GayPatriot

The Internet home for American gay conservatives.

Say it isn’t so!

by

Colorado Patriot wrote in to tell me how poorly one of my favorite singers behaved at a concert/fundraiser for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Not only am I am a fan of Bette Midler’s voice, but I often love her acting as well. In a past post, I mentioned how her “stupid comedy,” Ruthless People, changed my life for the better. I love her (and Lily) in Big Business and delighted in her cameo in Get Shorty. And, of course, I am a fan of Beaches.

At the New York concert, this talented actress and singer said:

I got a letter from the Republican Party the other day. I wrote back, ‘Go fuck yourself’ . . . George Bush is a fan of mine — he came to see me in the Seventies. His coke dealer brought him.

As Colorado Patriot put it, “Truly tasteless considering what the organizers of this event were trying to accomplish.” Exactly.

Boycotting Bette’s work is clearly out of the question; as PrismWarden put it, “Giving up Bette, it’s practically a gay funeral.” Still, Beaches may never again be the same.

Comments

  1. Another version of the Scorpion and Frog.

    It’s her nature.

    As a lefty, I am glad that Bette has purified her audiences.

    Off with you now.

    H@@@

    ps, I don’t want to burst your bubble, but I hear that Striesand is a bit of a lefty, too.

  10. As a guy conservative woman who has owned her own business in NYC for 25 years I am happy to see there are some gay men who are unimpressed with “Babs”. As with most singers and actors she has zero knowledge of American history or economics which would not be so bad if she and the rest of them could refrain from being crass and so very hateful.

  12. “Love the sinner, hate the sin.”

    She might be wrong, she might be right, but not listening to her singing because of her politics is just silly. Just as silly as believing her politics are the real, true, and only solution because of her great singing.

    Enjoy her singing/acting, and remember that her political opinions are her own. Just because she’s a great actress with a nice voice does not mean that her political philosophy is particularly astute.

    Actually, she might be quite wise; listen and decide. If she’s just bloviating, ignore her.

    Of course, once someone says ‘Go fuck yourself’ the idiot is ID’d and the conversation is over.

  13. I’ve given up REM and Johnny Depp; I can give up Bette too. As for Streisand, I never understood why she had any appeal for gay men. Maybe it’s a generational thing and I’m too young to get it?

  15. Let me get this straight: when Bette says “go fuck yourself”, it’s “tasteless”? But when the Vice President of the United States utters the same 3 words (and in hallowed halls, no less), it’s “honest”? Double your standards, double your fun, I guess.

    And isn’t anyone interested in who Bush’s coke dealer was?

  16. #15

    Hallowed halls??? Give me a freaking break. What? Is the Senate chamber like The Vatican now? You’re talking about a place where congressman used to carry weapons. I can guarandamntee you that much worse than that has been said in those “hallowed halls”.

    Besides, Cheney was responding to personal attacks from “Leaky” Leahy. Is personal attacks allowed in the “hallowed halls” without a response? Hell, I’d have told you the same thing and probably more. Who was attacking Midler? Nobody. She was being a premeditated bitch plain and simple.

  17. Could you expect any less from a Hollywood icon?!? They consider themselves diplomats and friends of the eco-system, yet they seem to overlook thousands of human rights violations, including the brutal treatment of gay teenagers in Iran, and have no problem chartering private planes or driving SUV’s. Of course, they NEED SUV’s, while the rest of us should drive cars the size of peanuts.

    By the way, Queer Patriot, how much did Kitty Kelly pay you to mention Bush’s coke dealer? We all know her allegations were based on false accusations through “anonymous” sources, as are all of her biographies. But it is nice to know that you support a celebrity saying “Fuck off” in front of an audience, which I’m sure included children.

  18. Just because she’s a great actress with a nice voice does not mean that her political philosophy is particularly astute.

    That could be. Where, exactly, does that fit into a fundraising event for a disaster? Especially when the lies of the liberals actively exploiting the disaster are crumbling faster than a New Orleans levee?

  19. If any of the regular circle jerk here were actual fans of The Divine One, you would already know her famous comment (which may have been written by her even more lefty writer Bruce Vilanch) about her standards.

    To paraphrase:
    I have standards. They are low, but they are mine.

