Rebel News Podcast - August 24, 2018


Terrorist Omar Khadr visits Parliament Hill — and if you don't like that, you're a bigot


Episode Stats

Length

27 minutes

Words per Minute

159.49176

Word Count

4,431

Sentence Count

205

Misogynist Sentences

7

Hate Speech Sentences

8


Summary

A convicted terrorist visits Parliament Hill, and if you ve got a problem with that, then the media is going to call you a racist Islamophobe? It s August 23rd, and this is the Ezra Levin Show.


Transcript

00:00:00.000 Tonight, a convicted terrorist visited Parliament Hill, and if you've got a problem with that,
00:00:05.600 then the media is going to call you a racist Islamophobe.
00:00:09.540 It's August 23rd, I'm David Menzies, and this is the Ezra Levin Show.
00:00:19.500 Why should others go to jail when you're a biggest carbon consumer I know?
00:00:23.320 There's 8,500 customers here, and you won't give them an answer.
00:00:26.900 You come here once a year with a sign, and you feel morally superior.
00:00:30.380 The only thing I have to say to the government about why I publish it is because it's my bloody right to do so.
00:00:41.120 Convicted terrorist Omar Khadr just can't stay out of the news, it would seem.
00:00:46.040 How odd you'd think our multi-millionaire ex-jihadi would take that public apology and that eight-figure check
00:00:53.240 and lay low somewhere, perhaps in a regime that shares his value set, such as, oh, I don't know, Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan.
00:01:02.520 But earlier this week, news emerged regarding a little field trip Omar took in late June,
00:01:09.120 specifically to Ottawa and, more specifically, to the Parliament buildings.
00:01:14.780 Now, how does that grab you?
00:01:16.180 Especially given that the last time an Islamist jihadi went to the Parliament buildings,
00:01:21.980 it resulted in the brutal murder of Nathan Cirillo.
00:01:26.060 Now, I hate to be a worrywart here, but where the hell was security?
00:01:30.500 In any event, what attracted Omar to Ottawa was that his BBF, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,
00:01:37.900 was hosting a celebration marking that magnificent Canadian holiday known as Eid al-Fatir.
00:01:44.720 This allotting of this Islamic holiday was taking place within the Sir John A. Macdonald Building,
00:01:51.980 which, incredibly, given the political revisionist climate of 2018,
00:01:57.380 is still called the Sir John A. Macdonald Building.
00:02:01.320 But Omar makes for a fairly recognizable figure,
00:02:05.080 given that his picture has been in the paper on more than one occasion.
00:02:09.640 Being a convicted terrorist tends to bring about that sort of publicity, alas.
00:02:14.720 Yet, here's where the story gets really interesting.
00:02:18.900 Prime Minister Trudeau, who it should be noted is nicknamed a jihadi Justin in certain circles,
00:02:25.020 well, even he realized it would be somewhat toxic to be seen hobnobbing with Canada's most famous jihadi,
00:02:33.440 especially with an election just a year away.
00:02:36.020 So, apparently, Justin's people went running to their friends in the media party to put a spin on the Qatar visit.
00:02:45.100 And so it was that earlier this week, a remarkable story appeared in the Globe and Mail,
00:02:50.580 headlined, quote,
00:02:52.440 Liberals took steps to block Omar Khadr from celebration near Parliament Hill, end quote.
00:02:59.580 Wow, how the tide has turned, eh?
00:03:03.440 I mean, after all, it was only just last summer in which these same Liberals were giving Omar a groveling public apology and cash for life.
00:03:12.740 And now, suddenly, this fellow is persona non grata, even at an Islamic event, no less?
00:03:19.580 How do you like them halal apples?
00:03:21.620 Good thing the PR people at the Globe could spin this for the Liberals to make them look squeaky clean,
00:03:29.260 while making the Conservatives look like, yep, fear-mongers and bigots.
00:03:35.420 For starters, here's the story's lead paragraph.
00:03:38.920 Quote,
00:03:39.940 The Liberal government took steps to bar Omar Khadr from attending a celebration near Parliament Hill in late June,
