Writes Senator Ron Johnson.
[The Huffington Post writer, Ryan Grim] seems to get hung up on the way I mentioned “The Lego Movie,” a children’s movie “in which the bad guy is a heartless businessman intent on destroying the world for profit. ‘That's done for a reason,’ Johnson said. ‘They're starting that propaganda, and it's insidious.’”...
[Grim] can’t seem to figure out why I or anyone else would say this about “The Lego Movie,” and he insinuates some kind of conspiracy. Actually, it’s pretty simple: I read a great piece in the Wall Street Journal in which an entrepreneur pointed out that the plot revolved around “the evil exploits of its villain, President Business.”..
The strange thing isn’t that a kids’ movie was anti-business, it is that someone claiming to be a journalist never encountered the idea before.
I got to that via a Capital Times ("Your progressive voice") article titled
"Russ Feingold vs. Ron Johnson, Round One: Everything is not awesome."
"Russ Feingold is traveling to all 72 of Wisconsin counties so he can listen to and act on the concerns of working families from all corners of the state," said campaign manager Tom Russell in an email. "That’s what Wisconsin families expect from their senator. If Ron Johnson and his rich special interest buddies want to waste their millions complaining about 'The Lego Movie' and buying weird, angry billboards, they are welcome to keep doing it."
The Lego jab is a reference to comments Johnson made last week to WisPolitics.com after addressing the Milwaukee Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.
The supposedly weird billboard — put up in Milwaukee by the National Republican Senatorial Committee — says "Welcome back to Wisconsin, Russ/It's been a while" and shows Feingold with a map of California and some palm trees.
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I noticed the obvious message when I took my kids to see it as well. While you could argue that his "business" was actually just getting everyone (in the real world) to "stop touching my stuff", and that it really had nothing to do with profit or free-market ideas, the word "business" was said multiple times in a very pseudo-evil and ominous way. On the other hand, the movie is wholly pro-innovation and actually IS about the free exchange of ideas, but that part of the message is probably a little too abstract for kids. The dark, growling "It's just business" overtones are not. So there's that.
So, if a movie made fun of transgenders, I bet these same folks laughing about the comments on propaganda attacking businesses would be quite unhappy
Anti-business movies have been around, and the majority, since the Depression which coincided with talkies. One that I like, not for its silly anti-business tone, is "My Man Godfrey," a typical lighthearted Depression movie with William Powell and Carol Lombard.
The more recent ones, like "Wall Street" are a lot less light hearted.
It does sound like Feingold has been spending a lot of time in California.
Marxist/fascists are the sweet and loving people and capitalists are the greedy evil white men. That has been standard Red story line for over 100 years. IWW proletariate unite and take back Our Land stolen by "profiteers."
What's wrong with that propaganda Comrade Feingold? It is half true some of the time, maybe. maybe not.Let's pretend again.
Wisconsin was always so easy to fool before Scott walker brought in a Focus on truth.
I think the movie was more about the evils of corporatism.
The businessman also runs the government. And manufactures the voting machines. And then keeps the population quiet through a mix of formulaic entertainment and fake holidays (Taco Tuesday!).
Meanwhile, the heroes are individualists... SMALL BUSINESSMEN, if you will.....
Really, it's almost more of a libertarian argument. When the regulations created by business and government working together are removed (i.e., YOU MUST FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS) you get awesome creations as citizens engage in unregulated creative and economic endeavors like flying ice cream trucks.
For everything to truly become awesome, the corporate-governement complex that quashes the individual and innovation must be destroyed.
Only then can we have private space flight, as exemplified by Benny (or is it Elon Musk??)
Yes, I may have watched this movie a few times. It's what happens when you have a house full of small Lego fiends.
"Russ Feingold is traveling to all 72 of Wisconsin counties so he can listen to and act on the concerns of working families from all corners of the state," said campaign manager Tom Russell in an email."
"Listening" is a ruse to avoid taking positions (see Clinton, Hillary!)
"Tacos" Tuesday. The S is silent.
The corporate bad guys are a stand-in for bad guy in general, just as diseases are a stand-in for difficulty in general, and drinking is a stand-in for self-destructive bad behavior.
These are just plot point positions. Look past them as particulars and think of them as place holders in dramatic development.
Two Weeks Notice
Lucy: It is pretty amazing what dreams and lots of money can do, isn't it?
George: Yes, it is.
Lucy: And you know you're part of that, George.
George: Yes, I am.
Lucy: All you have to do is use your power for good instead of evil.
George: If only I would.
The RNC should put up billboards welcoming Walker on the rare occasion when he visits the state.
Maybe we could put up billboards all over reality welcoming garage, on the rare occasions when he visits.
Somewhere in a story I read over the years, there were comments about how Feingold had become an elite Washingtonian and disliked going back to Wisconsin and campaigning among the backwoods people with their goofy hats.......am I 'misremembering' this?