    Kinda like so many here.

    It’s a lifestyle choice.

    H@@@

  23. No. 16, beyond the disrespect you show for your national seat, your other comments are quite ugly. You know what they say about “ugly”, don’t you? Better be hung. Sadly, too often, they’re not.

    No. 17, perhaps you ought to try reading the post before commenting on it. The poster GayPatriotWest introduced the coke dealer, not me. As for Kitty Kelly, I don’t need to defend her. She has a legal team who does that and, contrary to your charge that she prints “false accusations”, I understand she’s never lost a libel suit. But you sound like a greater authority on Kitty Kelly than me; why don’t you check it out and report back?

  24. I’ve never understood what anyone sees in Barbara Streisand. And while Bette Middler has been excellent in a couple of movies (Ruthless People being a great example) that certainly doesn’t imply any political expertise… or, well, class on her part, apparently.

    For her defenders — it’s not what she said, it’s the forum in which she said it. A concert of her own is a fine place for her to express her hatred of half of America. A benefit concert isn’t. It’s not a question of morals, it’s a question of class.

  25. What’s lost, unfortunately in the discussion of the lack of talent of Ms. M and that other homely, doltish lady who misspells her first name, is the point I had earlier made to Dan in my email, and that’s this:

    The event last night was to promote donations to several cheritable foundations who were trying to support those displaced and otherwise injured by the hurricane. What Midler did was irresponsible and inexcusable. She alienated over half the population of the United States who might otherwise have donated to the very deserving organizations who were attempting to raise money for hurricane relief.

    If she wants to spout off her hateful and uninformed (and oh-so-original, by the way) tripe at a Democratic fundraiser or silly MoveOn.org event, have at it; preach to the choir. But the sound you heard last night was the slamming shut of thousands of checkbooks of Bush supporters who were offended and turned off by this stupid woman’s idea of comedy. I am a political person, but I’m also a businessman. I know a stupid business move when I see one, and if I were in charge of raising funds, Bette would be the last invitee to any fund-raiser I ever threw.

    What she did last night was hurt her cause, not help it. I’m actually tempted to write to the Bush Clinton Katrina Fund; Habitat for Humanity; MusiCares Hurricane Relief Fund and the Children’s Health Fund (the intended beneficiaries of the event) and let them know I’ve chosen to donate elsewhere instead (I still encourage folks to donate, just not to these foundations).

  26. Queer Patriot maybe YOU should read the post again. Bette Midler introduced the coke accusation, not GayPatriotWest. He only quoted her words, and you affirmed her accusation by inquiring about who the coke dealer was. As for Kitty Kelly, I do consider myself an authority on her since I actually read “The Family,” and know that the ONLY person whom she sites as a source for the coke accusation is Sharon Bush. But I guess you already know that Sharon Bush has rigorously denied ever mentioning that to Kitty Kelly. Of course, if it wasn’t a headline I doubt most liberals bothered to find out. And in regards to Kitty Kelly’s libel suits, here’s a lesson in filing libel suits:

    1. In order to prove libel of a public figure, you have to prove knowing falsehood and malice.
    2. By suing someone for libel, you are lending more publicity to the person you are suing, therefore propogating their lie.
    3. Will money win back your reputation?

    Why the hell do you think National Enquirer hasn’t been removed from the shelves?!?

  28. It was simply tasteless. The comments were more about Midler’s ego than the victims of the hurricane. Such is the attention-whoredom of Hollywood.

    I don’t care, either way. I watch what I watch and listen to what I listen to. Generally, politics don’t extend to my entertainment choices.

    But the typical Hollywood bs by ill-informed celebrities has grown wearisome in its pointlessness. If someone can’t turn off their self-absorption at a fundraiser for disaster victims, they’ll likely never grow tired of hearing themselves speak for the faintest wisps of applause by like-minded people. Group-think adoration. Hey, if that’s the kind of gutter she’s scraping from, well, I suspect she’s already sorted karmically.

