Hollywood, Oliver Stone, and the Mustache on the Left

As Kyle Smith [Update: Christian Toto sitting in for Kyle] writes, Oliver Stone “channels Emily Litella, says ‘never mind’”

Oliver Stone’s version of the “Jews control the media” chorus hasn’t generated a ton of outrage so far in the MSM  — although the liberal HuffPo posted a timely slam at Hugo Chavez’s biggest fan.

But it must have been enough to send the director’s PR team into action. And now, the apology (courtesy of Ed Driscoll):

“In trying to make a broader historical point about the range of atrocities the Germans committed against many people, I made a clumsy association about the Holocaust, for which I am sorry and I regret. Jews obviously do not control media or any other industry. The fact that the Holocaust is still a very important, vivid and current matter today is, in fact, a great credit to the very hard work of a broad coalition of people committed to the remembrance of this atrocity — and it was an atrocity.”

Now, if he would only apologize for “W.” (and that ’70s-era mustache) the healing could really begin.

Is it a ’70s-style pornstache? I had assumed Stone might have grown it show his support with all of the leftwing totalitarians with impressive facial topiaries: Che, Castro, Lenin, Saddam, and at least on Sunday until he walked back his outburst yesterday, maybe even some other guy with “the mustache on the left.”

Speaking of which, at Town Hall, Nick Rizzuto asks, “Why is Hollywood Rehabilitating Totalitarianism?”

Politically speaking, Hollywood has begun venturing into dangerous waters. While support for brutal dictators might not be a new phenomenon in a Hollywood, that support no longer seems to be limited to a handful of stars flirting with radical politics and causes. There now appears to be a clear pattern of Hollywood acceptance of Totalitarianism as a legitimate brand of governance.

The case of the popularity of Hugo Chavez is a clear example of Hollywood’s veneration of leaders who wield nearly dictatorial power over the governed. Despite the fact that Chavez makes a habit of trampling on individual rights, A-list Hollywood stars continue to cheerlead him, going so far as to repeat talking points upon their return from Venezuela. Not even Chavez’ contempt for free speech, something you would think might be a sore point with Hollywood, can budge them from their belief that Chavez is a wonderful leader. To suggest otherwise, as Sean Penn famously suggested, should be reason enough to be jailed.

Perhaps Hollywood celebrities should be forgiven for their political transgression in the case of Hugo Chavez. After all, Chavez has at least maintained the façade of a democratic process in Venezuela, and perhaps the gullible glitterati are just being made suckers of. While this might explain away their idolization of Chavez, the same explanation would not apply to their love for his fellow Marxist dictator, Fidel Castro. Up until recently, Castro could not be called anything but the genuine article when it came to the wielding of absolute authority in Cuba. His ruthless persecution of political dissidents is well known, as is his use of secret police, the institutional racism of afro-Cubans, and his repression of religious freedom. But even this fails to penetrate the Hollywood mythology of the noble revolutionary Fidel.

There can be only one explanation of for such hard headed support of such leaders in the face of overwhelming evidence that they engage in the excesses of dictatorship; Hollywood approves.

Certainly wouldn’t be the first time.

Update: Phineas, blogging for Sister Toldjah adds:

Call me a cynic, but I think this apology was motivated less by a sincere regret for saying hurtful and untrue things than by a sincere regret that those hurtful and untrue things became publicly known. After all, Stone still is bosom buddieshimself with Hugo Chavez, a devout antisemite.

Roman Polanski, Mel Gibson, and Oliver Stone. What a trio to represent Hollywood, eh?

And speaking of Polanski…