I think the movie was more about the evils of corporatism.
Hollywood is a business.
Its film studios are sub-divisions of larger corporate entities.
So it is damning itself and/or its parent.
I hope that it is taking immediate steps towards 'reform.' A policy of free admission to start?
The Lego movie was funny, clever, and inventive. That's the problem. Why can't clever, inventive people find something witty to say about all the various left wing failures.
lemondog said...
I think the movie was more about the evils of corporatism.
Hollywood is a business.
Its film studios are sub-divisions of larger corporate entities.
So it is damning itself and/or its parent.
I hope that it is taking immediate steps towards 'reform.' A policy of free admission to start?
6/2/15, 10:05 AM
Wait just one minute now, young feller. There may indeed be some pretty large, evil, money grubbing, tax dodging, favor lobbying, worker abusing corporations out there but lets leave news and entertainment companies out of it. Its those other ones that we have to worry about cause those news and entertainment companies serve a greater good and well you know, eggs - omelet.
Back to the re-education camp for you!
Garage is right. A Welcome home President Walker" sign should go up now in faith. Milwaukee would be a good spot. Union Labor needs work erecting signs built in Wisconsin by Wisconsin Walker lovers.
I know one billboard you'll never see. Barack Obama asking "Miss me yet?"
The entire story is viewed from the POV of a 10 year old boy.
All movies are inherently libertarian, because the progressive point of view would have President Business and the government control the kids' life forever, which is not a satisfying end result for any audience.
All movies are inherently libertarian, because the progressive point of view would have President Business and the government control the kids' life forever, which is not a satisfying end result for any audience.
I'd like any libertarian pay close attention to which party wants to control your life, in say, Wisconsin. The list is fucking endless.
Anybody else notice how Sen Johnson admits he never actually saw the movie he is repeatedly condemning?
rhhardin said: The corporate bad guys are a stand-in for bad guy in general, just as diseases are a stand-in for difficulty in general, and drinking is a stand-in for self-destructive bad behavior.
That's not entirely untrue, sure.
But why is it always a Wicked KKKorporation?
(Oh, sometimes it's a wicked government, but naturally only when the President's party starts with R.
Which is kinda my point; the Baddie is always picked to be the sort of Baddies the Film Industry approves of/hates.)
(Never, of course, a wicked mom-and-pop business, though those can be horribly abusive to employees in a small town, too.
I mean, for a character-development type movie; the reasons to pick a Megacorporation rather than a mom-and-pop for, say, Alien are obvious.
Pop's Hardware Store don't own any spaceships.)
He should watch the movie before speaking stupidly about it.
I got more of a Rand libertarian feel from it. Government and corporatism against the creative individual, with the industrious individuals defeating the soul crushing control of big government and business.
Johnson is flailing around for anything to get a headline, even resorting to The Onion type claims to get it.
He knows he will lose.
I'd like any libertarian pay close attention to which party wants to control your life, in say, Wisconsin. The list is fucking endless.
Which party want to control what you can say, who you can say it about, what type of insurance you have, where you educate your children, what you teach your children, what your kids bring in their lunchbox, what you can eat, how much you can eat, how big a drink you can buy, what temperature you set your thermostat, how well your toilet can flush, the appropriate pressure for your daily shower, what type of vegetation you can have in your yard, what size your house can be, how many people can live in your house, whether you can cut down a tree, if you can fill in that puddle in your back yard, and what kind of car you drive?
Which party sees no problem with demanding that you report to the government how often you see the doctor, what kind of doctors you see, which charities you support, how you make your money, how you invest your money, how you spend your money, where you travel, where you go to church, and how many miles you drive?
Which party wants to regulate what kind of gun you buy and how much money you can take out of the bank?
Which party wants to tell you how much you pay your employees, what size sign you can put out in front of your business, how much you must charge to offer someone a ride in your car, what type of food you can serve in your restaurant, what kind of crops you can plant, and how much you can charge for what you produce?
Which party supports laws to regulate how you and your wife have sex, how you buy your birth control?
"I'd like any libertarian pay close attention to which party wants to control your life, in say, Wisconsin."
Though I don't like the stuff social conservatives push, it's not even close In the "control your life" category.
it's not even close In the "control your life" category.
They've done nothing but consolidate power over every agency and institution in the state and taken away power from ordinary people. Right down to your wife's vagina and the university you work at. How can you not see that?
This should hit home to the faculty that reads this blog.
"Austerity’s first requirement is the imagination’s death. The death of ideas and their very possibility. And thus the only line of the current UW “budget” plan I need quote is:
38. Shared governance, general: Specify that, with regard to the responsibilities of the faculty, academic staff, and students of each institution, “subject to” means “subordinate to.”