00:03:47.060 where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was the keynote speaker,
00:03:50.960 even though Mr. Khadr was not on the guest list for the invitation-only event, end quote.
00:03:58.220 You see, Omar was merely a wannabe party crasher, according to the unnamed sources the Globe spoke to.
00:04:05.820 Oh, and by the way, whatever happened to the Globe's policy of not quoting unnamed sources?
00:04:11.020 I guess there's a different set of journalistic ethics in place when Canada's national newspaper is doing damage control for the Prime Minister.
00:04:20.140 Now, the story then goes on to note that the government alerted Parliamentary security
00:04:25.580 to make sure that Omar and his wife did not make it into the event.
00:04:30.720 As well, the Prime Minister's office said Omar did not meet with the Prime Minister or any Liberal Cabinet ministers.
00:04:37.540 Now, I will point out here that, as always, the devil is in the details.
00:04:41.040 While this statement notes the PM and Cabinet ministers did not meet Omar,
00:04:47.020 it doesn't say whether or not Omar met any backbench Liberal MPs, and, you know, I guess we'll never know.
00:04:54.180 Now, here's where things get even more interesting.
00:04:58.020 Omar's presence on Parliament Hill that day prompted Conservative Senator Leo Husokas
00:05:03.900 to demand answers from security officials.
00:05:07.920 Husokas justifiably wanted to know how a convicted terrorist was able to get onto Parliament Hill in the first place,
00:05:15.820 said he,
00:05:16.440 How could this happen? Why is security so lax on the Hill?
00:05:22.180 How could an individual like that not be on a barred list?
00:05:26.700 If he is allowed to come on Parliament Hill, I assume just about anybody can, end quote.
00:05:32.240 And, well, you can kind of guess what happens next, folks.
00:05:36.520 The Globe, with the Husakos, quote, in hand, decides it's time to demonize Conservatives.
00:05:43.440 For here's what Alex Neve of Amnesty International said, quote,
00:05:47.820 The constant exaggeration that Qatar poses some sort of dire security threat
00:05:53.240 is overstated and, frankly, largely politicized, and it is time to bring it to an end, end quote.
00:06:00.940 Neve said Canadian politicians have to stop demonizing Omar
00:06:05.880 since the evidence shows he's just trying to live a normal and peaceful life
00:06:11.000 since his release from prison.
00:06:13.220 Yeah, come on, everybody.
00:06:14.880 All that murdering and maiming, oh, that's behind little Omar now.
00:06:18.660 He's a retired jihadi, don't you know?
00:06:21.340 Just hoping to settle down as he shops for a mansion and a Ferrari paid for by him.
00:06:26.500 Yeah, you, the Canadian taxpayer.
00:06:28.500 Oh, but the Globe wasn't quite done yet with their spin cycle.
00:06:32.820 They sought comment from Omar's longtime lawyer, Dennis Edney.
00:06:37.560 And par for the course, Edney accused the Conservatives of singling out Omar because of his religion.
00:06:45.320 Quote,
00:06:45.720 Yep, there you have it, folks.
00:07:11.400 So moving forward, let it be said, Omar Khadr is just a regular run-of-the-mill Canadian kid,
00:07:18.380 albeit one with copious quantities of blood on his hands.
00:07:22.680 But surely the time has come to forgive and forget.
00:07:26.560 And if you aren't into forgiveness and forgetfulness,
00:07:30.280 and you take issue with the likes of an Omar Khadr walking the hallways of our federal government,
00:07:35.980 then you're obviously a bigot and a racist and an Islamophobe.
00:07:42.300 So please, kindly alter your behavior accordingly.
00:07:45.960 Well, Sheila Gunn-Reed is off to cover the Conservative Party of Canada convention in Halifax
00:08:08.700 slated for this weekend.
00:08:09.860 But the question arises, will she actually be allowed in,
00:08:14.200 or will she be deemed persona non grata for reasons that, well, remain evasive, to say the least?
00:08:20.940 Joining me now from Halifax to explain this bizarre scenario
00:08:24.760 is indeed the host of The Gunn Show, Sheila Gunn-Reed.
00:08:28.180 Welcome to the Ezra Levent Show, Sheila.
