Andrew Breitbart famously said, “more voices, not less.”
Reuters blogger Jim Gaines says, essentially, “shut up.”
Gaines’ new Reuters column doesn’t just review the new docudrama America from the team behind 2016: Obama’s America. He implores readers not to see the film at all.
Gaines’ column kicks off with this headline: “To celebrate the Fourth of July, don’t go see this movie.” What follows is a clumsy assault on the arguments raised throughout the film. Nothing wrong with that. If Gaines wants to critique a film and miss so many of its points, be our guest.
That’s not his mission.
I wouldn’t ordinarily dignify such nonsense with a column, but America the movie exemplifies everything that’s wrong about the American political conversation these days, rich with examples from both left and right.
He bemoans the inclusion of hard partisans like Ward Churchill, but the bulk of the film isn’t dedicated to them. The column is far more interested in debunking the conservative arguments on display.
In case the headline didn’t spell out his intentions, here’s how he puts a bow on the piece: “Instead, let’s declare our independence from such partisan venom. I can think of no better way to celebrate this Fourth of July.”
Should we bother to scour the Gaines’ archive to see if he used similar language against any of Michael Moore’s partisan documentaries? Or any other far-left film with a strident, alienating point of view, for that matter?
Gaines doesn’t want the facts and opinions in America shared. Period. Is he much different than liberals desperate to silence Rush Limbaugh based on out of context quotes or pure lies? Or progressive college students rallying to block conservative speakers from appearing on campus?
A glance at Gaines’ Twitter account shows he’s not keen on sharing on social media, either.
“Only confirmed followers have access to @jamesrgaines’s Tweets and complete profile. Click the “Follow” button to send a follow request.”
As the Fourth of July nears, let’s celebrate the fact that anyone can criticize America and share their views across the Internet. Let’s talk about it. It helps if you’ve seen the movie.
Update: America producer, Oscar-winner Gerald Molen, responds to Gaines’ column:
I’m used to having my movies critiqued, but to have a reporter actually tell people not to attend a movie is a first. This is the movie world’s version of voter suppression efforts in politics. Shameful. But most American’s don’t like to be told what to do by elite journalists and I have faith that it will only motivate Americans to go to their local theater.