Well, the Czar hates to send you twice in one day to the Los Angeles Times, but here is another example of a liberal whose world view is so stupidly polarized that he misses the point he himself is making.

Patrick Goldstein observes that a lot of conservatives are slamming the movie Avatar for its openly leftist themes.

Goldstein notes that conservatives continue to attack Hollywood for showing movie themes that are out of touch with what America really thinks. Hah, he laughs, because the not-unexpected success of Avatar “turns this theory on its head.” Yes, Goldstein acknowledges, the movie is openly pro-environmental, decidedly anti-military, and highly critical of American politics and business. So why, then, is it destined to be one of the most successful films in history?

Hang on a minute. In a moment, Goldstein talks to some conservatives who explain that most movie goers don’t catch these things—half of them can’t remember what the plot of a film is ten minutes after they see it. But before we get there, let us talk about this ignorant idea that people only see movies with which they agree on thematic content. So Avatar proves Hollywood is in touch with America’s apparent love for environmentalism, hatred of the military, and disdain of American cultural influence, etc.? And Titanic was a hit because people like to see icebergs collide with ships and kill two-thousand people? And The Godfather was popular because Americans love organized crime? And 2012 captured audiences because we all want to see billions of people dying horribly?

Or, perhaps, is it that people see major tentpole movies whether or not they agree with the content?

Conservatives are seeing the movie in massive numbers, and most are enjoying it. Yes, the movie is chock-full of liberal attitudes and mis-truths, but the vast majority of viewers are smart enough to know it’s a freaking major Hollywood picture. And betraying Goldstein utterly is this phrase: “Cameron’s grand cinematic fantasy, with its mixture of social comment, mysticism and transcendent, fanboy-style video game animation, seems to have hit a very raw nerve with political conservatives, who view everything—foreign affairs, global warming, the White House Christmas tree—through the prism of partisan sloganeering. ” Wow, what a load of crap. Here’s a clue for Goldstein, who evidently has no recollection of the years 2000-2008, in which a conservative couldn’t trim a toe nail without a major smear campaign on the web from the Left. He could simply Google “sarah palin” and ask himself if the results show any partisan sloganeering. A mistake this size invalidates his entire argument: if Goldstein thinks the degree of criticism from the Right in any way approaches the depth and vitriol of the Left, he has lived in Los Angeles far too long.

Finally, Goldstein chides conservatives for not even seeing the movie. What he fails to see in his partisan ignorance is that liberals like himself and Cameron are only 20% of the country. Conservatives and moderates are seeing the movie; does he actually think that his clique of friends have generated the billion dollars this movies has earned?

Instead, the truth is far simpler than he can contemplate. Conservatives are seeing the movie in massive numbers, and most are enjoying it. Yes, the movie is chock-full of liberal attitudes and mis-truths, but the vast majority of viewers are smart enough to know it’s a freaking major Hollywood picture. Of course it will drip with anti-Americanism! We expect it, and we go see it anyway. What may be the case, unfortunately, is that this is the first time Goldstein is aware of it. Films like Platoon, Dave, and Wall Street, The Green Mile, The Day The Earth Stood Still (2009), no worse than Avatar in their liberal vomiting, were all hits as well.

This is an old story we have seen before. As Goldstein sees other films and occasionally turns to conservatives for opinions rather than his film club, he will be embarrassed by this story. After all, when it comes to Lefty influence in Hollywood, there’s no hope for a sequel.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.