00:08:31.020 Hey, David. Thanks for having me on.
00:08:33.100 Always a pleasure, my friend.
00:08:34.240 Okay, so earlier this month, Sheila, the rebel exceeded more than 1 million YouTube subscribers.
00:08:41.340 I would presume that most of the subscribers are pro-Conservative Party.
00:08:46.500 And yet, Andrew Scheer doesn't want us to cover the party's annual convention,
00:08:51.280 yet he has plenty of time for the likes of the CBC.
00:08:55.340 Explain, please.
00:08:57.660 You know, David, could you really be,
00:08:59.420 could you imagine being so scared of the likes of Rosie Barton and Wendy Mesley
00:09:07.080 that you would exclude the most pro-Conservative,
00:09:12.920 pro-small government, pro-grassroots network in the entire country
00:09:19.900 from coming to your convention to tell the Conservative side of the story?
00:09:24.840 You know, when you say it out loud, it sounds too crazy to be real,
00:09:29.520 but that is the reality of the rebel on the ground here in Halifax.
00:09:33.060 They are not letting us in,
00:09:34.740 but that doesn't mean that we haven't had a warm reception outside.
00:09:38.540 People are very happy to see us here, they're happy to talk to us,
00:09:41.580 and they're glad that we came.
00:09:43.560 Now, Sheila, so you've already tried to get into the convention, is that correct?
00:09:47.240 I'm waiting until the big boss gets on the ground here
00:09:52.380 before we really try to breach the gates.
00:09:56.920 But we're doing our work here from the outside,
00:09:59.780 and, you know, like when the UN tried to ban me,
00:10:02.540 I did a lot of, I think, really strong journalism from outside
00:10:08.040 because there's always a story to tell.
00:10:10.940 Yeah, you know, it's funny.
00:10:13.280 I think this actually makes this into a bigger story
00:10:18.340 than what would have happened if they would have allowed you in.
00:10:21.640 Yeah, maybe there'd be a couple of cranks saying,
00:10:23.820 oh, look, you know, they let the rebel in,
00:10:25.460 but it would have died down.
00:10:26.800 Now this is an ongoing narrative in the 24-hour news cycle,
00:10:31.140 and I'll tell you, Sheila,
00:10:32.640 I think some of the best reporting you've ever done for Rebel
00:10:35.260 was when the UN wouldn't let you into that European conference
00:10:40.260 you tried to cover
00:10:41.160 because you discovered so much hypocrisy outside of the conference,
00:10:45.600 which, let's face it, was a complete snooze fest, right?
00:10:49.820 You know, I'm almost glad the UN banned me
00:10:53.500 because I wouldn't want to sit through all the scoldings
00:10:56.040 and the lecturing and the lectures from people
00:11:00.880 who want me to use less water while they're watering the ground
00:11:06.260 to keep the dust off everybody's shoes.
00:11:09.000 And the same thing is happening here.
00:11:10.520 We're hearing from people who, you know, who are conservatives.
00:11:15.040 They paid the money to come here,
00:11:16.620 and they wanted us to be inside because we speak for them.
00:11:21.100 Now, Andrew Scheer, he may have wanted us to be as compliant with him
00:11:30.760 as the CBC is with Trudeau,
00:11:33.220 but unlike the CBC, we are journalistically independent.
00:11:36.120 We don't answer to any politician.
00:11:38.580 We are accountable to our donors and our grassroots viewers
00:11:41.680 and every single one of those million subscribers on YouTube.
00:11:46.020 That's two million eyeballs that Andrew Scheer could be talking to,
00:11:50.260 and he's just deciding that those aren't the people he wants to appeal to.
00:11:54.040 It is just incredible.
00:11:55.820 And, you know, Sheila, given what happened just earlier today
00:11:59.920 with that bombshell of a news conference that Maxine Bernier delivered,
00:12:04.840 you would think Mr. Scheer wants as few distractions as possible,
00:12:11.140 but this is turning into a real fiasco.
00:12:13.740 By the way, what do you make of Mr. Bernier's announcement, Sheila?
00:12:18.080 You know, I understand every single point that Maxine Bernier made.
00:12:24.860 I absolutely do.
