James Hirsen
Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2002

Have you heard about the new American pastime – asking for an apology? Everyone's doing it, especially liberals. Well, now there's a feud going on and it has to do with requests for apologies.

You may recall that the Rev. Jesse Jackson asked the makers of the mega-hit comedy "Barbershop" to apologize for jokes about black leaders. A group of Los Angeles barbers from the National Association of Cosmetologists has asked Jackson to apologize for his criticism of the film.

The CEO of the association, James Stern, told Reuters that he screened the film for over 100 African-American barbers, and they had zero problems with the movie. Stern had a strong message for Jackson. He asserted that members of his group have lost business due to Jackson's comments. If Jesse decides not to apologize, the group plans to sue him for defamation of character.

[Editor's note: The National Association of Cosmetologists filed the lawsuit on Monday, Oct. 28.]

"Reverend Jackson did not consider the future of black filmmakers. We, as blacks, have to let the movie studios know that when he is wrong, we're willing to speak out for ourselves," Stern said.

The Left Coast Report hopes that more blacks see the conservative movement as the place where they are welcomed with open arms and where ideas rather than skin color matter most.

As for Jackson, here's a bit of advice: Next time you're in the barber's chair, you might think about skipping the shave.

Sarandon Shoots Mouth Off at Anti-war Gathering

It looked just like the 1960s.

The setting was an anti-war protest. The handheld signs illustrated the level of intelligence present, with phrases like "Bush Sucks." The mob of America-haters waited intently for chief foreign policy expert Susan Sarandon to begin her speech.

The words flowed freely out of the left side of the actress's mouth. Sarandon condemned Bush for having "hijacked our losses and our fears." She told the adoring crowd that terrorism could not be fought with violence.

As the crowd yelled in approval, Sarandon proclaimed, "Let us hate war in all its forms, whether the weapon used is a missile or an airplane." Demonstrators chanted in lilting lockstep: "George Bush, you can't hide. We charge you with genocide."

The Left Coast Report wonders how these 21st century hippies are going to handle things when a red alert disrupts their next peace parade.

Celebrity Tax Cheats

According to the Los Angeles Times, the IRS has revealed its list of offshore tax cheats, and it includes actors, doctors, lawyers, accountants and high-end business people.

IRS commissioners say the public would recognize the names. The offshore tax cheats are high-profile individuals. However, the IRS cannot disclose the names of the taxpayers, who are currently under investigation but not indicted, according to federal law.

Estimates show taxpayers are underpaying their taxes by at least $70 billion per year. The IRS hunt for offshore tax cheats now includes forcing California companies, such as Walt Disney, Hughes Electronic, the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills and an international diving firm, to turn over transaction records from clients who maintain credit cards issued by banks in tax-haven countries.

IRS officials note credit cards are the primary means for taxpayers to have direct access to offshore funds. By giving subpoenas over the last two years, the IRS hopes to connect charges with names and create a trail to implement a civil and criminal prosecution.

The Left Coast Report suspects that some of the people who are holding fortunes offshore are Hollywood liberals who love to stick their left hands in our wallets. Limousine liberals have been known to bring their close comrade, hypocrisy, along for the ride.

Winona's Fate's in the Hands of LaLa Land Jury

Our system of justice requires a jury of our peers. That doesn't necessarily mean a jury from the same industry.

Of course, jury selection is critical to the outcome of a case. O.J. Simpson knows all about that. Potential jurors generally fill out forms and answer questions so that lawyers can determine whether they'll follow the dictates of justice. Or in this case, celebrity justice.

Defense attorney Mark Geragos (of Susan McDougal infamy) asked the prospective jurors in the Ryder case whether the fact that Winona is "pretty and rich" would be held against her. Surprise, surprise – no one answered affirmatively.

After rejecting as jurors a casting director who said she was considering Ryder for a role in a movie, a man whose wife works at Disney and an employee of MGM, the lawyers and judge accepted a legal secretary from Sony Studios, a man who's involved in TV program development and Hollywood legend Peter Guber.

