CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Cincinnati Enquirer's right-wing columnist Peter Bronson writes today that many Hollywood movies are culturally coarse and those that deal with "nauseating" topics such as gays, racism or the environment win Oscars. Then, the column devotes most of its chunk of editorial OP ED page space to a coarse subject -- barfing.
Apparently, if someone named Al Gore wins an Academy Award it is a stomach-churning event. But if a columnist chews over ejecting the contents of one's guts in a family newspaper, well, that's just journalism. Talk about bad taste.
"Anything involving Al Gore or Michael Moore is guaranteed to make you want to 'return' your popcorn," Bronson wrote.
The entire column is HERE. It could have harnessed some brainpower to criticize the performances, the direction, the Academy, the construction of the screenplays, the lighting, the sets, the costume designs. The politics of Hollywood is fair game, too, and is often the subject of intellectually stimulating and thought-provoking commentary. A sharp-witted conservative could easily make a point without invoking puke. Yet today's Enquirer resorted to hurling verbal vomit. Indeed, the attack on Alan Arkin calls for mops and disinfectant. "And this year there's a category for Most Nauseating Oscar Winner. I'll give this one to Alan Arkin, who won Best Supporting Actor for his role as 'an offbeat grandfather' in Little Miss Sunshine."
The conservative columnist didn't like the character, considering him a gross, drug-addled grandpa who loved to watch porn.
But notice this detail: the column attacked Arkin personally as the "most nauseating Oscar Winner."
It seems to have confused the performer with the performance. Journalism like that should surely boost sales of Tums for the Tummy.
He just longs for the good ole days when his heroes were the actors that did good movies like John Wayne, Montgomery Cliff and Rock Hudson.
ReplyDeleteMy husband won't let me terminate our Cincy Enquirer subscription 'cause he likes a paper to read at breakfast. So I have had to adopt measures to keep my blood pressure down. My New Years resolution was to never read Peter Bronson again. The man is an utter idiot.
ReplyDeleteWhy does a northern state like Ohio act so much like the deep south?
ReplyDeleteThanks guys for stopping by.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Peter Bronson is evil or a fool. And sometimes he writes very well indeed. Today, sadly, he just mailed it in.
As a conservative commentator, he should have lots and lots of interesting and important things to say, especially considering his forum. Barf jokes are low down, not the lowdown.
Anon 1: John Wayne, Montgomery Clift and Rock Hudson were in some pretty good movies
He should call up Goebbels and see what he can do to help Der Fuehrer!
ReplyDeleteBronson writes well? Yes, if you like the try-too-hard-to-be-clever style that also infects Maureen Dowd. He works so hard on being cute that I once emailed him and he had to clarify that a particular passage was meant to be funny. oh. . . ha. . . His political orientation is always, always knee-jerk right wing diatribe. No need for him to think and weigh ideas. He just spews the party line.
ReplyDeleteAnon 9:56 p.m. --
ReplyDeleteHmm. He "sometimes" writes well, I believe.
I also believe that what you said is pretty much on the mark. If writers want to be conservative that is fine with me -- they should produce something worth my time. And money. The paper costs 50 cents. I don't want to pay 50 cents to read about puking on Al Gore. It is not enlightened comment. It is enough to make me barf.