00:12:26.040 I agree with him on this issue of multiculturalism.
00:12:29.560 I agree with him wholeheartedly on supply management.
00:12:32.760 I agree with him that after he goes out on these issues
00:12:36.200 and gets a sense for the grassroots,
00:12:39.420 this CPC, the Conservative Party, comes in
00:12:41.840 and sort of scoops up all the support that he has tested the waters on.
00:12:46.540 I agree with him on everything.
00:12:48.500 I even agree with him when he says the party has become morally corrupt
00:12:52.700 and not a place that actually promotes conservative values all the time.
00:12:57.020 I agree with him 100%.
00:12:58.820 But being an Alberta Conservative who has spent the last decade, to be honest,
00:13:04.820 wandering in the wilderness,
00:13:06.980 I don't think what he's doing is the right thing.
00:13:10.260 I don't think leaving the party is the right thing.
00:13:12.940 For example, if I worked in government, I would go in every single day
00:13:16.800 trying to find a way to burn it all to the ground.
00:13:19.520 And I think that's the approach that Maxine Bernier should have taken
00:13:23.160 is to work from the inside,
00:13:24.840 because he does have the support of 50% of the grassroots.
00:13:29.900 He should have stayed within the party
00:13:31.520 and made a difference for all of us from inside.
00:13:35.180 But instead, he's really handing the next election over to Justin Trudeau.
00:13:40.820 And to be honest, Andrew Scheer's mishandling of this
00:13:46.140 is probably going to spell the end of Andrew Scheer,
00:13:49.040 because when Andrew Scheer loses the next election,
00:13:52.520 he's going to be out on his butt, too,
00:13:55.340 when the party unceremoniously decides to replace him with somebody better
00:14:02.400 and probably someone bolder, just like we saw in Ontario with Doug Ford.
00:14:07.100 You know what, Sheila?
00:14:08.420 I couldn't agree with your analysis anymore.
00:14:11.940 I think you've really nailed it, unfortunately.
00:14:14.960 I mean, even before Bernier's news conference of earlier today,
00:14:18.560 you know, when you look at how Trudeau has just fumbled the ball
00:14:24.940 on just about every file imaginable,
00:14:28.580 Scheer and the Conservative Party should be ahead
00:14:31.080 by at least 10 points in the polls, and they're not.
00:14:35.260 And now you have this, you know,
00:14:38.120 which can only, I see, dividing the party.
00:14:41.360 I think the Trudeau Liberals are going to win this election
00:14:44.500 by default, if anything.
00:14:45.800 Yeah, it really was.
00:14:48.280 It was becoming Andrew Scheer's next election to lose.
00:14:53.320 I know that normally in Canada,
00:14:54.980 we have two back-to-back governments,
00:14:59.380 the same government, and then we sort of switch.
00:15:01.640 But because of the problems with immigration
00:15:04.760 and the problems with debt
00:15:06.320 and this divisive identity politics that Trudeau plays,
00:15:12.520 there's really been a backlash lately,
00:15:15.780 and the Conservatives should be, for all intents and purposes,
00:15:19.500 10 or 20 points ahead.
00:15:21.300 But they really can't get their act together,
00:15:23.480 and Scheer is coming off as petty,
00:15:25.480 both in his treatment of us and of Maxime Bernier.
00:15:28.900 And Maxime Bernier is coming off as divisive now
00:15:33.620 when he last week was talking about uniting the country.
00:15:37.460 It's just a mess.
00:15:39.780 Absolutely, Sheila.
00:15:40.840 And tell me, we, for whatever inexplicable reason,
00:15:44.840 are persona non grata, according to Scheer,
00:15:47.700 at this convention.
00:15:48.660 But you mentioned earlier,
00:15:50.320 you've been speaking to a lot of grassroots people,
00:15:53.480 rebel fans.
00:15:54.240 What are they saying about Bernier's announcement
00:15:58.020 and Scheer's handling of this file right now?
00:16:01.380 You know, I was speaking to a gentleman
00:16:03.900 who is opposed to supply management.
00:16:06.380 He said maybe a new party needs to come of this.
00:16:09.560 I was speaking to some other members,
00:16:11.340 and they said that this just speaks to
