Opinion: In today’s pages: Hollywood’s black presidents and bad awards shows
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Columnist Joel Stein says Hollywood has already warmed America up for a black president:
Black presidents, in fact, have been our awesomest presidents ever: Morgan Freeman in ‘Deep Impact’ and Dennis Haysbert in ’24.’ And their approval ratings — box office grosses and Nielsen ratings, the only approval that matters in the U.S. — have been huge. The Freeman and Haysbert administrations, which endured Carter-level challenges such as a comet headed toward Earth and working with Kiefer Sutherland, have specifically prepared us for Obama. Like him, they confront without being confrontational. They’re calm, earnest, utterly decent and way, way cooler than white presidents — which is what I’m sure Joe Biden was trying to say when he called Obama ‘articulate’ and ‘clean.’ If only I had translated for him sooner.
Author and former Hollywood correspondent for the New York Times Sharon Waxman argues that the Golden Globes deserve to be off the air — unless some things change.
The editorial board criticizes Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan for addressing the budget shortfall. The board says Congress needs to smooth the way for states to make healthcare plans. Finally, the board looks to China, not San Francisco, for a model way to handle the plastic bag problem.
Readers react to Schwarzenegger’s budget plan. Find out why Hermosa Beach’s Steve Shor says, ‘Now all I can say is, recall Arnold.’