Former Gov. Sarah Palin was on the country’s national radar for just a short spell, but Hollywood quickly rose up to swat the former sportscaster and beauty pageant contestant all the same.
Seems the industry isn’t done with Palin just yet even though she’s out of office and not currently running for anything (officially) besides vigorously Facebooker.
The trailer for the new Sarah Jessica Parker/Hugh Grant comedy “Did You Hear About Morgans?” takes another dig at Palin (hat tip: Joe Leydon).
To be fair, the Palin joke isn’t mean spirited like something Letterman might say. It’s more tepid than anything else. See what you think (and boy, doesn’t this look like yet another rom-com with far too much elaborate plotting for its own good?)
What’s intriguing about the inclusion of the Palin reference is how it flies in the face of conventional movie marketing wisdom. Today’s films are thoroughly screened and analyzed for maximum profit potential, with material that might offend one group or another often scrubbed to avoid problems.
It’s a savvy way to please as many consumers as possible.
But including a line about a current politician seems to work against that spirit. It’s potentially alienating - making the left chortle while instigating the right. Why annoy roughly half the movie going public if you don’t have to?
I’m all for edgier products in the film marketplace, but I think including little digs like this works against a studio’s attempt to broaden a movie’s appeal.
It sure would help if the line in question were funny.
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I'm an award-winning journalist and film critic with more than a decade of experience in newspapers, magazines and the Web. I'm a member of both the Washington, DC Area Film Critics Association and the Denver Film Critics Society.
{ 46 comments… read them below or add one }
Insulting half of your demographic does seem like a sure-fire way to ruin your film’s box office potential. (Indeed, I was planning on seeing The Time Traveler’s Wife and Julie & Julia before discovering that both films take cheap shots at Republicans, and I promptly changed my mind).
But for the Hollywood elites, insulting those with whom they disagree is more important than making a successful movie. As John Nolte over at Big Hollywood would say, they just can’t help themselves.
I’m not a fan of anything that “takes you out” of a movie. A dig at Obama might make me chuckle briefly, but it more likley interrupts the movie’s flow - while making it feel stale in subsequent years. I loved how “Seinfeld” went out of its way not to mention popular, current movie titles during the series (beyond “Schindler’s List,” and that was worth it!)
I am sick of Letterman because of his constant caustic “jokes” about Palin. He’s pathological. Always liked Leno because if he made political jokes, at least he was equal opportunity. O”Brien seems like Letterman so after a trial the Tonight Show is out.
One would indeed think that Hollywood would be like every otrher business and not deliberately insult a sizable part of their potential customer base, but that’s the way they are.
Reminds me of the lame-o line in “Jerry Mc Guire” where Tom Cruise says “I feel like Clarence Thomas!” after kissing his employee Rene Zellweger. Yeah, that’s what every guy feeling his hormones immediately though of during Bill Clinton’s term of office.
Given that the left own both houses of congress, the presidency and most of the media, why can’t they let Sarah Palin go? Hell, she even resigned from the governorship of Alaska. Hey Hollywood, give it a rest, already!!
Isn’t it just stunning?
What in the world compels these people to inject these snarky little lines into the flick? No purpose, except to dig. What kind of echo-chamber tells them, “This is a good idea”?
“How did Richard Nixon win? I don’t know anybody who voted for him.”
Frankly, I think lines like that make as much fun of the characters, typical New York liberals, as Sarah Palin. I had the same reaction to a complaint about a line in Julie & Julia where a New York City boss says that if he was a Republican, he would have fired an employee. That’s really how New York City liberals talk. They assume everyone else around them is liberal and think nothing of spouting comments like that, even in the workplace.
>>>”Today’s films are thoroughly screened and analyzed for maximum profit potential, with material that might offend one group or another often scrubbed to avoid problems.”
Except of course anything that might offend 50 percent of the population of the conservative persuasion. Other than that, yes movies are thoroughly screened and analyzed to avoid offending one group or another.
Hollywood openly is full of hate, and hate drives insane decisions. Also they think their profit margin is outside the US anyway so they don’t care.
I thought that particular joke line was really funny… one way to know if a joke is good or not is if diverse people find humor in it… so do people who think Palin is horrible *not* find that line funny?
I mean… I’m watching the trailer and my reaction is something like, “Whoot! Go Sarah!” (And not Jessica Parker… the other Sarah!)
You know, that didn’t really bother me and I hate it when people take shots at Sarah. I think, in context, it’s exactly how a New Yorker would act and think in that situation. What would determine whether or not I’d see this movie is if the characters develop an appreciation of the Palin-type people in their new surrounding. I’m not counting on it though– this is Hollywood we’re talking about.