00:16:14.620 Andrew Scheer's lack of leadership guilt
00:16:17.740 because it has been his job in the last 15 months
00:16:21.040 to unite the party,
00:16:22.620 and the party has never been more divided.
00:16:25.000 In fact, Stephen Harper's coalition
00:16:27.520 that he built between red Tories and reformers,
00:16:32.060 SOCONs, and more socially liberal conservatives,
00:16:35.760 that's all dissolving,
00:16:37.000 and it has dissolved in the span of two weeks.
00:16:40.580 And, you know, this should have been
00:16:42.880 the convention to bring everybody back together,
00:16:45.860 and they couldn't be more divided.
00:16:47.800 And Sheila, a little crystal ball gazing,
00:16:50.900 is there any way to fix this?
00:16:52.900 Is there any kind of, I don't know,
00:16:55.700 backroom, in-private diplomacy
00:16:58.300 where, you know, Humpty Dumpty
00:17:00.380 can be put back together again, if you will?
00:17:03.740 You know, as far as I understand,
00:17:07.080 although the news is very, very new,
00:17:09.660 Maxime Bernier has not left
00:17:11.740 to start his own party.
00:17:13.340 He's left caucus,
00:17:15.180 which means that there could be a way back.
00:17:17.400 But is Scheer willing to be the bigger man?
00:17:20.760 Is he willing to appeal to those things
00:17:22.840 about Maxime Bernier
00:17:24.740 that appeal to half the party?
00:17:27.160 Is he willing to use Maxime Bernier's skills?
00:17:30.200 I'm not sure.
00:17:31.400 And has Maxime Bernier now gone and burned that bridge?
00:17:35.180 It's, I suppose we're going to know on Saturday,
00:17:39.680 but right now it feels like
00:17:42.600 conservatives are in for a rough road
00:17:45.680 for the next five years
00:17:48.180 instead of the next one year.
00:17:50.480 I agree, Sheila.
00:17:51.720 And it didn't have to be this way.
00:17:53.460 And it's so sad.
00:17:54.720 Listen, we have to wrap it here.
00:17:56.260 Sheila, good luck trying to get in.
00:17:57.980 Whatever you do,
00:17:58.740 please don't get arrested for trespassing.
00:18:01.840 We don't want to get a criminal record out of this.
00:18:04.480 And thank you so much for going.
00:18:06.460 Thanks so much for going to Halifax to cover this.
00:18:10.960 It's going to be a fascinating conference,
00:18:14.560 needless to say.
00:18:17.520 Thanks, David.
00:18:18.880 Okay, then.
00:18:19.600 And that was Sheila Gunn-Reed
00:18:20.700 reporting from Halifax, folks.
00:18:22.460 Keep it here.
00:18:23.320 More to come after this.
00:18:24.640 For those of you who say
00:18:37.700 they just don't make action-adventure movies
00:18:40.360 like they used to
00:18:41.380 thanks to political correctness,
00:18:43.160 well, you probably haven't seen
00:18:44.840 the surprise hit of the summer,
00:18:47.320 The Meg.
00:18:48.420 For here's a movie that features,
00:18:50.160 wait for it, folks,
00:18:50.960 a masculine He-Man hero
00:18:53.180 actually saving women and children.
00:18:56.320 Wow, makes you kind of wonder
00:18:57.960 how this flick ever saw the light of day
00:18:59.880 in the first place.
00:19:01.260 Joining me now about this retro action yarn
00:19:04.120 is our Hollywood-based rebel, Ben Davies.
00:19:06.600 Welcome to the Ezra Levent Show, Ben.
00:19:09.040 Oh, it's so good to be here.
00:19:10.480 I feel at peace.
00:19:12.140 Now, Ben, full disclosure,
00:19:14.100 I haven't seen The Meg yet,
00:19:16.220 so I don't know if this giant shark movie
00:19:19.160 shares most of its cinematic DNA
00:19:21.440 with the classic Jaws
00:19:22.960 or the cheesy Sharknado,
00:19:25.220 but what is striking,
00:19:27.160 at least according to your review,
00:19:28.420 is that this movie
00:19:30.000 might be the most politically incorrect film
00:19:32.900 of the summer, right?
00:19:34.880 Yeah, it was fascinating.
00:19:36.320 You found these tropes
00:19:37.320 that you remember
00:19:37.900 from these 80s action movies
00:19:39.500 and just this insane stuff
00:19:41.080 and the classic manhood
00:19:42.280 call-to-action moments.
00:19:43.820 I'm like,
00:19:44.000 I haven't seen this in years.
00:19:45.760 And then you see women
00:19:46.960 fawning over the lead guy
