Hollywood liberals like George Clooney can pen political op-eds to their heart’s content.
Conservative stars meet in secret, keep their views off social media and fear being outed for not singing from the progressive hymnal.
We saw the latest example earlier this week, something Matthew McConaughey accidentally addressed at Friday’s National Governors Association Summer Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. McConaughey joined the group’s call for better dialogue between Americans in our divisive times.
It should start in Tinsel Town, the “Dallas Buyers Club” actor said.
Why?
Liberal Hollywood doesn’t take kindly to diverse points of view.
“My industry has to watch its tongue out of the gate because it’s coming from the left. We have to open that conversation with our opening statements and not invalidate a moderate or conservative at the gate, which we’re guilty of to an extent,” McConaughey remarked of actors and directors weighing in on politics.
He could have been referring to Friends of Abe, the secretive group that allowed conservative artists to meet without professional retribution. Or, he might have name-checked Gina Carano, fired by Disney for sharing the “wrong” views on social media.
He also could have mentioned a producer on the new Angel Studios’ film “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot.” The July release recalls the true story of a Christian couple who inspired members of their community to adopt troubled children from the local foster care system.
Actress Letitia Wright of “Black Panther” fame joined the project as an executive producer, but she cried foul when The Daily Wire came on board to help spread the word about the film.
The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh, star of “What Is a Woman?” promoted “Sound of Hope” on social media by reminding his followers that some adoption groups discriminate against Christians.
That apparently caught Wright’s attention. She swiftly apologized for any ties to the conservative Daily Wire via her Instagram account.
“To be clear, after we completed the production of this film, Angel Studios were brought on board to handle its distribution and they later partnered with The Daily Wire. That was not my decision, and I was not given an update or made aware of this decision. I am in no way aligned or affiliated with The Daily Wire…It’s a shame to see pockets of discourse online take a divisive political turn. This story isn’t about politics, it’s about children. Any conversation that detracts from that is unnecessary and harmful.”
The Daily Wire’s Jeremy Boreing fired back.
“The Daily Wire is truly honored to partner with Angel Studios on such an important project. But, such is the intolerance of the modern left that instead of celebrating this accomplishment and all it might mean, one of the film’s producers, Letitia Wright of Black Panther fame, used the occasion to condemn The Daily Wire’s involvement in sharing this message across the country.”
The film’s director, Josh Weigel and producer Rebekah Weigel apologized for not telling Wright about the partnership.
“That was not handled well, and we apologize for putting her in this position,” the pair said in a press statement.
The duo still praised The Daily Wire for helping promote the film and its vital message. They also defended Walsh’s message tied to the project.
“There are—in fact—real efforts to prevent families of faith from adopting, and this is a pivotal part of the conversation around helping kids who are suffering in a broken system. It’s not about left and right, it’s about right and wrong,” they continued.
Why would Wright attack her own film? What does it matter that someone with views she may dislike is leading audiences to see “Sound of Hope?” As a Christian, isn’t she worried that people of her faith sometimes can’t adopt children?
Context matters. Wright’s backpedal didn’t happen in a vacuum.
During the pandemic, the actress shared concerns about COVID-19 vaccines, an opinion that clashed with progressive orthodoxy at the time.
She explained: “It is not my intention to make anyone upset, nor am I saying don’t take it. I’m just concerned about what’s in it that’s all. Isn’t that fair to question?”
She added: “If you don’t conform to popular opinions, but ask questions and think for yourself… you get cancelled.”
She also shot down a rumor at the time that she brought up the subject on the set of the “Black Panther” sequel. She likely understood the stakes in play. Carano similar questioned pandemic orthodoxy and was later fired by Disney, which oversees the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Wright understands that questioning vaccine efficacy and being part of a conservative project, no matter how minor said connection is, hurts her Hollywood career.
That explains her curious stance. It’s also another depressing data point about Hollywood intellectual intolerance.
The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro shares the last word on the kerfuffle.
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