often seems wrong to our pathetic pea brains...

Whenever I didn't understand God - I used to think it was because the Bible must have been "contradictory."

Now I tend to think maybe it's me who needs to learn more, before I start to think that maybe God made a mistake. These things you mention will probably make more sense to you after some time, study, and experience...

For example as a child did you know how a car works? Do you know now? If not maybe you will soon. It just takes time...

tm

True TM, but as a kid we cannot think for ourselves and don't know any better. Its different as a adult. ie. If you were still a young baby truthmonger, you might think Hilary Clinton was a swell lady that just wanted to bring food to the hungry and water to the thirsty:)

we're still God's children

we're still God's children - or do you think you "know better" now at your ripe old age?

we have not yet even begun to understand what God has long since forgotten...

make yourself microscopic nano-small if you want to try and understand God...