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Political Backlash Follows the Oscars

Feb 26, 2013  •  Post A Comment

Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony has sparked a political backlash, with the complaints focused mainly on one element of the show: the appearance by Michelle Obama. The Hollywood Reporter’s Live Feed reports that conservative media members are complaining about the first lady’s announcement of “Argo” as winner of the Oscar for best picture during the ABC telecast.

“Talk radio hosts took to the airwaves, largely taking the position that the Oscars should have been an Obama-free zone. The gist: Hollywood’s reputation for liberalism is well known, so why rub it in the faces of GOP moviegoers?” THR reports. “The segment, of course, had Jack Nicholson introducing the first lady, who appeared live from the White House on a giant screen at the Dolby Theatre. Behind her were U.S. military personnel.”

Rush Limbaugh compared Obama’s appearance to the 1984 television commercial for the Apple Macintosh computer, which used "Big Brother"-like imagery.

"When I saw Michelle Obama on that giant screen, I mean, she dwarfed Nicholson,” Limbaugh said. “And I thought of 1984, the Macintosh ad from the Super Bowl in 1984. Exact type of scenario, except Michelle Obama was actually the Dear Leader of this, obviously a totalitarian state. And the Dear Leader was making some giant speech and fist-pounding and robotic citizens were sitting there nodding."

Twitter users, meanwhile, took to guessing where the first lady might appear next, using the hashtag #NextMichelleObamaAppearance. Guesses included "Announcing the next pope" and "Driving the pace car at Indy 500."

Republican President Ronald Reagan appeared at the 1981 Oscars, but didn’t present an award, the story notes.

15 Comments

  1. Gee, Rush, I thought you were about freedom of expression for private citizens. Can’t you find anything useful to talk about?
    You are a windbag, a useless windbag.

  2. Seriously, Tim? You don’t see the irony that Michelle announced the winner to be a film about saving six US personnel from a dangerous embassy while her husband is accused (along with Hillary Clinton) for not saving four people from getting killed when they had months of prior warning? No wonder Obama got re-elected with morons like you. (this is my freedom of expression)

  3. Can’t Mr. Limbaugh be a gentleman just once. The First Lady was lovely on Sunday night. For a moment there was a bit of patriotism for an American award given to a group of American Producers. This is the kind of thing the GOP used to love. Now it’s 1984? This is why the GOP is becoming irrelevant, and will continue to. Imagine the world’s surprise if Mr. Limbaugh had said something nice. But I guess that’s not how he makes a living. WWJD?

  4. Can’t Mr. Limbaugh be a gentleman just once. The First Lady was lovely on Sunday night. For a moment there was a bit of patriotism for an American award given to a group of American Producers. This is the kind of thing the GOP used to love. Now it’s 1984? This is why the GOP is becoming irrelevant, and will continue to. Imagine the world’s surprise if Mr. Limbaugh had said something nice. But I guess that’s not how he makes a living. WWJD?

  5. Give me break. If Romney had been elected and his wife presented an award they would be all giddy about it. Funny how an appearance of a Democrat riles up their right-wings so much – it’s actually quite comical. Glad I’m not on the side that’s constantly looking for things to bitch about and throw hissy-fits over.

  6. So Rush, and everyone in the ultra-right wing conservative entertainment bubble, it’s OK for Laura Bush to appear on the 2002 Oscars in a taped segment, but not for the current FLOTUS to be on the same show?
    Seriously?
    Don’t you wingnuts have another Robert Menendez story to create, or to play the Benghazi card even more than you already have?

  7. Imagine if Django Unchained has one. Rush’s head would have exploded!

  8. I’m with Rush on this one. Even the press room at the Oscars let out a loud groan when this intrusive political screen unfurled on Sunday night. Remember when we had Clinton fatigue in the late 1990s? Obama fatigue has set in now. Also, I read that Harvey Weinstein was behind the stunt, recruiting the WH to lobby for his movie Silver Linings Playbook to win best picture, in exchange for another chance to over-expose the First Lady in the media.

  9. Tom M, you have your right to your expression.
    Speaking of morons, wasn’t it your party that backed the empty suit? I guess if I’m a moron then the pot is calling out the kettle.

  10. It’s amazing, and yet totally expected. Radio talkers acting with the maturity of 9 year olds. Still, they’re more mature than the Congresspersons.

  11. I am a conservative and would be unhappy had Romney won and had Ann been on the monitor; the Oscars are for the industry, and elected officials have no place awarding Best Picture unless they were in the industry themselves.

  12. I am a conservative and would be unhappy had Romney won and had Ann been on the monitor; the Oscars are for the industry, and elected officials have no place awarding Best Picture unless they were in the industry themselves.

  13. I am not sure who you are calling an empty suit, but if you mean Romney, then you must be one of the 47%ers looking for a handout from the government. Oh well, wait to see all the damage that is coming your way when all the things that have been passed (and not read beforehand) come into law. Maybe you’ll have a job, but how will you pay for the gas and food that are consistently going up. If the House goes to the Democrats in 2014, everyone’s taxes (those that still have jobs) are going up and you will have drones peeking in your windows! Iran and North Korea (and probably Venezuela) will be atomically armed, while our military gets drastically cut. You will get the government you voted for, but I doubt if you knew what it was you were actually voting for. Did you get your Obama phone?

  14. KILL EM ALL

  15. Sunday night’s Oscar appearance is an example of a First Lady’s No. 1 job–travelling around the world, participating in high profile events for public relations purposes. Regardless of which party is in power, the First Lady is an amabassador for the White House. It’s her job. How ridiculous to see something sinister or inappropriate in her visit.

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