Democratic Hollywood Considers Lieberman

Aug. 8, 2000 -- Sen. Joseph Lieberman is coming to L.A., where he’ll become the Democrats’ vice-presidential candidate. But no one will be calling him “Hollywood Joe,” unless they mean it ironically.

Lieberman has regularly blasted TV, film and recording executives for too much sexual and violent content, teaming up with conservative Republican William Bennett to give out “Silver Sewer” awards to whichever network they deem the year’s “chief cultural polluter.”

With the Democratic Convention in Los Angeles only days away, DreamWorks bigwig David Geffen and movie mogul Lew Wasserman are preparing their Beverly Hills mansions to host major fund-raisers. But will Hollywood continue its ardent support with the vice-presidential candidate blasting what he has called “Trash TV?”

Presidential hopeful Al Gore must already answer for his wife Tipper, who earned ire for leading the fight to put “explicit language” warning on CDs.

“There is justifiably a great degree of apprehension given the fact that Lieberman has tended to align himself with the culture warriors of the right and left,” says Peter Bart, editor in chief of Daily Variety.

“I think that though people in the entertainment business are cautious about prejudging him, his record is clear.”

Political Schmoozing

Up to this point, Gore has been following in President Clinton’s footsteps in courting Hollywood. The Center for Responsive Politics, a watchdog group, says the entertainment industry has contributed more than $15.5 million to federal campaigns in the 1999-2000 election cycle, and Democrats have taken in more than twice as much as Republicans.

Heavy Gore contributors include Harrison Ford, Robert DeNiro, Nicolas Cage and Kevin Costner.

But Lieberman has never wooed celebrities. Instead, the Connecticut senator has earned a reputation by taking them on.

Last year, Lieberman and Sen. Sam Brownback , R-Kan., made a dramatic “Appeal to Hollywood,” urging executives — including Walt Disney Chairman Michael Eisner, Time Warner CEO Gerald Levin and News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch — to change the “toxic culture of violence and vulgarity surrounding our children.” (Disney is the parent company of ABCNEWS.com.)

In awarding the “Silver Sewer” award to Murdoch’s Fox TV, Lieberman and Bennett singled out several network shows, including the family drama Get Real as well as the sitcoms Manchester Prep and Malcolm in the Middle.

“The network has not yet worked its way up to a naked live execution, but viewers will see plenty of crass displays of nudity, much of it in the traditional family hour, along with plenty of obscenities and vulgarities,” Lieberman said at the time.

Rocking the Shock Rocker

When it comes to taking on the likes of shock rocker Marilyn Manson and potty-mouthed hip-hop artists, Lieberman speaks in far stronger terms. In 1996, he condemned a long list of artists who he said “promote rape, murder, racism, drug abuse, and violence against women or children.”

It is easy to find offense in the ghoulish Manson, whose 1996 LP is titled Antichrist Superstar . But Lieberman’s involvement with the Bennett-led conservative group “Empower America” is potentially troubling to mainstream Hollywood.

In a 1996 letter, Empower America listed such popular groups as The Black Crowes and Blues Traveler among musicians it says promote drugs. It urged recording industry leaders to “stop the promotion and legitimization of drug use in the music it markets.”

Lieberman maintained he was not advocating censorship or government regulation, but restraint. “It is possible to draw minimum lines of decency … without sacrificing artistic integrity,” he said.

“Lieberman has not attacked Hollywood,” said the senator’s spokesman, Dan Gerstein. “He has raised concerns about the impact of some of the sex and violence that some of the entertainment companies have produced and has asked their help to limit the negative impact on our country, especially our children.

“It’s more an effort to balance First Amendment rights with individual corporate responsibilities,” Gerstein added.

“The bottom line is, when it comes to this issue or any other issue he’s going to be supporting [Gore’s] agenda 100 percent.”

Hollywood Treads Softly

Tinseltown might have preferred it if Gore had chosen someone else. But now, with the Democrats coming to Los Angels for their convention, many are willing to mend fences.

Among Lieberman’s critics last year were Jack Valenti, the president of the Motion Picture Association of America, who said Monday that he had a “mixed reaction” to Lieberman’s nomination.

“Joe and I do not see eye to eye on his attacks on movie industry,” said Valenti. “On the other hand, he’s a wonderful friend of mine … he’s one of the most impeccably honest men with an unquenchable integrity.”

A Running Mate and A Soul Mate

If Gore is to keep his strong support from the entertainment industry, his running mate might learn a bit from his soul mate.

Tipper Gore came to national prominence in 1985 for helping to launch Parents Music Resource Center, a group that crusaded to put warning labels on raunchy rock albums. She said she got involved after listening to one of her daughter’s Prince albums.

Frank Zappa soon denounced her as a “cultural terrorist” and dismissed the labeling project as “the equivalent of treating dandruff by decapitation.” Even mild-mannered John Denver protested.

But now, 15 years later, such warning labels are common and Mrs. Gore is frequently seen socializing with show business elite. “The generations change,” she told Reuters news service, “and people who might have had a different opinion understand it now, actually appreciate it and actually use it.”

And if it can be construed as any sort of vindication, Frank Zappa’s widow is one of the California delegates who will cast votes next week for the next Democratic presidential nominee. Not bad for an unlikely happing ending, even in Tinseltown.

ABCNEWS Radio’s Al Mancini, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.