The tide is not turning in any noticeable way yet, but maybe there is a glimmer of hope emerging from Hollywood. Some in the entertainment business have recently pushed back against their peers who are still suffering from severe cases of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Case in point: Bette Midler came under fire from two well-known celebrities last week over some particularly coarse and crude tweets.
Comedian Norm Macdonald responded to Bette Midler’s personal attack of former Senator Al Franken’s accuser, LeeAnn Tweeden. Not only did Midler deliberately use a salacious photo of Tweeden from back in her days as a lingerie model, but she did so to slam her as “right-wing”. Oh, the horror!
The photo is not safe for work, but you can see it at this link. Suffice it to say that Midler would erupt in righteous outrage if Tweeden was a progressive and conservatives attempted to use Tweeden’s modeling career to shame her over a sexual harassment allegation. As it was, though, Midler was promoting the New Yorker piece about Al Franken. The piece was seen as Franken’s first step into vindicating himself, now that some time has passed. Midler, however, fell into the trap of shaming the victim. Remember, LeeAnn Tweeden was asleep when Franken was captured with his hands on her breasts in the photo that went viral. She was in protective gear on a USO tour with Franken.
Macdonald called Midler out for what she did, which was sounding like a rape apologist. Tweeden wasn’t wearing lingerie when Franken assaulted her. Macdonald went on to describe the #MeToo movement as separate from due process. Midler unwittingly proved that we are to believe all women except when it is inconvenient for the Democrat Party.
https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/1154177868299063297?s=20
Trump supporter Rep. Steve Smith countered with the actual photo that led to Franken’s resignation:
Yeah, but….. pic.twitter.com/GHVC7yuM8j
— Rep. Steven Smith 🇺🇸 (@RepStevenSmith) July 25, 2019
Ms. Midler wasn’t letting up, though. She tweeted a photo from the Trump rally last week and noted the “blackground” – African-American men in the background. She pondered how much they were paid to be there.
https://twitter.com/BetteMidler/status/1154044513872015361
Actress Kirstie Alley responded to that one. “We get it Bette, you hate Trump.”
This is one of the most racist, degrading "jokes" I've seen on Twitter & that's saying a lot. We get it Bette, you hate Trump & that's your right but to imply Black men have to be PAID to celebrate their OWN political views is pure and REAL racism. And "BLACKGROUND"?? WTF??!! https://t.co/7PXH75tf8i
— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) July 25, 2019
Ms. Alley has spoken up in the past about the demonization of people with a different political opinion. The truth is, Midler and her ilk in the entertainment world not only dehumanize President Trump, they do the same to Trump supporters and conservatives in general.
“I understand preferring Democrat over GOP or vice versa. What I don’t understand is why people feel the need to say hideous things demonizing citizens of either party,” she wrote in January 2018.
Kirstie Alley endorsed Trump in 2016 before the Access Hollywood tape surfaced. Then she un-endorsed him. Since then she hasn’t made headlines one way or the other on Trump.
Alley has been vocal about her conservative views in the past and, in April 2016, endorsed Trump on social media. By that October, however, she walked back that support in the wake of the “Access Hollywood” tape on which the presidential candidate was heard making obscenity-laced boasts about groping women.
Midler’s Twitter feed is a treasure trove of examples of Trump Derangement Syndrome at its strongest. I’ll end with a tweet that was posted that perfectly shows that self-awareness if hard. Midler’s had quite a week, that’s for sure.
I think a steady 24/7 diet of conspiracy and rage changes people right down to their cells. No one can survive ingesting so much poison; adrenalin and cortisol alone take hours to leave the body, leaving no time to heal, before it's on to the next day's dose. https://t.co/axthOBEPNA
— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) July 26, 2019
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