Trump Effect nails a Red Sparrow

Actress Jennifer Lawrence must have felt invincible in December when Oprah interviewed her. CNN reported, "Jennifer Lawrence says she's been 'waiting' to give Trump 'a martini to the face.'"

Wow.

So brave of her to speak out against a Republican president in Hollywood.



The interview was sappy. Read and judge for yourself.

Oprah did not ask why Lawrence would be so rude to a 71-year-old man whom she never met. Do I get to throw a martini in Hillary's face? Or how about a martini to Lawrence's face?

Last week, while promoting her new movie, "Red Sparrow," Lawrence again attacked the president.

"Jennifer Lawrence says Donald Trump's election left her devastated and helpless: 'My head exploded,'" the Independent reported.

She told Oprah that for one producer she did not name, "I had to do a nude lineup. It was abusive."

Hmm. And yet she appears nude in films. By choice. Just as it was her choice to stand in the lineup.

Which leads to her new movie, "Red Sparrow." She is nekkid in it. A lot.

"'Do you know how long it takes to peel the skin from a human body?' a torture-happy Russian goon asks in 'Red Sparrow.' I imagine it feels about as long as sitting through this atrocious spy thriller, in which Jennifer Lawrence plays a prima ballerina who goes to whore school," Sara Stewart of the New York Post wrote.

"I’m not kidding. The film’s unquestionable high point is Lawrence’s character bellowing the accusing line in her Boris-and-Natasha accent: 'You sent me to whore school!'"

It is not a comedy.

Maybe she should spend a little more time reading scripts and less time plotting to throw an alcoholic beverage in the face of a teetotaler.

John Nolte at Breitbart called her box office poison.

"Jennifer Lawrence’s big-budget 'Red Sparrow' is underperforming big time at the box office. Already-modest predictions called for a $20 million opening. As of now, it looks like $17 million, which is a disaster for a product that, with promotion and advertising, cost in the neighborhood of $120 million," he wrote, and not without some pleasure.

"This is also another disaster for Lawrence, whose star has declined swiftly since she revealed herself to be an anti-Christian bigot and a divisive, mean-spirited, left-wing jerk.

"Her last big film, 'mother!,' opened on 2400 screens to just $7.5 million. Prior to that, even with Chris Pratt on the poster, 'Passengers' couldn’t open to $15 million. Hollywood should have taken notice of Lawrence’s career decline when her last two 'Hunger Games' sequels opened to much lower numbers than the previous two, which is the exact opposite of what happened with Harry Potter and 'Twilight.'"

Which brings us to the Trump Effect.

Once again, some birdbrain picked a fight with The Donald -- and wound up worse for the ordeal.

The best part is Trump does not do anything to them -- other than take up residency inside their heads.

They become so obsessed that they make bad decisions -- or in some cases, they have made bad choices that they want to paper over their mistakes by attacking Trump as a way of distracting attention.

My list is now up to 46.

1. Casey Affleck.

February 2017: "Casey Affleck Slams Trump Administration’s ‘Abhorrent’ Policies in Spirit Awards Speech."

November 2017: "Thousands Sign Petition To Keep Casey Affleck From Presenting At Oscars."

2. H. Brandt Ayers

2017: "Trump breaches moral line."

2018: "Anniston Star's ex-publisher spanked female employees in the 1970s, reports say."

3. Alec Baldwin.

2016: "Alec Baldwin totally nailed Trump on the 'SNL' premiere."

2017: "Alec Baldwin Admits He's 'Bullied Women,' Calls for a Change in Hollywood."

4. LaVar Ball.

November 2017: "LaVar Ball Is Feuding with Donald Trump Over His Son's Release From China."

December 2017: "LaVar Ball sends his sons to play in LITHUANIA after pulling them both out of school in the United States after UCLA-Trump row."

5. Maddie Bowman.

2017: "Olympic gold medal skier Maddie Bowman would turn down visit to the White House."

2018: "Team USA's Maddie Bowman Finishes 11th in Crushing Blow for Former Gold Medal Skier."

6. Hillary Clinton.

2016: "Clinton has 90 percent chance of winning."

2017: "Hillary, I love you. But please go away."

7. George Clooney.

2016: "Clooney's Vow: Trump Will Not Be President; See Trump's Response."

2017: "Clooney's 'Suburbicon' tanks, 'Saw' sequel No. 1 with $16.3M."

8. John Conyers.

2016: "Rep. John Conyers: Donald Trump Is the Next Richard Nixon."

2017: "Rep. John Conyers Jr. resigns over sexual harassment allegations."

9. David Corn.

2016: "MSNBC’s David Corn destroys Ann Coulter for defending Trump’s decision not to release tax returns."