This has always been about faculty. The level of obsession with faculty, with bringing talented, humble, and hard-working people to heel—the people most responsible for delivering the university’s mission—approaches pathology. Maybe I should post this list again? The one that clearly details how powerless and removed faculty are from being the source of the UW System’s problems? (I could write a whole separate post about how students don’t even seem to exist.)"
They won't rest until every square inch of this state is in smoldering ruins.
"They've done nothing but consolidate power over every agency and institution in the state ..."
They won.
"..and taken away power from ordinary people."
You'll have to be more specific.
" Right down to your wife's vagina ..."
Like I said, I don't like the social stuff.
"and the university you work at."
Again, you'll have to be more specific. The university is a state institution (though the state does get an outsized say for the money they put in), but again, the Republicans won.
"How can you not see that?"
Because we all live in reality. We're not just occasional visitors.
See Ignorance is Bliss' comment above.
"They won"
And you got fucked.
garage mahal said...
"They won"
And you got fucked.
6/2/15, 1:48 PM
Based on your comments I believe it was you on the receiving end of that poke.
Politicians would be wise to avoid criticizing elements of pop culture--there's no way to not look petty, as though you're playing small ball. Look at Dan Quayle and Murphy Brown--there was no way he wasn't going to give that show publicity, and no upside for him. Let pundits and satirists do that.
I didn't see the Lego Movie, but my friend (a proud capitalist) did and he was dismayed that a character named "Lord Business" was made a villain. So now we call my friend "Lord Business" which he chooses to take as a compliment.
He should watch the movie before speaking stupidly about it.
That was my thought. The evils of corporatism? This is movie created to SELL LEGOS. Pretty sure lego is a corporation.
taken away power from ordinary people
Just name one power that you had before, that you don't have now.
he was dismayed that a character named "Lord Business" was made a villain
Maybe, but since the guy was the dad, who was a 'businessman' of some kind, I saw it more as adulthood attempting to control the creativity of youth. Which is why the evil device is krazy glue.
"Maybe, but since the guy was the dad, who was a 'businessman' of some kind, I saw it more as adulthood attempting to control the creativity of youth. Which is why the evil device is krazy glue."
It makes more sense now--my friend is also a dad (which I assume is why he saw the movie) so he identifies with Lord Business! I'm just thankful the movie gave us such a great nickname, it combines his love of English royalty and business.
Blogger garage mahal said...
This should hit home to the faculty that reads this blog.
"Austerity’s first requirement is the imagination’s death. The death of ideas and their very possibility. And thus the only line of the current UW “budget” plan I need quote is:
38. Shared governance, general: Specify that, with regard to the responsibilities of the faculty, academic staff, and students of each institution, “subject to” means “subordinate to.”
This has always been about faculty. The level of obsession with faculty, with bringing talented, humble, and hard-working people to heel—the people most responsible for delivering the university’s mission—approaches pathology. Maybe I should post this list again? The one that clearly details how powerless and removed faculty are from being the source of the UW System’s problems? (I could write a whole separate post about how students don’t even seem to exist.)"
They won't rest until every square inch of this state is in smoldering ruins.
Yes. Because the flow of money is endless and the volume can be increased at will. You want to cut overhead? Cut the payroll.
Sorry you're going to lose your job, but from the sound of it you weren't necessary to begin with.
It sounds like our garage stands to lose his job.
Its funny how the entertainment industry doesn't view itself as a business.
The Great Money Managers in the WisGOP have to gut the UW to balance the budget. Fakes, frauds, and incompetent cowards. The entire lot. Getting rid of tenure and shared governance is just more evidence of their endless thirst for power.
"Austerity’s first requirement is the imagination’s death. The death of ideas and their very possibility"
I wish you would consider the cost of funding said ideas in your caculations. If the cost is too high, then it may lead to the death of said idea, simply because it costs too much to produce.
The entertainment industry for example can't keep making anti Bush Iraq war movies that only gross 15 dollars. THey can do a few, but over time they realize that however, good the idea might be, if they can't recoup their money then it's not really that good an idea.
Businesses learn these lesssons all the time. Govt never does. Govt says money is no object, lets imagine. Oh, and now lets raise the debt ceiling, and demand that the rich pay their fair share.
Austerity’s first requirement is the imagination’s death. The death of ideas and their very possibility
So we will ruthlessly cull any faculty wannabees who don't toe the leftist line from the tenure track, that way we get lots of "imagination," right?
"What is the opposite of diversity? University." - Kate at www.SmallDeadAnimals.com and she is right.
You have got to have a hole in your head to want to teach in this state. Can't blame the teachers and faculty that have already left.
"You have got to have a hole in your head to want to teach in this state. Can't blame the teachers and faculty that have already left. "
How about administrators - how many of them left?
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