Conservative activists with an acting bug were encouraged to take back Hollywood during the “Getting Hollywood Right” panel at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday.
“We’re in a Colbert culture where the left is funnier than the right is right now,” Mark Joseph, producer of “Reagan: The Movie,” said.
But it’s not because conservatives aren’t funny, the panel noted. They’re just not on the air.
Using comedian and talk radio host Dennis Miller as a prime example of a conservative ‘funny guy,’ the panel begged the crowd to boycott liberal TV show host Bill Maher and beg HBO to replace him with Miller.
“Hating Breitbart“ director Andrew Marcus, another panelist, admitted that liberals not only dominate in the world of comedy but also in that of film. Despite that, Marcus noted that making conservative films is not the answer to combat this liberal bias.
“I’m not a conservative filmmaker. I’m a filmmaker,” Marcus said. “A lot of conservative filmmakers want to get a message across, but we need to start out entertaining people.”
He then asked the room if any of them would go see a liberal film – and, unsurprisingly, no one raised their hand.
“Don’t try to make a conservative film, try to make a film and then when you are out promoting your film, say you’re conservative,” he told the audience. “Make your film a story, a good story, entertain, go out there and entertain, then be yourself, do not be afraid to be yourself.”
Panelist and Democratic pollster Pat Caddell argued that making conservative films was actually an ineffective way of spreading a message, noting that documentaries like “Dreams from My Real Father” inadvertently helped President Obama during his reelection campaign rather than dissuade them from supporting him.
“People are starved for certain narratives. People want stories,” Caddell said. “There is an enormous amount of talent in Hollywood of your persuasion. But the people who run your politics don’t want those people. They don’t want your people.”
He also advised young people who want a job in the film industry to save up the money to move to New York or Hollywood first, and then look for a job.
“Then, be the best you can be,” he said.
According to Cadell, a week later you will have a job. “That’s how it works.”
