Now we will see just how much of a financial hit woke Hollywood is willing to take to publicly and aggressively support abortion. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has refused to kowtow to moneyed celebrities who demand that states with which they do business share their left-wing political persuasions.
"I can't govern because I'm worried about what someone in Hollywood thinks about me," Kemp told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I ran the last two years on these issues, and I got elected with the largest number of votes in the history of the state of Georgia, and I'm doing what I told people I would do." True to his word, Kemp signed a bill banning abortions after a heartbeat is detected.
He displayed the moral courage his predecessor lacked: Governor Nathan Deal in 2016 caved to threats that studios would pull the film industry out of the Peach Tree State unless he vetoed a bill drafted to protect the religious liberties of those morally opposed to homosexuality. Now, his fellow Republican Kemp has stoutly told the California elitists to pound sand.
Celebrity Takedown
The ball is now in the dollar-obsessed entertainment industry's court. If the Hollywood bigwigs follow through with yet another threatened boycott, as so many of their pampered stars demand, they will immediately alienate a substantial portion of their customer base – those who are opposed to the killing of unborn children in the womb. And they would also be kissing goodbye to the biggest sweetheart tax boon they could possibly expect.
The state of Georgia provides enormous tax breaks for the film and TV industry. The Journal-Constitution reports that $800 million in such credits were handed out in fiscal year 2017, more than the tax incentives provided by entertainment-powerhouse states California ($320 million) and New York ($420 million) combined.
This undoubtedly explains the skittishness of the Motion Picture Association of America, which finds itself stuck between the stridency of its leftist celebrities and the harsh realities of the financial bottom line. Unsurprisingly, the MPAA resorted to weasel words to try to stake out a safe middle ground.
"Film and television production in Georgia supports more than 92,000 jobs and brings significant economic benefits to communities and families," MPAA Senior Vice President of Communications Chris Ortman said. "It is important to remember that similar legislation has been attempted in other states, and has either been enjoined by the courts or is currently being challenged. The outcome in Georgia will also be determined through the legal process. We will continue to monitor developments."
Behind that eggshell-dancing, there lies the stark realization that Hollywood has a lot to lose here. IndieWire, a film industry website, reports that "sources" told the publication that, "they don’t know what a Georgia boycott could accomplish as this plays out in the courts. The ability to influence state politicians on this issue has passed. The impact would be on Hollywood itself, the vendors and crew that have relocated to the state, and its own bottom line."
Shut Up and Act
It would be unrealistic to hope as much, but, ideally, even pro-abortion supporters would be a touch heartened to see a governor from a sovereign state refusing to be pushed around by haughty entertainers wielding financial clout. This bullying trend has been far too evident in the world of professional sports, where franchises routinely blackmail cities with threats of relocation unless sparkling palaces are built for them at taxpayer expense. Pro leagues have been all too willing to dive into local political affairs as well. North Carolina in 2017 wasn't even allowed to pass a bill keeping grown men out of the women's bathroom without the NCAA and the NBA threatening to pull major events out of the state.
Ultimately, it is up to average citizens to defuse the lofty illusions of celebrity elites in the only way they can – with their own spending choices. "Get Woke Go Broke" is the rallying cry today by those boycotting anything from the PC-crazed Boy Scouts to posturing department stores.
Hollywood has long been on the receiving end of such treatment over individual film projects. Remember the titanic flop that was the all-female Ghostbusters reboot? The question now is whether movie studios really want to align their entire industry with the grisly practice of abortion? The governor has signed the bill. Hollywood, the cameras are on you, and we are ready for your close-up.
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