Why only five? Simply, space will not allow the one hundred I wanted to profile. Besides, it’s best to keep it short – this list could look entirely different within a month or even a week. How does one make the cut? Not merely by opposing the president, but by exhibiting the one nauseatingly obvious trait that you will see in each of these five. Keep reading.
5. Shia LaBeouf. Despite the stunning success of his Transformers series, the thirty year-old actor remains enormously unpopular in Hollywood and among the general public. He has made headlines less for his talent and more for his physical altercations with photographers and others. After Donald Trump’s inauguration, LaBeouf launched a ‘He Will Not Divide Us’ virtual exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York. Meant to last four years, passers-by were invited to offer their input. After protests and security concerns, the exhibit moved to England, with LaBeouf stating that, “America is not safe enough.” It soon closed there, too. Keep in mind, the actor appeared at the Berlin Film Festival in a tuxedo, with a bag over his head marked with the words, “I am not famous anymore.” Oh, but you are. For comic relief, we would follow you anywhere.
4. Ashley Judd. “I am a naaa-sty woman!” Thus proclaimed the actress at the Women’s March in Washington the day after Trump’s inauguration. She was actually reading a poem (!) that rambled on with complaints about untimely menstrual cycles, the taxation of tampons and, in a burst of originality, comparisons of the incoming administration to Nazis! Judd is lovely and showed great promise as an actress in the 90’s, but chose instead to devote her energy to radical feminism. Her January rant is a comic hoot, but she appears to have fallen over the edge, which is far from funny.
3. Rosie O’Donnell. Trump’s most famous celebrity foe can thank the president for her continued foray on the public stage. He keeps her relevant. During his address to Congress, she could be heard outside the White House screaming, “Nyet! Nyet!” She publicly offered herself to impersonate Trump advisor Steve Bannon on Saturday Night Live after Melissa McCarthy drew raves for her Sean Spicer portrayal. As of this writing, no takers. But she passionately and persistently declares the president a racist.
2. Kathy Griffin. She keeps digging herself in deeper, blaming the public backlash for her severed head-video on the Trump family and “old white guys” out to get her. Constantly seeking relevance, she was frequently seen in public with Levi Johnston, Bristol Palin’s one-time fiance, after his not-so friendly break from the Palin family. Don’t be surprised if she someday wins some snooty award for protecting the First Amendment from the Trumps and old white men.
1.Meryl Streep. Even conservative moviegoers can’t deny Streep’s reputation as a master of her craft. Many of us applauded her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher and cheered her Oscar win. What elevates the Great Meryl is not what she thinks of our current president but what she thinks of you. In her infamous Golden Globes rant she slammed him for mocking a disabled reporter (Trump was more likely making fun of the reporter for being wishy-washy – he has repeatedly used that gesture to mock indecisive people). That display, according to Streep, was meant for his “intended audience.” So, I guess Trump supporters take delight in mocking the disabled! Referring to possible cuts in public arts funding, she claimed, with a tone just a tad uppity, that all we will have left is football and mixed martial arts, “and that’s not art.”
Streep recently received an award from the Human Rights Campaign and lamented the public backlash she has received, referring to “troll attacks and armies of brownshirt bots.” What, a Nazi reference, Meryl? You artists are so daring! Welcome to the real world. When a factory worker stands up in the break-room and spouts off on politics, he doesn’t get an award for his courage. He will more likely provoke an argument. You say something dumb, people will tell you. Yes, you’re free to speak, but the unwashed are just as free to tell you what an arrogant, ignorant phony we think you are.
Personally, I think Trump supporter Jon Voight shows more courage just by waking up in the morning than any of the self-proclaimed martyrs on this list (only his decades-old reputation allows him to continue working). Responding to Trump’s claim that she is overrated, she called herself “over-berated.” I bet she cries all the way to her trophy case. She will likely never be a consistent box-office draw like Julia Roberts or Jennifer Lawrence, but she will always garner praise. Tune into almost any film awards show or human rights gala. You might even spot Rosie O’Donnell trying to get in. And maybe Shia LeBeouf. He’ll be the one with the paper bag over his head.
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