  31. VICTORY TO THE LEFT! ANARCHY FOREVER! RADICAL QUEER NATION FOREVER! NO TOLERANCE FOR NORMAL! LEFTISTS UNITE! STOP HOMOPHOBIA STOP SEXISM STOP RACISM NOW! SOCIAL DISORDER NOW! THE PEOPLE UNITED WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED! RISE UP RISE UP RISE UP AGAINST AMERICA!!! TEAR THIS EVIL NATION APART!

    Bette Midler is awesome.

  34. To paraphrase: I have standards. They are low, but they are mine. Kinda like so many here.

    In reality it was Groucho Marx who said, “I’ve got standards, and if you don’t like ’em, I’ve got other standards.” The difference is that Groucho was actually witty and talented.

    Time to get back to that “screenplay.”

  35. QP (in #15). Once again, Bette made the statement in a public forum. The Vice-President in a private exchange when pestered by a rude Senator.

    Oh–and Clint in #24, Babs has a great voice and was brilliant, ***brilliant*** in Funny Girl, The Way We Were and What’s Up Doc?.

    I think she’s best when singing (or speaking) lines that others have written.

  36. As far as the incadescently gay Babs wars go, I’m not familiar with very much of her work.

    However, when I had mono in high school, my mother bought me Hello Dolly (and she wonders how I turned out the way I have). I must’ve watched it daily for a good three weeks.

    Not a bad early glimpse at Michael Crawford, either.

    To this day, I still have an irrational need to watch that film once a month. It’s a sickness.

  37. GayPatriotWest excepted, why does ugliness here always seem to come with 3 names?

    ThePartyCrasher, you got yourself all tangled up there trying to link me to Kitty Kelly and Bush’s coke dealer, and 3-4 followup posts don’t seem to heal the embarrassment.

    ThatGayConservative chooses some horrendous language. Is he always this way? And can’t he find a different synonym for “smile”?

    Where are the hall monitors when you need them?

  40. #36,

    My dad bought the laserdisc of Hello Dolly for me after a business trip to San Francisco. You do the math.

    Use one of your monthly screenings to seek out the film in a recently-struck 70mm print. I saw it six months ago in England, and visually it leaves all modern films in the dust. Marvelous musical.

  43. Well, WeHoBoiToiActorModelWaiter”Screenwriter”Who Can’t ActuallyWrite,

    Maybe if you actually posted anything of value, you might actually have people “obsessed” with you.

    You missed the point: Ms. Midler cribbed Groucho’s line and somehow managed to make it unfunny.

    Now, off to write your “screenplay,” that’s a good lad.

  47. You tell her That Gay Conservative! That pompus Assclowncun tried to do a number on me about my family name, but I showed her. Ijust cussed her wrinkled ass out and walked a way like a man and left her stew in her blovating. I think she was after some of my you know what hanging here. Like an old troll or some pervert out after young gay guys. Butch I like you too. Thank you for taking on that other one like her. Chandlier. He should know that Bette Midlar is just an old hag popular with old fags like him. People dont listen to that old queenie crap anymore — that stuff is SO 1990. Most the guys here are twentys. They dont have time for that old crap.

  48. I meant to say. Before I got so pissed off. I meant to say how much I apprecate Gaypatriot and GaypatriotWest speaking for so many of us who feel exactly like them about big issues like the President we all love and the Veep, whose major cool, big time. Dont worry about all the Lib loons that invade our space. They are just loossers. Like the girl says in that song “WE got the power”. Crank it up, drive them out, and keep Patriot free of those commies. Amen. Amen. Amen.

  49. Excuse me???

    Since when does ANY hollywood type have ANY profound knowledge or grasp of the REAL world the rest of us mere mortals live in?

    They not only do not understand the facts on any given issue (proven ad nauseum when they open their mouths), they fail to make any connection except with the extreme left of society.

    I guess that’s what too much money does, isolates you from reality.

    I adore Bette, right back to the 8 track days when I got stopped for a speeding ticket listening to her belt out Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy from Company B – the faster she went, the faster I went.

    But when they makes complete and utter idiots like this, well, it tarnishes them. It makes me wonder if all they have is a good voice or good acting skills.

    But would I choose them as a friend? No. Therefore I can’t support stupidity by buying their music or seeing their films.

    My life goes on without them, and there is always other talent out there that I can fall back on. They are not the end all to my happy life.

    Harrumph!