Bill Donohue comments on remarks made by Ben Affleck on the October 3rd episode of “Real Time with Bill Maher,” an HBO show:
Last month, Bill Maher had to educate Charlie Rose about the lethal differences between Islam and Christianity, and on Friday he had to educate Ben Affleck. A debate ensued between atheist author Sam Harris and Affleck over the number of Muslims who embrace jihad, prompting Affleck to opine, “You are saying that Islamophobia is not a real thing. It’s just an ugly thing to say. It’s gross. It’s racist. It’s like saying, ‘Oh you shifty Jew.'”
Affleck is such a phony. Since when does he object to bigotry? In 1999, he starred in Kevin Smith’s anti-Catholic flick, “Dogma.” The plot maintains that Mary and Joseph had sexual relations, and that Mary gave birth to a daughter who works in an abortion clinic. God, who was played by Alanis Morissette, and the apostles (a foul-mouthed 13th apostle was introduced) were also subjected to Smith’s low-class brand of humor.
When asked about his role in “Dogma,” Affleck bragged, “The film is definitely meant to push buttons.” Catholic buttons, that is. Can anyone believe that he would star in a Muslim-bashing film? Not on your life.
It’s not just Affleck who entertains this double standard—Hollywood is loaded with such people. Indeed, it goes well beyond Hollywood to encompass the cultural elite in art, journalism, education, and publishing. It all comes down to whose buttons are being pushed, not any principled opposition to bigotry, per se.