00:19:48.460 because Jason Statham
00:19:49.420 is ripped in this movie
00:19:50.540 and they have him with his shirt off
00:19:51.780 and the women are like,
00:19:52.560 oh my gosh, he's so cute.
00:19:53.900 I'm like, what is this?
00:19:54.800 And then you realize
00:19:55.600 this is for the international market.
00:19:57.460 This is for the people
00:19:58.680 all around the world
00:19:59.300 that don't care about
00:20:00.040 the ridiculous politics
00:20:01.240 going on right now
00:20:02.060 in the United States
00:20:03.340 where men can be men
00:20:04.760 and women can admire men
00:20:05.900 and we can want these action heroes
00:20:07.220 back the way they were.
00:20:08.760 And that's why it was so different
00:20:10.720 because it was specifically made
00:20:11.800 for the international market
00:20:12.860 and it was mind-blowing
00:20:14.480 to see this back on the screen.
00:20:16.120 You know,
00:20:16.460 I think that's a fascinating element
00:20:18.720 of your review.
00:20:19.500 As you said,
00:20:20.500 especially for the international market
00:20:22.940 this was made for,
00:20:23.780 especially China,
00:20:24.860 as I understand.
00:20:26.320 And is this maybe a new trend
00:20:28.600 that, I mean,
00:20:30.160 there's billions of other filmgoers
00:20:32.780 other than Americans
00:20:33.720 so we're going to make films
00:20:35.460 the way we want
00:20:36.280 that plays internationally
00:20:37.860 and if we get a piece
00:20:39.180 of the American pie,
00:20:40.880 you know, so be it.
00:20:41.800 Do you see this
00:20:42.900 as the beginning
00:20:43.520 of a trend this way, Ben?
00:20:45.600 It could be.
00:20:46.180 I think it's more
00:20:46.580 of an indictment too
00:20:47.560 on the way America
00:20:48.400 has ruined a lot
00:20:49.680 of their movies
00:20:50.140 and their heroes
00:20:50.740 to try to play identity politics
00:20:52.120 and be progressive
00:20:52.800 and it just doesn't sell
00:20:53.760 with the international markets.
00:20:54.840 So they have to like
00:20:55.360 redo new movies
00:20:56.980 specifically for that
00:20:58.020 because we've so isolated ourselves
00:20:59.360 in this insanity
00:21:00.020 in the United States.
00:21:01.340 And yeah,
00:21:02.060 I think we may see more of it
00:21:03.780 but the China box office itself,
00:21:05.660 they only allow
00:21:06.160 about 11 to 14 movies
00:21:07.780 per year there.
00:21:08.840 So it's very specific
00:21:10.020 and it's very big movies
00:21:11.200 that are allowed to be there.
00:21:12.220 So I don't know
00:21:12.540 how much it'll branch off
00:21:14.060 necessarily and be specific
00:21:15.140 for that
00:21:15.680 or if it'll just be
00:21:16.660 a few specific movies themselves.
00:21:19.500 You know, Ben,
00:21:19.960 I think you're onto
00:21:20.660 something here too
00:21:21.460 about people tuning out
00:21:23.180 of the movies
00:21:25.120 because of political correctness
00:21:26.860 and we see so many examples.
00:21:28.560 Heck, earlier this month
00:21:29.940 I had my own little rant
00:21:32.120 about something called
00:21:33.340 the Hurricane Heist
00:21:34.520 where the protagonist,
00:21:36.240 a good old boy
00:21:36.780 from the South,
00:21:38.540 he throws in with deference
00:21:40.040 to Donald Trump,
00:21:41.380 there is indeed
00:21:42.760 man-made climate change
00:21:45.120 happening
00:21:45.840 and suddenly
00:21:47.260 from the most unlikely source
00:21:48.880 we're getting this
00:21:49.740 environmental sermon.
00:21:52.000 And when you read
00:21:52.940 the comments
00:21:54.080 to the commentary,
00:21:55.560 it's so many,
00:21:56.780 so often you see people saying
00:21:58.280 this is the reason
00:21:59.800 why I don't go
00:22:00.620 to the movies anymore.
00:22:01.600 So maybe when you see
00:22:03.640 something like The Meg
00:22:05.220 going retro to the 80s
00:22:07.740 like you mentioned,
00:22:09.260 maybe this is a winning formula
00:22:11.540 to win back
00:22:12.420 some of the domestic market too.
00:22:15.020 Oh, definitely.
00:22:15.720 I mean, movies that stay true
00:22:17.240 to being real
00:22:18.060 and with its values
00:22:18.780 and being conservative
