Only in present-day Hollywood would a filmmaker have to try and cut off the media-created narrative that his creation was too patriotic. And it was this article written by left-winger Steven Zeitchik of the L.A. Times that created the kerfuffle Stallone responds to below. Obviously, this was Zeitchik’s goal. Yet again, our cultural enforcers attempt to toxify a hit film that doesn’t adhere to their left-wing worldview in order to make those thinking of reproducing the same think twice about the media misery that always comes with it.
How far Hollywood has fallen. Today, accusations of making a patriotic film must be defended against. But there’s no political blacklisting or anything…
—–
I can’t find the link and I’m already late for a screening, but earlier this week, someone at a fairly high-profile film-site claimed I had declared “The Expendables” the most patriotic film ever, or something similar to that. After reviewing the only two pieces (here and here) I’ve written since seeing Stallone’s box office hit, what I can declare is that she’s just making that up (I do remember she was a she). Nowhere did I state “The Expendables” was flag-waving or even patriotic — unless clear storytelling lines between good and evil and masculine heroes who selflessly risk their own lives are now considered, by default, elements of America jingoism. Which is kind of a terrible thing to say about the rest of the world.
Other than an American flag hanging in the Expendable hangout, Stallone’s glorious throwback to the awesome 80s is nothing more than a satisfying good guys vs. bad guys actioner with a terrific sense of humor about itself and a nice moral that Stallone himself sums up perfectly in this interview:
‘Five guys that are expendable, that really don’t fit into society — finally they’re kind of cajoled into doing something for free, which gets them they’re morality back.”
Has the Left become so deranged that the universal values of selflessness, coming to believe in something bigger than yourself, the hanging of an American flag, and not being nihilistic, now qualify as some kind of hyper-jingoism?
And remember, “jingoism” is just a word that really means “patriotism liberals find offensive” — which is just about everything. As a matter of fact, the only patriotism the Left seems at all comfortable with these days is dissent against America.
Is it November yet?
P.S. Some of you might have read my ode to the drive-in movies last week. Well, guess who’s taking his best girl to the drive-in movies tonight for a second helping of “The Expendables?” Purely by coincidence, last week a friend of my wife’s mentioned she was going to the drive-in — which is how we found out that for all these years we’ve been living less than 10 miles from one. Yes, I’m an idiot.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.