The Not So Hidden Meaning Behind Adam McKay’s Anti-GOP Rant
The gifted director shows what can be said in Hollywood without repercussions
Actors spend endless hours pushing their latest projects.
The 2001 comedy “America’s Sweethearts” captured part of that publicity machine, the film junket world where stars speak to a rotating band of journalists to maximize their PR push.
Stars also yuk it up on late night talk shows and devour hotter than hot wings to promote their work.
There’s so much content out there today that cutting through the media noise is darn near impossible. That explains the Herculean efforts actors undertake to promote their latest film or TV show. Chances are Matt Damon would rather be home with his family that scarfing down insanely hot wings for YouTube viewers.
Other stars, whether they mean to or not, actively push audiences away.
Director Ridley Scott inadvertently did that while promoting 2014’s “Exodus: Gods and Kings.” The “Alien” auteur mocked Moses during a press interview, infuriating some people of faith.
The movie tanked, for what it’s worth.
Many activist/actors do the same when it comes to the country’s political divide. They rail against GOP figures like Sen. Ted Cruz and President Donald Trump, unaware or unconcerned that their comments could cause some to flee their films.
What Adam McKay just did takes that a few steps further.
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McKay isn’t a household name, but he deserves to be one. He started out making raucous comedies with Will Ferrell, pivoted to penning superhero smashes like “Ant Man” and, later, spearheaded one of HBO’s most celebrated shows, “Succession.”
Need more? He earned an Oscar for co-writing “The Big Short,” his directorial effort that earned five Oscar nominations
That’s range.
McKay is also one of Hollywood’s more politically active stars, which means little given the industry’s collective progressive streak. Stars stand out these days for not hewing the liberal line, like Kevin Sorbo or Jon Voight.
What McKay unleashed on Twitter a few days ago, though, is different.
The right wing in this country is a truly dangerous anti-science extremist racist party. I’m just saying their extremism is enabled by the corporate Dems incompetence and corruption.
Vote GOP? You’re a racist.
In a sane world McKay’s publicity rep might beg him to delete the Tweet or send out an apology to his nearly 1 million Twitter followers. Instead, the Tweet is still live and likely will remain on the site indefinitely.
Why does that matter?
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It shows that Hollywood elites are willing to insult roughly half the country without repercussion or afterthought. Late night comics essentially do a version of this every night, but rarely with the venom and specificity McKay brought to the matter.
McKay expects Red State Americans to keep watching “Succession” and buy tickets for his upcoming features.
And they likely will.
McKay understands besmirching half the country is acceptable in Hollywood’s eyes, while the targets of his abuse fail to hold him accountable. His next Twitter storm against the “right wing” might make his currently screed seem tame by comparison.