Given that the deputy was handling the weapon with competence, I think the joke is on the New Yawker, not Palin. It set’s Parker’s character up as the classic city slicker looking down her nose at the “dumb hick” who’s going to teach Parker a lot, and probably save her butt at some point. It’ll be interesting to see how it actually plays out.
Sarah Palin is a buffoon and a walking punchline. She’s the one continuously putting her foot in her mouth, so why shouldn’t others have a little fun with her stupidity.
Nice to see the Conservatives are so politically correct nowadays. Making a joke about a governor who quits in the middle of her first term is now off-limits? Nice to see the ground rules have changed.
“Oh my God, it’s Sarah Palin” is the deeply offensive joke? I am sorry, is Sarah Palin free from any somewhat comical reference forever? When has any democrat ever said that one can’t do a Bill Clinton imitation? Heck, I do them myself. She wanted to be one heartbeat from the Presidency, I am sure she can handle a line in this movie.
I’m sick of hearing the Sarah Palin insults. What a bunch of mean spirited, narrow minded, divisive people you Palin “haters are. Sheesh! Give it up already and ease your tormented soul.
I was also planning on seeing Julie & Julia before discovering that film takes cheap shots at Republicans, I was going to take my mother who has not gone to a film in about 5 years…but then I told her about the Republicans jokes in it and she said she would pass and so am I….Perhaps when it comes on FREE tv I might watch it.
ps I see Brad Pitt is in another Hitler/Nazi movie. Will Hollywood be making any movies about Stalin and the millions he killed. Except for “The Inner Circle” which was made years and years ago
I can’t think of any.
If Sara Palin was a liberal, actresses would be tripping over themselves to make hunting movies.
Obamawood-Tinsel Town’s international conglomerate of anti-American, anti-Liberty, and all around cheap-trick directors, actors, and writers of big-screen misery and tv-screen hate-speech.
Why anyone tunes-in and turns-on just to be bludgeoned to a bloody pulp by a hoard of prepubescent ingrates whose brains are stiffened by botox with bodies propped up silicone, I’ll never know.
Then again I have never understood women who repeatedly return to their beater-in-chief time and again, over and over while pitifully claiming how they are victims.
I am so thankful I am liberated from the miserable entertainment makers and the beater-in-chief.
I agree with John and sqt. I love Sarah Palin. We drove nearly three hours to see her in person in Auburn, NY, in June. (Well worth the trip!) But the ’shot’ at Sarah Palin in the movie made Sarah Jessica Parke sound like the typical intolerant NYC lib that she is in real life.
2 things happen when I hear someone from the “Left Coast” attacks Republicans in general - Some Rhinos deserve it - and Sarah Palin specifically.
1) I try to make certain none of my money goes to the offender again.
2) I make a note to try to send financial support to SarahPac.
It’s never much because I don’t have much, About the price of a movie ticket and popcorn.
Frankly, things like this are why my wife, a conservative democrat, cannot get me to watch a movie with her. I’m sick to death, literally sick of being insulted by limited IQ screed writers thinking EVERYBODY finds their hateful little boughts of bigotry funny.
I find most films tiresome, bored by nearly everything, so to add insults just means the odds I’ll buy their “work” shrink to the point, you’d need the Hubble to see them.
They whine endlessly about nobody goes to movies anymore..
Gee, P’O'ing 50% of the audience base would seem to be a clue, but they always miss that one.
I’m a huge supporter of Gov. Palin’s even though I live in NYC and work in the film industry and I disagree with the author’s assessment of the Palin joke - it’s more about who the SJP character is supposed to be, and, clearly both she and Hugh Grant are supposed to be kind of jerks at that stage of the film. I guarantee that the Sheriff and his wife teach them some “down-home goodness” (or something like that), so in fact, the film is kind of making fun of that Eastern Liberal sentiment.
Thanks for all the spirited comments - on both sides of the political aisle.
I certainly think Palin is fair game … and I don’t want filmmakers to self censure, but it’s odd when a mainstream movie isn’t interested in potentially ticking off part of their movie based and these kind of gags tend to distract us from the plot at hand.
Would a Biden joke be effective here? Should it be included?
It would help if the line in question were funnier …
Although I am a Palin fan… I actually encourage all of Hollywood to continue with their self-immolation.
Just keep digging. I say, we need more insults to only one side of the political spectrum.
Forget about Obama and his arrogance, his self-deification, his trillion-dollar budgetary nightmare, his failure to inspire the troops, his failure as an international diplomat, his inability to manage Washington when his own party is control of it all.
Forget all that. Just keep ragging on Palin.
Nothing is going to bring about the demise of the cesspool that is Hollywood faster than this kind of blinders-wearin’ behavior.
Just keep it up.
Eagerly awaiting the New Hollywood…
I hate both of these actors but I found the Palin line very funny, and I like Sarah.
