Chat Details

Andrew Breitbart 09-15-08

This chat will begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, September 15, 2008.

Andrew Breitbart, who writes the weekly column "Big Hollywood" for The Washington Times, will join us for a live chat on Monday, Sept. 15, at 10 a.m. You must be registered with www.WashingtonTimes.com to ask questions. To register, click the gray word "REGISTER" on the top right-hand corner of this page, then follow the instructions. Once you're registered, come back to this chat page and then click the orange "Ask a Question" link.

Transcript

1. • The Washington Times is pleased to welcome the writer and Web-site founder Andrew Breitbart for a live chat. Good morning, Mr. Breitbart. Thanks for being with us this morning. by Jeffrey Lea
   • Answer: Good morning back at ya. It's 7 a.m. in L.A. right now, a little before I usually get up, and haven't had my coffee yet. 'Hon'... There. Much better. by
2. • Mr. Breitbart, would you please tell us a bit about your book, "Hollywood Interrupted: Insanity Chic in Babylon -- the Case Against Celebrity." by Jeffrey Lea
   • Answer: It came out in 2004and was written with Hollywood journalist Mark Ebner. For me it was an attack on celebrity culture, mostly from a right-of-center, post-911 perspective. How could the most blessed people be the least grateful, I thought. It was a meticulously researched case against the modern celebrity culture that asked the question, "How can people who can't govern their own lives tell us how to lead ours?" I stand by the book and the thesis, but one thing has changed. I realized there are TONS of non-bitter lefties in Hollywood, named quantities, and working-class Joes. They just have to keep their mouths shut because the leftists here are mostly punitive and totalitarian. by
3. • We tend to think of most Hollywood folks as liberals, but The Times reported this summer on Hollywood conservatives. Would you please comment on Tinseltown's conservative contingent -- its size, its influence, etc. by Washington, D.C.
   • Answer: I think the conservative movement in Hollywood will grow by leaps and bounds over the coming years because the left pushed too hard. They showed such indecency to their ideological foes, pushed them so hard into the closet and silence, that when they started to come out and find each other through various means, those that did find each other felt a need to find more. I think there are thousands, perhaps tens of thousands in Hollywood who listen to talk radio en route to work and shut up when they get there. I think that the leftists in town are hearing rumblings of our existence and that the less they know, the better, because I think the mystery causes them to be fearful that perhaps their assistant or co-workers are that "other" type and will maybe -- out of fear of exposure -- be a little more respectful of diversity of thought. I think the next few years will be key in its growth. I'm starting a group blog called "Big Hollywood," which will be a place for open Hollywood conservatives to vent their frustrations and share their ideas. Maybe some celebs will eventually come out and write, but I don't recommend they do so until they have enough money in the bank that they can withstand the fallout. Yes, it's that bad. by
4. • Your column today in The Washington Times on Matt Damon was right on the money. Who are some of the conservative actors and actresses in Hollywood? by Washington, DC
   • Answer: Go see the movie "American Carol" on Oct. 3 when it comes out. The film is an "Airplane"-like sendup of liberals directed by newly minted 9/11 conservative David Zucker. It's not mean-spirited, but it's certainly pointed. The film is a scene-by-scene outing of stars who lean right. From Kelsey Grammer to, yes, Dennis Hopper. One friend of mine, Robert Davi, plays the main terrorist. Google him. I met him on the USS Midway deck in 2004 commemorating the USS Ronald Reagan. He spent the night regaling me with a more in-depth understanding of Islam and the troubles facing us as a nation that I wanted to hire him for a think-tank job right then and there. As for the other conservatives in Hollywood, I don't want to be an "outer." You'd be amazed by who is and who isn't. Some closeted ones are absolutely huge names and are trying to find the right place and time to counter the Matt Damon-Howard Zinn-Rage Against the Machine left-wing mindset out here. by
5. • You have a ton of information on your site. What is a typical work day like for you? by Washington, DC
   • Answer: Well, for right now Breitbart.com is a raw-news service, an editor's-choice venue for people who don't want to be told what the most important stories are because we show all the news wires and papers as the info comes in. It's what I wanted to have when I started spelunking on the Internet back in the early '90s. As for Breitbart.tv, there are four of us scouring sites and monitoring our inboxes for the best news video and audio. In addition to that, I am trying to build out Breitbart.com to have original content. As I mentioned earlier, "Big Hollywood" will be a group blog that covers the nexus of Hollywood and politics from a right-of-center POV. My hope is that conservative Hollywood figures out we have nothing to be ashamed of, and that there is strength in numbers, and that we have logic and good argumentation on our side and should be able to openly debate the issues of the day without fear of vocational reprisal. by
6. • What is next for you in your career? by Washington, DC
   • Answer: Well, I am developing out my Web sites on a daily basis. So that keeps me busy. And "Big Hollywood" should keep me busy, trying to wrangle Hollywood types and some sundry established writers and politicos to write about entertainment industry stuff as well as politics. But for right now, the biggest thing I have started to do is The Washington Times column. As a creature of the Internet and new media, and as an aggregator, I am dependent on the work of others. I thought it was my turn to create the content, to become a more intimate part of the information age. Because as critical as I am of left-wing dominance in journalism and in entertainment, the solution is not simply sitting on the sidelines complaining. The column is my small contribution to the solution. by
7. • With all of the new Web sites popping up each day, what do you do to keep competitive? by Washington, DC
