Mailbag: The Right to Loath & Profit

Monday, September 27, 2004

Tim comments on: "A Disgraceful Johnny Depp and Dumb America":

I enjoyed your editorial, but I've got a few questions comments:"They became multimillion dollar celebrities on the only soil in the world that could make such a life possible, and then flee to a foreign country where they begin their assaults"

-There are no multimillionaire entertainers in other countries? I've lived overseas and every industrialized nation has multimillionaire entertainers Americans have never heard of.

You’re telling me Johnny Depp would have found equal success as an actor in France? I never said there are no rich celebrities in foreign countries, but among them Depp and other Hollywood actors would not be included if it weren’t for American films.

"While I think it's cowardly for celebrities to say such things while in other countries"

-They say the same kind of stuff when they're here. This is America. Why would they be afraid to speak their minds in the greatest democracy in the world?

Janeane Garofalo notwithstanding, hardly any critics of our country express their hatred on our soil. It's almost exclusivly overseas. No way would Johnny Depp ever tell an American audience our country is "dumb". By the way, I respect Ms. Garofalo even if I don't agree with her politics.

"...or if you're the Dixie Chicks, say you're ashamed to be from Texas during a sold out show in front of a Texas audience."

-They didn't say they were ashamed that THEY were from Texas; they said they were ashamed that GW was from Texas.

Noted.

And on your other points. They have as much right to make money and criticize the right here as much as anyone has the right to make money and criticize the left here. Again, this is America. The people who are offended don't need to buy their product, and if everyone is offended, they will stop selling their product.

My problem is not with people criticizing others while making money. People do it all the time; see for yourself the next time you walk into a Barnes & Noble past the “Current Affairs” section. I don’t respect those who flee our country to preach against it at the pulpit of a nation where the majority of its people have a less than favorable opinion of Americans.