00:22:19.440 and just portraying characters
00:22:20.760 as they would normally be,
00:22:22.360 not activists in every scene.
00:22:23.840 You have a movie
00:22:24.560 that's more believable
00:22:25.420 which is what we all want.
00:22:26.460 We love being thrown
00:22:27.500 into a space opera
00:22:28.500 like Star Wars
00:22:29.340 and it's fine
00:22:29.860 that it's unbelievable
00:22:30.520 as long as we understand
00:22:31.600 the characters.
00:22:32.700 But what happens is
00:22:33.840 when you have a character
00:22:34.400 jump into a scene
00:22:35.200 and they start talking
00:22:36.400 about nonsense
00:22:37.220 for no reason
00:22:37.900 because they're specifically
00:22:38.680 trying to inject
00:22:39.900 some political agenda
00:22:40.980 into it,
00:22:41.520 you immediately check out
00:22:42.340 because you don't believe it.
00:22:42.980 You're like,
00:22:43.140 okay, this is not longer,
00:22:44.400 we're not longer
00:22:44.920 in the space opera.
00:22:45.900 We're in some Twitter feed
00:22:46.980 in 2018.
00:22:48.160 It completely ruins the cinema
00:22:49.440 and what's going on
00:22:50.600 in the movies.
00:22:51.020 And it really hurts,
00:22:51.880 it hurts the writers
00:22:52.800 I think most of all
00:22:53.640 because when you do this,
00:22:55.040 when you have,
00:22:55.580 when you make people
00:22:56.440 insert these politics
00:22:58.100 into art,
00:22:59.000 which movies are so much
00:23:00.420 of art,
00:23:00.700 these stories should be timeless,
00:23:03.060 it ruins it
00:23:03.800 because you're trying
00:23:04.620 to make a story
00:23:05.420 that is so complex
00:23:06.200 and you're forcing
00:23:06.980 in these moments
00:23:07.660 and it takes you
00:23:08.420 completely out of it
00:23:09.060 like talking about
00:23:09.760 man-made climate change
00:23:10.940 in an action movie.
00:23:11.660 It's like,
00:23:11.940 what is this?
00:23:13.040 And it just ruins the stories
00:23:14.380 and these writers
00:23:14.880 are shackled
00:23:15.580 to this ideology too
00:23:16.820 because they can't get
00:23:17.820 their scripts sold
00:23:18.680 unless they do it.
00:23:19.340 Well, indeed.
00:23:20.840 And Rob Cohen,
00:23:21.620 the director of Hurricane Heist,
00:23:22.920 this is someone
00:23:23.400 who has publicly said,
00:23:25.080 Ben,
00:23:25.820 that he has fantasies
00:23:27.400 of torturing Donald Trump
00:23:29.500 because of his environmental record
00:23:31.280 if you can believe it.
00:23:32.520 But you know,
00:23:33.340 it's funny too,
00:23:34.380 you made mention
00:23:35.540 that the hero,
00:23:37.960 the protagonist in the Meg
00:23:39.560 is the classic male action hero
00:23:43.560 and it's almost as though
00:23:45.820 so many films
00:23:46.480 have gotten away from that.
00:23:47.320 I remember, Ben,
00:23:48.300 1979 Alien came out
00:23:50.240 and it was completely
00:23:51.680 against type
00:23:52.620 that the Sigourney Weaver
00:23:54.240 character,
00:23:54.780 the female,
00:23:55.740 ends up being the hero
00:23:56.800 and saving the day.
00:23:57.820 But now,
00:23:58.660 these days,
00:23:59.580 that is so due rigueur
00:24:01.240 of having weak male characters
00:24:04.020 and a strong female lead
00:24:05.460 that something like the Meg
00:24:07.260 is kind of like
00:24:08.440 1979's Alien.
00:24:10.140 It's an actual strong man
00:24:11.860 that saves the day.
00:24:13.620 Yeah,
00:24:14.220 that is really interesting.
00:24:15.360 I never thought about that
00:24:16.340 and it's something
00:24:16.760 that's talked about so much
00:24:17.820 how there were no strong women
00:24:18.920 or whatever.
00:24:19.440 It's like, no,
00:24:19.760 they were great,
00:24:20.420 strong female characters
00:24:21.340 for decades,
00:24:22.600 decades,
00:24:23.060 but they just weren't
00:24:23.600 completely masculine,
00:24:25.360 anti-men feminists
00:24:26.820 in movies.
00:24:27.280 That's the only difference.
00:24:27.980 It's like,
00:24:28.240 that's what's been going on.
00:24:29.420 Yeah,
00:24:29.560 this is,
00:24:29.980 it definitely,
00:24:31.000 it took me a moment
00:24:31.960 to process the fact