2017: "David Corn investigated for inappropriate workplace behavior."

10. Bill Cosby.

2011: "During an appearance on the 'Today Show,' Bill Cosby slammed Donald Trump's political aspirations, telling him to 'run or shut up'."

2017: "Bill Cosby trying to take out $30M loan to pay mounting legal bills."

11. Lena Dunham.

2016: "Lena Dunham: I'll move to Canada if Trump is president."

2017: "Lena Dunham Apologizes for Defending Girls Writer Accused of Rape."

12. Eminem.

October 2017: "Eminem unleashes on Trump: The 11 fiercest lines."

November 2017: "Eminem is SKEWERED on social media after his bizarre performance on SNL."

Bonus: "Rapper Eminem ‘extremely angry’ that Trump didn’t respond to castigating freestyle rap."

13. Al Franken.

2016: "Al Franken Hilariously Mocks Donald Trump."

2017: "Al Franken to Resign From Senate Amid Harassment Allegations."

14. GQ.

2016: "If You Vote For Trump, Then Screw You."

2017: "Layoffs Hit GQ as Condé Nast Cuts Continue."

15. Kathy Griffin.

2016: "Kathy Griffin Thinks Comedy Should Go All Out on ‘President Piece of Shit’ Donald Trump."

2017: "CNN fires Kathy Griffin."

16. Alcee Hastings.

2016: "Democratic congressman calls Donald Trump 'pile of excrement'."

2017: "Taxpayers paid $220K to settle sexual harassment case involving Hastings."

17. Stephen Henderson.

2016: "Henderson: Vote for Trump was a consent, purposeful or not, to bigotry."

2017: "Free Press’ Stephen Henderson terminated for misconduct."

18. Megyn Kelly.

2016: "GOP Debate: Donald Trump's 'Spat' With Megyn Kelly Is Sexism."

2017: "Megyn Kelly drags down 'Today' ratings."

19. Garrison Keillor.

2016: “So, he won. The nation takes a deep breath. Raw ego and proud illiteracy have won out and a severely learning-disabled man with a real character problem will be president. We are so exhausted from thinking about this election, millions of people will take up leaf-raking and garage cleaning with intense pleasure. We liberal elitists are wrecks. The Trumpers had a whale of a good time, waving their signs, jeering at the media, beating up protesters, chanting ‘Lock her up’ — we elitists just stood and clapped. Nobody chanted ‘Stronger Together.’ It just doesn't chant.”

2017: "Minnesota Public Radio Fires Garrison Keillor Over Allegations of Improper Conduct."

20. Shia LaBeouf.

January 2017: "Shia LaBeouf arrested at his anti-Trump art installation."

April 2017: "Shia LaBeouf Thriller ‘Man Down’ Sells Just One Ticket at U.K. Box Office."

21. Jennifer Lawrence.

2017: "Jennifer Lawrence Would Like to Throw a Martini at President Donald Trump's Face."

2018: "Box Office Poison: Jennifer Lawrence’s ‘Red Sparrow’ Bottoms Out at $17 Million."

22. Ryan Lizza.

2016: "Trump Gets Ready to Be a Bad Loser."

2017: "New Yorker Fires Star Reporter Ryan Lizza Over 'Improper Sexual Conduct'."

23. Louis C.K.

2016: "Louis C.K. Compares Donald Trump to Hitler: ‘He’s an Insane Bigot’."

2017: "FX fires Louis C.K. after comic confirms sexual misconduct claims."

24. Macy's.

2015: "Macy's Drops Donald Trump's Fashion Line Over Immigrant Remarks."

2017: "Macy's Announces Store Closings for 2017."

25. Rose McGowan.

2016: "Rose McGowan Blasts Donald Trump, Murdochs, Networks in Open Letter: 'You Are Causing a Worldwide Sickness.'"

2017: "Rose McGowan arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance."

26. Alyssa Milano.

March 2017: "Alyssa Milano on Trump: 'Removing him will be up to' women."

June 2017: "Anti-Trumper Alyssa Milano is broke as a joke, didn’t pay taxes and stiffed her employees."

27. Ed Murray.

2016: Democratic "Seattle mayor decries Trump, says immigrants welcome."

2017: "Seattle Mayor Resigns After Multiple Sexual Abuse Allegations."

28. Rupert Myers.

January 2017: "British GQ writer: Could Obama ‘murder Trump and Pence’ then pardon himself?"

October 2017: "Male feminist writer fired by GQ Magazine after woman accuses him of sexual assault."

29. NFL.

September 2017: "After Trump Blasts N.F.L., Players Kneel and Lock Arms in Solidarity."

November 2017: "NFL TV Partners Set To Lose Up To $500 Million On Ratings Decline."

