According to numerous reports, certain members of the Hollywood elite, particularly those who seem to routinely display an inflated sense of self-importance, are refusing to take part in President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration festivities.
Those who have agreed to perform at the historical event are being attacked by the alt-left through conventional media means as well as through an array of social media sites.
The apparent hope of the famed partisans is that through the application of extreme societal pressure individual entertainers or performance groups will dutifully comply and withdraw from any association with or appearance at the national event.
After TMZ reported that consummate singer Andrea Bocelli was set to perform at the inauguration, a hashtag campaign erupted on the web. A short time thereafter it was announced that Bocelli would not be appearing after all.
In a CNBC interview, Thomas J. Barrack, Jr., chairman of Trump’s inaugural committee, explained how the Bocelli exit from the inaugural event happened.
"The Bocellis came to him [Trump] and said, 'Look, if it would be helpful to you, if you would like us to perform, we would consider it. And Donald said: 'You don’t need to. We’re not in that kind of a framework. Thanks very much for the offer. You’re my friend. You are always welcome at the White House,'" Barrack said.
The New York Post also reported that it was Trump who graciously allowed Bocelli to skip the performance because of the abuse the singer was having to endure via the social media.
Meanwhile Trump’s inaugural committee announced that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the New York City Rockettes would take part in the festivities.
However, after news of the Rockettes’ participation hit the media, a dancer by the name of Phoebe Pearl used her Instagram account to launch a left-wing diatribe against the performance, posting that the decision to have the dance troupe involved in the presidential inauguration made her feel "embarrassed and disappointed."
"The women I work with are intelligent and are full of love and the decision of performing for a man that stands for everything we’re against is appalling," Pearl wrote.
Interestingly, many of the Rockettes apparently felt otherwise.
The American Guild of Variety Artists, the union that represents the Rockettes, told the Hollywood Reporter that participation for the dancers was voluntary, but regarding the upcoming inauguration, the guild indicated "we had more Rockettes request to participate than we have slots available."
It has been confirmed that The Mormon Tabernacle Choir will also be performing at the inaugural ceremony during the swearing in of the president-elect. The 360-member ensemble has performed at the inaugurations of previous presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.
Wasting no time, left-wing celebrity activists quickly launched a petition on Change.org seeking to convince the legendary choir to cancel its 2016 inauguration plans.
Randall Thacker, initiator of the petition, wrote that the decision to have The Mormon Tabernacle Choir perform at the presidential inauguration of Trump "does not reflect the values of Mormonism and does not represent its diverse 15 plus million members worldwide."
The mainstream media did their part to promote a celebrity-driven boycott:
- CNN published an article on the network’s website advising celebrities not to “lend their fame” on Trump’s behalf.
- The Rolling Stone published a hit piece with the misleading title “Why Even Trump-Friendly Artists Won’t Perform at His Inauguration.” The article encouraged musicians to steer clear of the swearing in and posted quotes of various music managers suggesting that performing at the Trump inaugural would not be a good career move.After the Beach Boys confirmed to Billboard that they had been asked to perform but had not yet made a final decision on the matter, The Huffington Post and Rolling Stone attacked singer Mike Love along with the current configuration of the legendary group.
- The Huffington Post stated, among other things, that Love "always has tried to steer the band toward its lowest common denominator tendencies of surf songs."
- And the Rolling Stone referred to the current version of the Beach Boys as "just Love’s Frankenstein monster of a band." The liberal media are evidently unable to tolerate Love’s position of being a longtime Republican who has performed at fundraisers for prominent GOP candidates.
An indication that the attempted boycott of the inaugural celebration has failed big-time is the public’s reaction to the confirming of 16-year-old classical crossover singer Jackie Evancho’s performance of the "The Star Spangled Banner" at Trump’s inauguration.
The "America's Got Talent" finalist and breakout star was mercilessly attacked on social media for merely agreeing to perform, and predictions of dire consequences for her career followed.
However, since the Evancho announcement, the public has spoken loudly and sales of the singer’s albums have gone through the roof. Her weekly album sales quadrupled and her "Someday at Christmas" album had to be restocked twice in retail stores. Additionally, her "Dream with Me" album and "O Holy Night" EP have reached the second spot on the Billboard charts.
In a recent appearance on NBC’s "Today" show, Evancho seemed to capture in her own words what so many non-celebrity folks are feeling.
"I’m so excited," Evancho said about her inaugural participation. “It’s going to be awesome."
James Hirsen, J.D., M.A., in media psychology, is a New York Times best-selling author, media analyst, and law professor. Visit Newsmax TV Hollywood. Read more reports from James Hirsen — Click Here Now.
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