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Entertainment figures may soon find themselves on a "blacklist" of Donald Trump supporters if Will and Grace co-stars Debra Messing and Eric McCormack had their way. Have we reached the peak of neo-McCarthyism?
The couple demands that the Hollywood Reporter publish the full list of participants at the upcoming Trump fundraiser in Beverly Hills – a call that made natural comparisons with the late Senator Joe McCarthy's efforts in the 1950s to rid Hollywood of "Communist sympathizers."
The difference is that, this time, calls to a political blacklist come from the Hollywood left itself.
McCormack was the first to ask for a list of "Everyone participates" the next Beverly Hills fundraiser, "So that the rest of us know clearly who we do not want to work with." See you soon it's attached, tweeting that the "The public has the right to know" who supports Trump.
The public has indeed a "The right to know" who are the donors of a political candidate – especially when these donors are rich and powerful. This is precisely why campaign finance information is available to the public online. Few people would oppose this type of transparency in a democracy, because voters have the right to know how their elected officials are influenced by political issues.
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The motivation behind the Messing and McCormack blacklist is however totally different and even sinister. They do not fear that Hollywood celebrities influence Trump on politics. It is much simpler than that: they want those who disagree with their policies to be publicly shamed and punished for it.
In response to critics, Messing tweeted that she would"Happy to be listed"when she attends a political fundraiser. Why would Trump supporters not feel the same way? she asked.
Perhaps because of people like you, Debra, who advocate that these people be the target of public harassment, intimidation and shame, while claiming professional repercussions for their political opinions.
You want to create a McCarthy blacklist. You know. Do not pretend that you have no idea of the nature of the problem.
– Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) September 2, 2019
If voters are not satisfied with the political inclination of their favorite celebrity, they are absolutely free to refrain from watching their movies, listening to music, reading books, etc.
The difference is that when Messing and McCormack contribute to the candidates of their choice, no one asks them to be on a list so that their colleagues in the sector can more easily avoid working with them.
Trump's blacklist is reminiscent of "Red Channels" – a 50's pamphlet on "Communist Influence on Radio and Television" it identified 150 industry personalities whose loyalty to the United States had been questioned because of their leftist political beliefs. Red Channels was published in the right-wing Counterattack newspaper, whose goal was to "Expose" the so-called communists to the general public.
The crusade between Messing and McCormack is an empty activism emblematic of the celebrity "Resistance". It does not take courage or effort to "Expose" Trump supporters in Hollywood on Twitter. This does not help to produce a political change – and serves purely egoic exercise for those who aspire to public approval and who are typing in the backs of their colleagues.
Is everyone involved with Will and Grace a disturbed McCarthyist or is it just the two of you?
– pneumataster (@neontaster) August 31, 2019
Messing became known for his ad hominem attacks on Twitter aimed at those who do not respect his own political agenda in a senseless effort to integrate the Hollywood crowd.
She is one of the people who has led the attacks on fellow actress Susan Sarandon since 2016, deliriously attempting to blame Bernie Sanders' vocal defender for Hillary Clinton's defeat. Messing's disturbing obsession with Sarandon indicates that she is more interested in the grandiose maneuvers and the condemnation of others for mental error than in an important and hard-hitting activism.
If 'Resistance' Hollywood really wanted to fight against Trump, they would not waste their time on vindictive witch hunts and personal vendettas, designed to give shape to their own profile.
There is a big difference between the names of political donors publicly available online in the appropriate context and the requirement of a blacklist of industry for the express purpose of harming the career and the reputation.
This is the very definition of McCarthyism.
By Danielle Ryan, Irish freelance writer based in Dublin. His work has been published in Salon, The Nation, Rethinking Russia, teleSUR, RBTH, The Calvert Journal, etc.
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