30. Barack Obama.

During the campaign, Trump tweeted, "President Obama will go down as perhaps the worst president in the history of the United States!"

Obama went on Jimmy Kimmel's show, read the tweet, and replied, "At least I'll go down as a president."

Fifteen days later, we elected Trump as Obama's successor.

31. Rosie O'Donnell.

1996: "Queen of Nice Can Rosie O'Donnell Clean Up Trash TV?"

2017: "Rosie O’Donnell Admits: ‘I Spend 90% Of My Hours Tweeting Hatred’ At Trump."

32. Playboy.

2016: "Hugh Hefner's son feels 'personal embarrassment' that Trump was on Playboy's cover."

2017: "Playboy considers closing down magazine to concentrate on nightclubs and casinos just months after death of founder Hugh Hefner."

33. Tony Podesta.

2010: "Tony Podesta, Superlobbyist."

2017: "Tony Podesta stepping down from lobbying giant amid Mueller probe."

34. Brett Ratner.

June 2017: "Brett Ratner Regrets Not Naming 'Tower Heist' After Trump."

November 2017: "Six women accuse filmmaker Brett Ratner of sexual harassment or misconduct."

35. Eric Schmidt.

January 2017: "Google's Eric Schmidt: Trump Administration Will Do Evil Things."

December 2017: "Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is stepping down as Alphabet’s executive chairman."

36. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

2016: "Arnold Schwarzenegger: ‘I Will Not Vote for the Republican Candidate for President.’"

2017: "He won't be back: Schwarzenegger's Terminator franchise terminated."

2017: "Arnold Schwarzenegger's Legend of Conan Isn't Happening."

2017: "Donald Trump Says Arnold Schwarzenegger Fired From ‘Celebrity Apprentice.’"

37. Andy Signore.

June 2017: "I am so damn sick of bully @realDonaldTrump taking words out of context to act out his agenda of fear, corruption & bigotry. #NotMyPresident."

October 2017: "‘Honest Trailers’ Creator Andy Signore Fired for ‘Egregious and Intolerable’ Sexual Behavior."

38. John Skipper.

October 2017: "Report: ESPN’s John Skipper Attacks President Trump, Fox News, and Clay Travis, in Private Employee Meeting."

December 2017: "John Skipper's resignation caps a tumultuous year at ESPN."

39. Tavis Smiley.

2016: "Tavis Smiley: BFOTs (Black Friends of Trump) Are Normalizing Racism."

2017: "PBS Suspends Tavis Smiley For Allegedly Forcing Women and Men to Have Sex With Him to Keep Their Jobs."

40. Kevin Spacey.

2016: "Kevin Spacey mocks Donald Trump and calls him a 'disease' at Cannes."

2017: "Actor Anthony Rapp: Kevin Spacey Made A Sexual Advance Toward Me When I Was 14."

41. Alwaleed Bin Talal.

2016: "Billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Trolls Trump: ‘I Bailed You Out Twice’."

2017: "Billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal arrested in corruption crackdown."

42. George Takei.

2016: "George Takei: Trump's Muslim registry is 'prelude to internment'."

2017: "George Takei’s Facebook empire strains under sexual harassment allegations."

43. Teen Vogue.

2016: "Donald Trump Is Gaslighting America."

2017: "Teen Vogue is going to cease printing."

44. Lindsey Vonn.

2017: "Lindsey Vonn says she doesn't want to represent Donald Trump at Olympics."

2018: "Lindsey Vonn Loses Super-G Medal in Last-Second Mistake."

45. Harvey Weinstein.

2016: "Harvey Weinstein says Trump 'appeals to the worst in us'."

2017: "Harvey Weinstein Is Fired After Sexual Harassment Reports."

46. Brian Williams.

2012: "Donald Trump has driven well past the last exit to relevance and veered into something closer to irresponsible."

2015: "Brian Williams Demoted to MSNBC Breaking News Anchor."

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From Leslie Eastman's review at Legal Insurrection:

Surber, a recovering journalist with over 30 years of experience, has been cataloging the #FakeNews that has been regularly offered as serious analysis of President Donald Trump’s actions, policies, and opinions. He has brought his enormous collection together in the longest, most serious book he has yet written: Fake News Follies 2017.

"Fake News Follies of 2017" is available on Kindle and in paperback.

Autographed copies are available. Email me at DonSurber@GMail.com for details. I am including a "director's cut." I'll email you back the original Chapter 1 that I cut because while the chapter was amusing, it really had nothing to do with the "Fake News Follies of 2017."

Ben Garrison did the cover and I am so happy with it. I told him what the book was about, sent him a copy of the manuscript, and he came up with a perfect cover. I am so pleased.