Meryl Streep is my hero at the Golden Globes! No, that’s not a quote from me.
And neither is, “Most of the political rhetoric coming from these spoiled, preening and pretentious Hollywood elites is annoying AF.”
When you’ve been a journalist for more than 10 years, it’s hard to have an opinion. I know, shocking. Especially these days. But seriously, it was hard for me to be bias during my tenure and when I look back at my career, I ask how did I do that?
- I was born in Sweden – this means I’ve seen the best and worst of socialism.
- My parents immigrated from Iraq (legally in case anyone is wondering) – which means I know the American dream is alive and well.
- I lived in Texas (RED state).
- Graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism from Northern California (BLUE state).
- My family lives in San Francisco (BLUE BLUE and more BLUE). I travel there for work too. (I think I’m turning into a SMURF).
- Got my first reporting gig in Arizona (RED state).
- Spent a chunk of my career reporting in Utah (RED state). Live here now, so I’m bleeding RED – literally and figuratively because I support the Utah Utes (sorry BYU fans).
- Didn’t become a U.S. citizen until two years ago – this means I was *never emotionally attached to political stories because quite frankly policy didn’t entirely impact my life, mostly because I didn’t have a vested interest. This gave me a strange and unique ability to see both sides, and everything in between.
Perhaps the solution to the so-called bias reporting we see today is to strip journalists of their voting rights. Totally kidding.
I left the business not long after I became a U.S. Citizen. The two are not related. Cue the patriotic heart. I had never felt so excited about an election. This also meant I got to watch election coverage as a citizen, and not just a journalist.
Sitting on the sidelines made me want to jump back on to the screen! And if I’m being honest, if the President-Elect Donald Trump is right about ANYTHING (cue the attackers; I’m cool with it – you have my permission to verbally assault me online for saying Trump is right about something) it’s that the majority of media leans left.
That wasn’t breaking news. It’s a fact. I belong to secret group on Facebook called Female Newscasters, except it’s not so secret because people leak embarrassing things about ‘us’ to media gossip sites all the time – and we collectively know some of us have broken the golden rule of keeping our conversations quiet.
I won’t leak, but I can confidently say the majority of female newscasters in this country are BLUE and I’m betting the men aren’t very far off too. They are undoubtedly liberal, but that doesn’t mean their reporting is necessarily bias or that they intend to be. I believe most of us (and I guess I should officially take myself out of this category as a former journalist) really are doing our best to be fair and balanced as Fox News would say (pun intended).
Yes, I’m getting to Meryl – hang on a second! I want to give you context here. And I’m stalling because I’m not entirely sure I’m ready to be pounced on, but here goes nothin’
At a time when our country is so divided, I wonder how a beloved, respected and talented actress who has broken barriers will now fare among women who didn’t vote for Hillary Clinton?
If you haven’t seen the video now viewed by millions of people worldwide, take a moment – it will either have you cheering in agreement or enraged.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxyGmyEby40&t=6s
Meryl! This is coming from a woman, someone who is neither sneering or cheering for you after that acceptance speech because quite frankly I wasn’t moved one way or another – you’ve managed to alienate a big chunk of women in this country and that’s what I take issue with – not because I may or may not be one of them.
But let’s get back to the women who are not you Meryl. These are women that many write off as racists, uneducated, and unaware of their alleged misogyny. Slap every insulting label possible and you have yourself a so-called Trump supporter.
Wrong. So so so wrong. I’m deeply disturbed by how ignored this section of our population is. They clearly have a voice and clearly created a movement you never saw coming – and now Hollywood wants to alienate them even more?
Bad idea. If liberals think Trump is the anti-Christ …just you wait. Give it another 4 years. You’ve awakened them, and they are not backing down – not as long as you insult and demean them.
And by the way, that works the other way around too.
Meryl Streep is the left’s new hero and the right’s new enemy.
While HER magazine’s monthly issues focus almost strictly on women in business, featuring them – and providing content created for them – we do not shy away from ‘trending’ topics here on our website.
It’s what people are talking about, and it can’t be ignored. And I personally love to challenge the status quo, and right now the status quo is creating content for so-called lovers of the left.
Here’s what we posted on our Facebook page late Sunday night:
Meryl Streep gets political accepting her award tonight…
Many are praising her.
Many are disappointed, vowing to never watch her movies again.
How do you feel about celebrities using their platforms to get political?
I’m seriously asking you that question – how do you feel about celebrities using their platforms to get political?
These are very fair questions. Take it from a former news reporter. I’m simply asking questions, not taking a stance as a publication.
But guess what happened next?
“I want to understand your magazine, but I don’t. Why let trolls on your page? I thought this was a magazine to empower women?”
Me: Unfortunately we don’t control the Internet. (insert long message), explaining how our loyal readers are NOT trolls.
“Actually that is an excuse, empower by saying no to trolls. You don’t control the Internet but you control your pages. IF you really want to empower us, stand up to trolls and bullies.”
Oh I get it! When someone disagrees with you, they are now a troll.
Here’s the problem. The narratives the right and left have subscribed to have poisoned it for the rest of us. Because mainstream is either pandering to the right or to the left. There seems to be no in-between and if there is, no one is watching.
Streep is a smart woman. She knew exactly how powerful the platform she had Sunday night was. Instead of using it as a call to action to bring the country together, she used it as an opportunity to not only go viral (thank you by the way) – but to divide the country even more.
What’s worse? She’s dividing WOMEN. Women who once loved her, don’t like her as much anymore.
And in case anyone is wondering, I’m not referring to myself.
But here’s some perspective from someone who lives in Utah – from someone who has gotten to know the community over the last 10 years and from someone who is surrounded by just as many conservative women, as I am by democratic women.
I believe there is more that unites us than divides us, but some of us – like Meryl and nearly the rest of Hollywood that live in their ivory towers just can’t seem to understand that.
And why would they?
How can you expect them to?
You shouldn’t.
But yet, you’re listening to them – allowing them to control the narratives in your head. And the narratives in your head become your reality.
Choose wisely.
Meryl, I’ll end on this – inadvertently bashing female Trump supporters feels personal to them. Because you’re not only questioning their judgement, but their morals and character. Ouch.
These are wives, mothers and hardworking Americans.
Women already have a ‘hard enough time’ as it is, no? Or is that just another narrative of victimization the left likes to push?
Kidding. Again.
But in all seriousness – ask yourself, was her speech really all that moving? She insulted the MMA and American Football all in the same sentence.
Forget Trump. She laughed that the word Arts was attached to Mixed Marital Arts.
What an Elitist. No different from Washington eh?
And indulging the media all in the name of the First Amendment? Nothing more than a commercial for The Committee to Protect Journalists, an organization that plastered Streep’s emotional speech not longer after it was broadcast.
Here come the donations!
If celebrities are going to use their platforms for anything, use them to entertain us. Because we could all use some entertaining right about now Meryl.
