Moviegoers speak with wallets

It's clear that the left-leaning power structure in Hollywood goes to extraordinary lengths to push their liberal agenda on the American public. Quite frankly, that analysis is not in dispute.

But increasingly, the American public votes with their pocketbook and rejects outright these unfair and inaccurate motion picture portrayals.

No example is as clear as the recently released "American Sniper" movie, which set new attendance records over the weekend despite a full-press lobby in Hollywood against the patriotic war movie.

Labeled as an American version of Nazi propaganda by one Hollywood actor and slammed by none other than the ever-present Michael Moore, the movie marched to a stellar $80 million-plus box office this weekend.

At the same time, the Hollywood-touted "Selma" -- Oprah Winfrey's biopic on Martin Luther King -- took a massive nosedive at the ticket booth as the lowest performing Academy Award nominee.

When conservatives question the leftward drift of this nation, the mass media and Hollywood are always front and center in pushing a false narrative down the throats of the American public.

"Selma" was projected as a mega-hit by Hollywood especially during a planned release date to coincide with the celebration of King's birth.

"American Sniper," on the other hand, was called a "celebration of American violence" by the Hollywood elite and roundly condemned as another shoot 'em up by director Clint Eastwood, who is less than popular in Hollywood because of his conservative views.

Yet, when it came time for the American public to speak, it was "American Sniper" that captured the hearts of the moviegoing public.

But before you get excited and believe that Hollywood will finally awaken to the disgust displayed by the American public for their phony propaganda, rest assured, the West Coast elite will never recognize that the viewing public is tired of their liberal push.

But there is a silver lining, though it's a longshot.

If Hollywood movies continue to languish at the box office, perhaps a money drain will force the money changers to recognize the true pulse of Americans.

Hollywood and the Rev. Al Sharpton have created a brouhaha over the lack of minority nominees for the top Academy Awards this past week. Keep in mind this manufactured "crisis" comes on the heels of last year's big winner "12 Years a Slave."

The left coast elite simply don't get it. In their small and isolated wonder world, opposing viewpoints are not permitted. And when those conservative views are put on the wide screen, they are widely panned by the lemming critics who predictably fawn over the latest revision of American history as seen by the liberals.

If the proof is in the pudding, then the public speaks with their pockets and purchases tickets to those movies they believe are interesting or compelling or entertaining or share their life views.

Hollywood holds little in common with the vast majority of Americans. But from time to time, the viewing public has a chance to tell Hollywood what they think and what they like.

"American Sniper" is a patriotic, true story about American heroes in times of war. And that is the very last theme that Hollywood embraces.

Michael Jensen is the publisher of the Sikeston Standard Democrat.