Hello Reader, Everybody remembers the Hollywood Blacklist, but few know about the new, not-so-improved version. I've spoken to my fair share of conservative artists who hide their political views for fear of losing work. It's real. It's scary. And it's deeply un-American. Just like the 1950s version. Now, some pro-Palestinian actors are getting pinched for sharing their political views. How is it different this time around? And what if the stars in question say absolutely ghastly things?...
about 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, It's Friday already? Holiday weeks always throw me for a loop! I've had a hate/hate relationship with "The View" for some time now. It's hopelessly dumb, which could be fun to watch in some cases, but it rarely is. Plus, I think the show's unhinged rhetoric genuinely damages the country. So why does Whoopi and co. get a pass when Aaron Rodgers got (rightly) vilified for his dopey attack on Jimmy Kimmel? This story explains it all, and it's a good primer for the 2024 election...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, The new year has just begun, but I'm betting 2024's most talked-about movie will drop in April. Director Alex Garland ("Ex Machina," "Men") offers the perfect story for our divided times, and that's not a compliment. "Civil War," out April 26, imagines a future America on the brink of collapse. Kirsten Dunst stars as a war-time journalist trying to stay alive in the melee. HiT contributor Matt Morava asks if it's morally right to release a movie like this during a contentious...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, Happy 2024! It's an election year (gulp!) and rockers Green Day just served up the perfect preview of what celebrities have in store for us over the next 11 months. Can we skip to 2025 already?? Blue Collar Comedy legend Bill Engvall is calling it a career. He's been touring for 40+ years and kept his material clean during that remarkable span. Yet Engvall still cites the new woke order as one reason he's hanging up his mic. Find out more in this Hollywood in Toto report. This...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, No one had a better 2023 than Taylor Swift. Just ask Time Magazine. The new year won't be nearly as fun for the pop superstar. Progressives are already begging Tay Tay to drag President Biden over the finish line in 2024. And this culture war battle will be messy... Ricky Gervais is back, and he's funnier than ever. The British superstar is no fan of woke culture, but he's never taken it on as brazenly as he does in "Armageddon," his brand new Netflix special. The HiT review...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, The Mouse House can't wait for 2023 to be over. Flop after flop after flop. Wobbly stock prices. Subscribers fleeing. The latest HiT story does a deep dive into Disney's year to forget. And yes, it should matter to all of us. Heck, we could use a family-friendly studio right about now. Hunter Biden should keep late-night comics busy for years, if not decades. The First Son's addictions are no laughing matter, but the way he exploited them sure is. Drugs. Prostitution. Dodging...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, Welcome to the new and improved HiT email newsletter! Questions? Comments? Complaints? Let me know! Now, on to the week in entertainment! Comedian Rob Schneider said what we were all thinking, again, when he complained about how Identity Politics ruined the Oscars. Rocker Dee Snider once cried, "We're not gonna take it." Now, he's turning his back on free speech at the worst possible time. Read the ugly details. This week's HiT 'cast lets comedian Lou Perez share how he gets...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, As Dr. McCoy would say, 'Darn it, Jim! I'm a journalist, not a tech guru!'I've been studiously collecting your emails without actually giving you the newsletter you requested. I'm sorry! I just recruited a very smart lady to set things right.So now you'll be getting a Hollywood in Toto newsletter each Friday. And I bet you'll be eager to read it.Expect the latest stories from Hollywood in Toto ... plus killer news updates, reviews you won't find anywhere else and other snippets...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read