Why is everyone kicking Palin around. all the democrats think little of her intelluctually yet they all take time out of their day to write article after article kicking her around.
One can only conclude they are scared of her
So living the life of Sarah Palin will bring a couple together? Shoots the lying Jesse R. Griffin “they are divorcing” in the foot.
I agree with the posters above that the line is funny in context and not insulting; it’s the kind of thing someone like SJP’s character would say in real life.
A little discernment is necessary. Did they make fun of Alaska? Did they talk trash about her family? No and no. She’s not above the occasional joke or light-hearted jab. You have to pick your battles.
(If it were me, I never would’ve put that line in the trailer though.)
I think Hollywood has forgotten Samuel Goldwyn’s remark ” If you want to send a message, use Western Union”. While it’s a little dated, the sentiment is there. I go to the movies in hopes of escaping the everyday challenges. Why can’t I just have a couple of hours of enjoyment without the rhetoric? Oh well. I guess Hollywood, like Washington hasn’t gotten the message. But they will when box office sales wane and Congress can’t pass any bills into law because we the people just aren’t buying it anymore.
the line is like one of Bill Maher’s… it’s intended to let the audience fill in their own joke. if you were to see this movie in SF or Manhattan, the audience would all laugh at that reference. if you were to see it in Cody, WY or Grand Junction, CO, there would be silence. in and of itself, the comment isn’t that bad (it’s only a dig if the audience is of the mindset that it is a dig). it is a sign of lazy screenwriting though. however, i’m more offended at the predictable plot of this movie… East coast urbanites spend time among rural hick folk and hilarity ensues. haven’t we all seen this movie a dozen times before? most of the rural folks will be intolerant rubes, but the urbanites will find “mentors” to learn from and these mentors, although passing along some middle American values, will also amazingly be very cosmopolitan in their thinking or activities (i.e. vegetarians, gay, artists, minorities, etc.) so that when the urbanites learn from them, they are learning from kindred spirits. blech! …and isn’t Hugh Grant getting a bit long in the tooth for a rom-com these days? he’s got to be in his 50’s by now.
I could understand if Sarah was currently the VP, there would be plenty of anger and demented remarks from Hollywood over that. But for crying out loud, the neverending shots taken at her are getting tiresome to say the least. I would like to see a movie to escape all of the bickering about politics and snide remarks towards conservatives. If I want to listen to that garbage I can watch MSNBC, CNN, the View, etc.
Maybe, because the movie has a terrible title (”Did You Hear About the Morgans?” Yeesh!) and two “stars” who, with the exception of SJP (who is not and never has been as attractive, physically or personality-wise, as Palin) in “Skank,” I mean, “Sex in the City,” maybe the producers are hoping for a little controvesy to sell tickets to their turd. It’s the only excuse that makes sense to me.
And remember - It’s not Hugh Grant any longer; it’s Grant who?
If Hollywood is for it, I am against it. If Hollywood is against it, I am for it. This is a good gauge to go by.
Eh. I think this is all a bit overblown. I thought the Palin line was kinda clever.
SJP’s character is horrified that a Wyoming woman knows how to handle a gun, like Palin. But who’s the one with useful skills in the new environment? It ain’t SJP. What I was thinking: A woman comfortable and familiar with firearms is a more well-rounded woman than SJP’s character.
I know Hollywood can’t help itself, but invoking the name of a contemporary politician — especially one with such a short time on the national scene — is idiotically short-sighted. It’s akin to inserting a Mike Dukakis joke in a movie released in 1989.
It’s one thing to invoke Reagan in dialogue, as his presidency came to define an entire decade of American life. Maybe you could even get away with a Clinton reference in a joke about reckless philandering, as he’s become to embody that trait. And, perhaps, Sarah Palin will endure as a cultural reference for a strong, non-nonsense, gun-totin’, independent woman. Not the worst thing in the world.
It is wrong, but not illegal, to take cheap, untruthful swipes at our politicians (but enough about Sarah Palin’s twitter pages) I believe that Palin elevated herself to a position of satire. As Governor, she supported health care wording similar to the “death panel” wording she now rejects. Most good health care coverage contain similar verbiage. As a diabetic, I wish I could afford such coverage. If Palin were elected to any high, national office; remember, do not question she heritage, publish pictures of her in clown make-up, or carry loaded weapons to her scheduled appearances. She might quit. Judge not, lest ye be judged, Ms. Palin.
Hey, bedazzled. You do realize this is a movie site, right? Yes, politics is discussed, and in this post, but save it for Daily Kos.
So, your health care coverage doesn’t cover Uncle Ed having power of attorney to pull your plug? Interesting.
Palin endured way worse than The One. You won the election, dude. Enjoy it, for at least five minutes.
