Typical of the “If Trump does it, it’s bad” mania has been the attacks on his choices for the Kennedy Center Honors program this year. The list includes the band Kiss, “Phantom of the Opera” star Michael Crawford, country music legend George Strait, actor Sylvester Stallone and disco legend Gloria Gaynor. I have had insider intelligence regarding these choices in the past (it’s sausage-making), and I’ve also reviewed the history of the honors. The only major departure from tradition this time is that there are no “high culture” awardees on the list, no classical composers, opera singers, ballet dancers or serious novelists. But past honorees have included such legends as “The Flying Nun” star Sally Field, Neil Diamond and Big Bird: if the list had come from the typical progressive cabal that has run the Kennedy Center since its inception, nobody would have blinked. It’s a little like baseball Hall of Fame choices: it is easy to find past honorees who were equally or less deserving.
Is Trump deliberately poking progressive culture in the eye with his takeover of Kennedy Honors? Sure he is, and I’m glad. The honorees and the previous regime insulted him and his office by cutting Trump and Melania out of the gala in his very first year of his Presidency. I condemned this at the time, writing that the threatened boycott of the ceremony by some of the awardees in 2017 should have been responded to by a curt “Fine, we’ll give the honor to someone else, then. Good luck in your future endeavors.”
One of Trump’s assignments, a big one, is to loosen the iron grip the activist Left has on our institutions and weaken its ability to indoctrinate the public through relentless propaganda. The Kennedy Center is a relatively minor player in this plot, with journalism, the professions, higher education, scholarship, Big Tech, Hollywood, Madison Avenue and the scientific establishment having far more toxic influence. Nevertheless, Trump’s take-over at the Kennedy Center is condign justice exemplified. The Center politicized the Honors program. It can live with the consequences.
In related news, Tom Cruise turned down the honor, claiming “scheduling conflicts.” I expect more of Tom: it’s an obvious virtue signal to Hollywood’s Trump-haters, and if he was going snub the President of the United States as a sop to his woke fans and the progressive bubble he lives and works in, he should have had the guts to be direct about it.
Ethics Alarms 
For a guy who has spent much of his movie career beating up bullies, it seems like a big walk-back for Tom Cruise to back out. When Hollywood ganged up on him and threatened him with a “5-on-1” attack, I would have expected him to begin his response with, “It’s really ‘three-on-one’…”
Jack Reacher fans will get the reference…
All of this year’s recipients are deserving, so that’s good. I wonder if the KISS band members will feature their war paint…
Much of Cruise’s career and fortune have been made from the “Top Gun” franchise, which glorifies military aviation. But I guess he doesn’t really mean it.
It’s like Hollywood being against gun violence while every other trailer features someone pointing a .45 right at the camera.
“It’s like Hollywood being against gun violence while every other trailer features someone pointing a .45 right at the camera.”
C’mon OB, a little accuracy…it’s not ALWAYS a .45…
youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=jrJjlPH1dqo&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Few.com%2Fembed%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.youtube.com%252Fwatch%253Fv%253DjrJjlPH1dqo%26id%3Dmntl-sc-block_5-0-iframe%26options%3De30%253D%26docI&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY
PWS
Ouch.
jvb
This ‘uns better.
PWS
To borrow an appropriate line, that “made my day.” Tremendous someone did all that work. Thanks, Paulie.
I can’t help thinking the Trump people picked George Strait to gig the theater kids who used to run the place. Pretty funny. I’m guessing they couldn’t resist.
“no classical composers, opera singers …”
This is not really new, with very spotty exceptions. The classical music world has complained about this for a number of years given the original history and intent of the KC Honors. Renee Fleming was a Kennedy Center honoree in 2023, but she runs an annual vocal series at the Kennedy Center (at least up until now), she’s sung at the Super Bowl, and it’s my understanding that she actually quietly lives in the D.C. area despite commitments in New York and elsewhere. (Her second husband is a Washington area tax attorney, what else is new.)
I hope Kiss performs “Christine 16” at the ceremony.
jvb
PS: No, actually I don’t. I hope they perform “Detroit Rock City” and “God of Thunder.” My favorite Kiss songs.
Do honorees perform at the event or are they just honored? I believe other artists would perform their songs as a tribute.
Right. The honorees don’t perform,