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Why Hollywood Hypocrisy Rages On

Industry silence over 'Dumbledore' gay censorship part of bigger problem

We found a way to make Hollywood, Inc. stop saying, “Gay.”

The industry rallied around the false “don’t say gay” narrative following Florida legislation designed to protect K-3rd graders from sexual instruction in public schools.

Celebrity after celebrity blasted the decision, with many repeating what they falsely claimed couldn’t be spoken aloud.

The fraudulent meme made its way into the Oscars ceremony, Hollywood’s biggest night.

Co-hosts Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes all repeated the “Don’t say gay” narrative at the start of the low-rated telecast.

A funny thing happened to this branch of Hollywood activism. It didn’t prevent Warner Bros. from removing gay-themed dialogue from the latest “Fantastic Beasts” film.

References to a gay relationship in “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” were edited out of the movie by Warner Bros. for the film’s release in China. Only six seconds of the movie’s 142-minute runtime were removed. Dialogue that was edited out alluded to the romantic past between male characters Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen). “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling revealed Dumbledore was gay in 2009, but the movies had never explicitly referenced the character’s sexuality until this third “Fantastic Beasts” entry.

That news broke April 11, but 72-plus hours later Hollywood remains mostly, if not utterly, silent on the issue. No Tweets from celebrity activists slamming the decision. No updates from Schumer, Hall or Sykes on their passionate issue.

None of this is surprising.

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Hollywood hypocrisy is the one constant in La La Land, not counting Botox injections. Box office grosses ebb and flow. Stars who were red hot yesterday find their careers cooling today. And actors routinely flash their ability to say one thing and then do the complete opposite.

Need examples?

  • Actors promote a green revolution but frequently burn more energy than most Americans. Others preach about Climate Change then hop on the nearest private jet.
  • They railed against President Donald Trump for putting “kids in cages” but fell silent when it happened under President Joe Biden.
  • Actresses march against the Patriarchy but stand down when a fellow actress is fired for no good reason.
  • Stars reject states with strict abortion laws but look the other way when studios play footsie with China, a vigorous human rights abuser.

That’s just a short list. The bigger question remains. How do they keep getting away with it?

It’s simple. They never face repercussions for their hypocrisy.

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Most of that falls at the media’s feet. Reporters, both the hard news variety and entertainment scribes, rarely bring up these inconsistencies. If a star made a pro-life speech at the Oscars, he or she would likely face a withering press pounding.

If that same star commits an act of nuclear-grade hypocrisy, those same reporters will look the other way.

Case in point?

How many reporters challenged Leonardo DiCaprio following  his 2016 Oscar speech warning us about Climate Change? It’s hardly a secret that the “Revenant” star doesn’t practice what he preach.

It’s just the opposite.

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That would make a worthy question for the superstar, no?

No, apparently.

The same holds true for other Hollywood hypocrisies. Media types refuse to hold the powerful to account for their duplicity.

So when the industry collectively ignores a studio erasing gay dialogue from a wannabe blockbuster it’s clear they won’t be challenged.

Why? There are two obvious explanations.

One, it would embarrass the stars in question, no doubt. That could put the reporters’ access to them in jeopardy. No more puff pieces tied to their next film or streaming project. And it could, in theory, damage their ties to the studio in question.

Two, reporters generally agree with liberal stars and their progressive worldview. So to embarrass them would damage the movement as a whole. And they’d rather not do that.

RELATED: Gay Groups Silent on Kimmel’s Homophobic Jokes

This lack of accountability extends beyond media corruption. Green energy groups similarly stand down over Hollywood’s eco-hypocrisy. Have any singled DiCaprio out for his massive carbon footprint?

Similarly, GLAAD won’t publicly ask why Hollywood activists won’t speak out against the “Fantastic Beasts” censorship.

Did Time’s Up howl at stars ignoring the sexual abuse allegation against then-candidate Joe Biden in 2020? Of course not. To be fair, the group routinely ignores Democrats behaving badly. Time’s Up even went to bat for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, accused by at least 11 women of sexually inappropriate behavior.

Time's Up leader resigns amid criticism over work with Cuomo

Conservative media outlets highlight Hollywood hypocrisy, but those reports rarely bleed into mainstream news coverage.

That’s why the stars won’t change their ways or reflect on their dishonest messaging. The only uncertainty is what form it will take next.

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