Jim’s right. WWTW welcomes spirited debate, especially with people whose politics don’t align with mine. But let’s keep the intersection of politics and entertainment front and center. My main point was that using a punch line to tease a politician has consequences in a mainstream movie … and Hollywood should realize that. It could be a slam against Biden or a shout out to Obama - choosing that type of dialogue takes you out of the picture, at least for a moment.
Thanks for your comments all the same, Bedazzled.
It would take me quite awhile to run out of bad things to say about she-who’ll-not-be-named, but this does strike me as a lame attack on someone who deserves, if anything, a hell of a lot less media fanfare than she gets.
Stop giving this woman free plugs in mainstream media maybe she’ll go back to writing her assinine BS on Twitter.
To the Palin-bashers out there, nobody here suggested that Palin was off-limits insofar as jokes in movies and on TV. What we are saying is that, given the choice, we choose not to patronize the movies or shows that do so. In that regard, it is true that NY/Hollywood entertainment leftists live in such a bubble that they really believe everyone in America thinks Republicans (like Palin) are stupid, evil, ignorant hicks who deserve to be ridiculed by their intellectual superiors. It also take a special kind of arrogance to purposefully alienate 50% of your potential viewers, and considering how all of the anti-Iraq war movies flopped, you’d think they might have learned something. Besides, incorporating contemporary political jokes dates a movie/tv show/play faster than anything: those LBJ jokes in “Hair” are real knee-slappers these days and I don’t see anyone rushing to revive that boffo Rodgers & Hart musical “I’d Rather Be Right,” with its hilarioius satire of the Roosevelt administration.
Think of what the Hollywood crowd does for a living - they pretend to be someone that they are not. When they identify someone that is real and lives in reality and not in a pretend world they have a very difficult time coping and so jealous crops up and makes them look so very stupid. Those of us who live in the real world and do not have jobs being “pretenders” look on the majority of the Hollywood crowd with pity.
I thought the trailer was funny and the movie may be fun to see, although I haven’t gone to see a movie in years…it is easier to go to the red box close by and a lot cheaper. I love Sarah and think it is ridiculous that Hollywood is so afraid of her that they must put a stupid line like that in the movie. It didn’t offend me, we all know Sarah hunts (good for her); but it will date the movie forever. I should think by now that Hollywood would realize movie classics are only classics because they are timeless, and someday that line will be very confusing to someone who happens to find it on television during an insomnia attack because it won’t make any sense in thirty years…oh, that’s right, with Obama’s energy plans we won’t be able to watch TV in thirty years. We’ll be like the Taliban, swapping stories around the campfire in a cave somewhere.
I’m a conservative and I think the line is funny and I think the movie looks funny - If we’re going to let silly things like that little one liner bother us then we have real problems!! The only thing this article did was make me want to see the movie.
Go see Julie and Julia. I am a republican and don’t much care for Meryl Streep but it was extremely good. Guess the republican joke flew over my head. I either didn’t notice it or it wasn’t much to notice.
Hollywood is in trouble financially and the so called “stars” are pathetic people who can’t say a whole sentence without a script.
Why don’t we find a joke about Sarah Jessica Parker about the “mole” hanging off her chin. That is laughable.
They are worried about Gov.Palin running for President. I for one want to see her run in 2012 and I will vote for her.
This country better wake up and see what is happening right in front of our eyes. This administration is running America into the ground and taking our freedoms away little by little.
The ones who think Obama is so wonderful have the money to do whatever they want to do, but the average taxpayer doesn’t. They work for a living….oh wait, we are losing jobs everyday by the thousands by having them go overseas to countries who hate us. Oh, that’s ok, we can always watch a dull Hollywood movie. Well, the wealthy in Hollywood can live in fancy houses but the average taxpayer lives in small to moderate house……oh wait, the average taxpayer is losing their homes because they don’t have jobs. Oh, that’s ok we can always find a drive-in with a dull Hollywood movie. The Holly wood crowd can send out to the grocery store and stock up on exotic food should they want to eat……oh wait, the average taxpayer who lost his job and home can’t buy food, and will have to go the the food pantry’s and see if they can get something for the day or week, because they lost there job, house, and money. Have nothing so I can’t see a dull Hollywood movie. So Hollywood, stop complaining about Gov. Palin, she knows what is going on with our country and will try to change things in 2012. For once in your dull, pathetic life, “I love me” attitude, try listening to the average taxpayer and do something that you know nothing about……give to those who have less because of this administration who are taxing the middleclass for everything and taking away the things that matter….for instance life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Laughter is man’s best medicine! And we should all be asking for more, from Hollywood, the media, et.al. And who else should the best pick for laughs than Sarah Palin! She’s, after all, the woman who flitted from college to college (4!) to earn a single BA degree, but wants to be seen as Mrs. Know All…