Guber was chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment for five years. During his time at the helm, Sony released the movie "Dracula," which starred Winona Ryder. Guber resigned from Sony in 1994 to become an independent producer.

When asked if previous business with Ryder would affect his ability to be a juror, Guber said, "No, I believe I would be fair and impartial."

He was also asked, "Mr. Guber, you're not afraid of working in this town again if you get on this case, are you?"

There was laughter in the courtroom as Guber answered, "No." He was kept on the jury.

The jurors did find out that this trial has some stringent regulations. No one is allowed to shop at Saks Fifth Avenue until the trial is over. It seems almost too much to bear.

The Left Coast Report notes that the pretty and rich Winona could get up to three years in prison if she were to be convicted. But she'll probably only get probation – and a strict order to avoid accepting roles in Adam Sandler films for a year.

Spacey Odyssey

Why do the folks in Hollywood favor Democrats over Republicans? CNN's Lou Dobbs recently posed that question to actor Kevin Spacey.

Spacey demonstrated how celebrities classify political figures.

"You know, I think that there may be merit to the idea that the Democrats have a particular way of governing … that they look at the world and believe that they can truly help people, and they govern through evidence. That the Republicans, in some ways, govern through ideology and power," Spacey explained. "So I think maybe some of the people in this industry might look to that as being closer to their own hearts."

The Left Coast Report reminds the readers that this is guy who just finished a trip with bashful Bubba. How many times a night do you suppose Clinton told Spacey he'd gotten a sudden urge to "truly help people"?

Mr. Smith Goes to CBS

Morning television personalities aren't exactly known for their willingness to share the spotlight. Apparently, CBS thinks otherwise.

The Associated Press reports that "The Early Show" has decided to use a variation of the "The View" format and have four equal hosts. Each will take turns delivering news headlines. Different combinations of players will participate in interviews and feature segments. There will be no national weather forecaster.

So starting right now, "A&E Biography" host Harry Smith, Hannah Storm, Julie Chen and Rene Syler will share and share alike on CBS.

The good news is we won't have to endure Harry Smith as lead host. The bad news is that we'll still have to endure Harry Smith, round robin-style.

A little bit of background on Smith is in order. The bespectacled liberal hosted the forerunner of "The Early Show," "CBS This Morning," until 1996. The Media Research Center has put together some of Smith's wit and wisdom.

February 1990: "Doing away with totalitarianism and adding a dash of democracy seems an unlikely cure for all that ails the Soviet Union."

March 1990: "America turns thousands of innocent black children into castoffs. It's one of the accomplishments of America's system of apartheid."

September 1993: "We have seen in the past, during the Reagan-Bush administration days, when huge [budget] slashes went through, when entire programs were dismantled, and what ends up being left sometimes in its wake is the sort of vacuum and chaos and even more problems than were there to begin with."

September 1994: "The real deal here, if we're talking about Reaganomics, which this seems to be harkening back to, [is] tax cuts for the rich and everything else. ... You're talking back to the days when budget deficits ran out of control."

One gets the feeling that CBS's morning program may end up being called "A.M. with the DNC."

The Left Coast Report says looks like CBS has decided to go with three women and Harry Smith – basically, just like "The View," it's hosted by four women.

Booby Trap

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals may be investigating the strange case of Courtney Love's defunct dog.

The New York Post reports that what precipitated the dog's departure was a synthetic souvenir.

It seems that some years ago, when Love had her breast implants removed, she retained them as keepsakes. But the tragedy was yet to unfold.

One day Love's famished Pomeranian devoured one of the mementos. The pooch shortly thereafter left this world.

Love's representative disagrees, in part, with this version of the story, saying, "They weren't her implants, they were bootleg implants from Mexico. The dog ate one and died."

The Left Coast Report notes that this is the most original "my dog ate it" story ever. Okay, so Love expects us to believe that the dog died because it ate one of her souvenirs. And Love's rep wants us to believe the souvenirs weren't hers. What do they think we are – a bunch of boobs?

The Left Coast Report is put together by James L. Hirsen and the staff of NewsMax.

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