Staff ReportsAh, Hollywood. The land of glitz, glam, and dramatic virtue signaling. As the joke goes, not even those with Tourette’s can keep up with some of the nonsense that comes out of Tinsel Town these days. Recently, Los Angeles streets were alight with burning American flags, as a swarm of criminal aliens decided to make themselves at home. They missed the memo about respecting one’s host. Meanwhile, some of our beloved celebrities cheered on from their mansions, waving foreign flags in solidarity.
Now, you’d think that anyone with a smidge of patriotism left in their soul would balk at such shenanigans. But no, not Hollywood’s elite! They opted to endorse the chaos instead. Pop culture icons like Katy Perry and Kim Kardashian decided to throw their support behind the flag-burners, while others in their circle, with tears rolling down their cheeks, mourned for the so-called “criminal aliens” being deported. Pretty ironic from folks who lock the gates to their leafy estates tighter than Fort Knox itself. And let’s not skip over the millionaire moguls who cry about injustice but can’t be bothered to turn one of their dozens of rooms into a temporary shelter.
Take for instance, Selena Gomez, a billionaire who might shed a tear or two on camera but, as far as public records show, hasn’t made room for a single soul in any of her sprawling pads. Yes, she was born in America and owes much of her rags-to-riches story to the land of stars and stripes. Yet, when the chips are down, her sympathies seem to stretch only as far as her scripted Instagram posts. Cry for “my people,” she says, while doing little more than posting teary-eyed selfies. It’s the kind of hypocrisy that would spur eye rolls from even the most liberal corners of Berkeley.
The media, ever ready to pander to their sparkling idols, conveniently glosses over these little inconsistencies. Instead, we get a parade of empty gestures and perfectly manicured statements. Oh, what a world it could be if our icons exchanged performative antics for genuine action. Hollywood used to have stars who didn’t just understand the values that make America unique, but celebrated them. Remember folks like Robin Williams? His tribute to the American flag back in the day left audiences misty-eyed and reminded us all of the pride in Old Glory.
All is not lost, though. Some still dare to root for Team America. Exemplar Tom Cruise and his “Top Gun Maverick” soared in theaters, earning a whopping $1.5 billion globally, and in no small part because it was a pro-America spectacle. It seems that when the stars align with their country’s values, they shine all the brighter. Yet, for every beacon of hope, a Megan Rapinoe is kneeling at the national anthem, reminding us that allegiance isn’t exactly her strong suit.
It’s about time the bigwigs from Hollywood put aside the narcissism and tuned into the heartbeats of everyday Americans. They could stand to learn a lesson or two about real respect and gratitude towards this great land – the very land that facilitated their fortune and fame. After all, they owe it to themselves and to the flag that waved proudly in the backdrop of their success stories. That’s just the kind of authentic gesture that could light up Tinseltown in the best way possible.