   • Answer: In the 1990s I used to think I was the net sum of my browser's bookmarks, and I used to meticulously organize them and monitor sites like a person with a major anti-social disease. I was that into news on the Internet. But since I got AOL Instant Messenger, I have added hundreds of friends and peers who are like-minded, and in addition to the bookmark thing, proactive messaging of stories and ideas from top-notch thinkers gives me a competitive edge. Or so I think. by
8. • Oscar Levant once said, "Strip away the phony tinsel of Hollywood and you will find the real tinsel underneath." Do you agree? by 20002
   • Answer: That's the kind of aphorism that they give 11th-graders for their PSAT tests and then they're supposed to weigh in deeply. I was a pretty atrocious 11th-grader. by
9. • Americans seem to celebrate celebrity for celebrity's sake. Is it the fault of the media that such people as Paris Hilton are famous just for being famous, opposed to being known for their accomplishments? by 20037
   • Answer: I hate to be political here, but I think that left-wing dominance in this town and the shutting out of competing ideas has a lot to do with the Paris Hilton situation. Get rid of competition of ideas, get rid of traditional values in TV and cinema (music, etc.), and celebrity for celebrity's sake fills the vacuum. I am not so puritanical that I can't enjoy the frivolity of it all, from time to time. "Stars, they're just like us!" But at a certain point you start thinking: Whoa, this is it?! I think that this trend has lasted as long as it has because the left in this town has run out of ideas, and the right (or rebels for rebels' sake) haven't come in and revolutionized the industry. One guy, Frank Miller (he of "300" and "Sin City" fame) gets it. He creates these amazing heroes in his work. He understands in the most sophisticated way imaginable that Americans (and much of the world that secretly yearns to be American) yearn for heroes and expect the reinforcement of good and evil, right and wrong, in the narratives of our time. And because he gets it and few others do, he is laughing all the way to the bank. by
10. • Who are some of the "up-and-comers" in your industry? by Arlington, VA
    • Answer: I happen to love PatDollard.com. It is an R-rated conservative news site with a strong emphasis on getting the news to soldiers and Marines that he covered in Iraq. (Pat is a former Hollywood agent-turned-war documentarian.) His no-holds-barred attitude is a welcome response to the mainstream media's selling out of the guys and gals who make the biggest sacrifices. I am also a fan of Greg Gutfeld, wherever he rears his ugly head. There's no better "blogging" than Greg at the Huffington Post. I imagine the film "Scanners" when I think of the lefties reading his s#$%. Ace of Spades is also a great injection of attitude and information. And Bill Whittle of ejectejecteject.com is a big Hollywood-based thinker. I hope at "Big Hollywood" we can mint some unique voices telling the secret story of hidden Hollywood conservatism over the last years. I hope we engage in ideological warfare against the nasty totalitarians who have created such a nasty un-American environment. by
11. • Hi. Good morning to you. I'm not much of a commentary reader, but here's a question: In your 'Say it ain't so, O!' article, you have praised Palin and even mentioned that sources say she has the inside track for the top slot in 2012. Many, on the other hand, aren't quite sure. What inspired you to write about Oprah Winfrey on this? by Washington, DC
    • Answer: Well, Palin in 2012 is BS supposition based upon best-case-scenario thinking for conservatives. But if she has the goods, of course, she has the inside track for 2012, if McCain-Palin are elected. (I seriously doubt McCain will run again.) As for Oprah, I think that history will show, when the Obama-supporting media are forced to reckon for what they helped wrought, that Oprah Winfrey was the hidden force behind Obama's running, his campaign strategies and his ideas, whatever they may be. The proof: Well, she pushed him into the ring on her show, for starters. I would imagine she was thinking, my finances and my peculiar social life could not necessarily withstand scrutiny if I ran, but this guy is a pretty darned efficient empty vessel for me to dump in my marketing and media "expertise." Then analyze the DNA of Obama and his appeal. It is the precise strain of ethereal celebrity cum cult leader that Oprah has created for herself. The atmospherics are pure Oprah (the entertainers at the Denver stadium convention speech, the wind blowing on Michelle's and the kids' hair, this is sophisticated stagecraft from all angles). The celebs like Matt Damon and George Clooney were all introduced to Obama through her. She was the first major person to tell Hillary the Inevitable supporters that there was a second choice. I would love to hear what Hillary has to say about Ms. Winfrey! I think Oprah's plan was basically, I can get you to the two-month mark -- after the convention and before the debates -- but I can't help you land the plane. And now she, like the rest of us, realizes he isn't exactly the messiah. by
12. • Mr. Breitbart, we're coming to the end of our chat. Thanks for being with us so early this morning. Have you any last words for our readers? by Jeffrey Lea
    • Answer: Thanks for having me. I'm not a morning person, FYI. Never have been. Never will. Please check out this profile that was done on me in the "liberal press." It's called "Hollywood Infidel," and I stand by every word, except the headline writer described me as "self-proclaimed rebel-king of L.A.'s underground conservative movement." I didn't describe myself that way. I consider myself a foot soldier in a long-overdue movement to diversify the creative gene pool. The left is not going to walk away from its control without a fight. And we need as many people out here as possible to take them on. So come out here and get jobs in the mail room at William Morris. Write scripts -- good ones, though. Join bands. Do something. Our country is basically conservative. Yet we send the exact opposite message around the world through the satellites. I think that's a better answer to the Gyllenhallian question "Why do they hate us?" than is our foreign policy with Israel, or some such nonsense that misses the point that people get most of their ideas and messages from popular culture. Anyway, I could go on and on and on and on . . . That's why you'll need to go to Big Hollywood when we launch sometime in the next month at Breitbart.com. Thanks again. by