Reports from the left coast

So here I am in Cali. I expect this to be my only post between now and January 11, when I get back to New York. I am having too good a time to think about the media, about spin, about politics and punditry. People who read this blog might think I enjoy all that stuff, and that’s why I write about it. I used to—I used to be a total policy wonk. Now I’m not. Now it gives me headache. Now I mostly write this stuff because I’m mad. Since the conservatives came to power I get incensed at least once a day over their policies, their bullying, their misinformation and their lies.

And here’s the latest: as I predicted, (not a big insight: anybody could have predicted it) the conservative press has gone after *Brokeback Mountain*. One critic even noted that, because it is such a good movie technically by such a good director, it is more important to challenge it’s social themes because it does a better job of “promoting homosexuality” then a bad film would. That was one of the more reasoned criticisms. Others called it boring, disgusting, etc.: all the adjectives you would expect.

Where do these people get off? Their stated and acknowledged purpose is to eliminate from American culture the things that I enjoy. They want to force me to conform to their world view. As a movie goer they want to restrict the types of films I can watch. As a filmmaker they want to censor me, to prevent me from writing the scripts I want to write or to direct the films I want to direct.

I know they think I want to do the same to them, to force them to conform to my world view, but I don’t. I have a live and let live attitude. They are free to worship in anyway they want. But I should be free to say anything I want. They want to restrict me while I really do not want to restrict them. I mean, what’s it to them if Ang Lee makes a movie about gay cowboys? What’s it to them if some people like it? If some people feel affirmed by it? They act as though it is a big conspiracy to destroy their way of life, when in fact they are actively, blatantly, trying to destroy mine.

How dare they?

I know, I am sounding like a broken record. I’ll shut up now.