00:24:33.100 that I'm sure
00:24:33.620 it stood out
00:24:34.440 just like Sigourney Weaver
00:24:35.360 did back in the 70s,
00:24:36.600 but to see Jason Statham's
00:24:37.760 character be introduced,
00:24:39.060 whereas a group of people
00:24:39.880 that were desperate,
00:24:40.840 no one could save these people
00:24:41.980 at the bottom of the ocean,
00:24:42.780 they're like,
00:24:43.080 there is one man
00:24:44.380 who can save us
00:24:45.100 and they're like,
00:24:45.460 duh,
00:24:45.840 no,
00:24:46.100 there's no way,
00:24:46.720 he's washed up,
00:24:47.300 he'll never come back
00:24:48.020 and they bring Jason Statham in
00:24:49.420 and literally just talk about
00:24:50.240 how he's in perfect
00:24:50.960 physical condition.
00:24:52.000 He's the only one
00:24:52.480 that can save us
00:24:53.140 and he's like,
00:24:53.800 it's just,
00:24:54.460 it's so classic,
00:24:55.620 like this just masculine here
00:24:57.400 going to save the day
00:24:58.320 and save these women
00:24:59.040 at the bottom of the ocean.
00:25:00.020 It was really,
00:25:00.800 it was refreshing
00:25:01.480 and shocking to watch
00:25:02.560 and it,
00:25:03.060 even though the movie
00:25:03.500 was terrible,
00:25:04.320 there was just,
00:25:05.100 it was just a fun
00:25:06.180 roller coaster.
00:25:07.380 It was hilarious.
00:25:07.780 And you made mention too
00:25:09.660 in terms of the political
00:25:10.700 correctness element,
00:25:12.380 Ben,
00:25:12.560 that there's a scene
00:25:13.700 where a female character
00:25:15.260 catches the male character
00:25:18.260 in the buff
00:25:19.400 and leers at him
00:25:20.700 for a little while,
00:25:21.560 which I guess
00:25:22.400 in this post Me Too era,
00:25:24.220 you're not supposed
00:25:25.000 to do films like that
00:25:26.020 anymore,
00:25:26.300 right?
00:25:27.520 No,
00:25:27.900 yeah,
00:25:28.080 she completely violated him
00:25:29.480 with her eyes
00:25:30.060 and took away his dignity
00:25:30.960 because she saw him
00:25:31.880 with his shirt off
00:25:32.840 and if this was reversed,
00:25:34.660 even if this movie
00:25:36.080 just played in the United States
00:25:36.960 mainly,
00:25:37.360 like if it wasn't just
00:25:37.820 pandered to the Chinese market,
00:25:39.620 like it would still be crazy
00:25:41.120 but if it was reversed
00:25:42.380 and it was a guy
00:25:43.140 leaning back to catch a peek
00:25:44.400 when the girl was changing,
00:25:45.660 this would be front page news
00:25:47.160 in the New York Times.
00:25:48.400 Like it was,
00:25:49.160 I couldn't believe,
00:25:49.940 in the theater I was looking around
00:25:50.820 just to see if anyone noticed,
00:25:51.780 like did you see what she just did?
00:25:53.100 Like this is 2018,
00:25:54.220 you can't do that
00:25:54.840 but no one cared obviously.
00:25:56.740 It's just,
00:25:57.180 oh it's hilarious
00:25:58.060 to sit there and watch it.
00:25:59.280 Well you know,
00:25:59.900 Ben,
00:26:00.260 we'll wrap it here.
00:26:01.380 You said it's not really
00:26:02.640 a good film.
00:26:03.180 I think you gave it
00:26:03.900 two out of five stars
00:26:05.080 but would you still suggest
00:26:06.940 that people see it
00:26:08.380 to get,
00:26:09.500 I don't know,
00:26:10.920 rediscover that
00:26:12.380 retro action vibe
00:26:15.180 that has gone missing
00:26:16.460 in the last couple of decades?
00:26:19.360 I don't know, man.
00:26:22.240 It's got a giant shark,
00:26:23.800 what could be bad about it?
00:26:25.920 Yeah,
00:26:26.440 the giant shark
00:26:27.460 who makes no sense either
00:26:29.000 but I would see
00:26:30.080 Mile 22
00:26:30.620 if you want to see
00:26:31.260 a more masculine film
00:26:32.340 or a movie like that
00:26:33.180 but it is at least
00:26:34.600 fun to watch
00:26:36.340 in some ways.
00:26:37.540 Okay then,
00:26:38.220 well I guess
00:26:38.860 the innuendo
00:26:40.340 I'm getting from you Ben
00:26:41.320 is wait for the DVD release
00:26:43.400 so maybe that's
00:26:44.360 what I shall do.
00:26:45.520 Thank you so much
00:26:46.340 for weighing in
00:26:46.900 on this film then Ben.
00:26:48.940 Absolutely.
00:26:49.880 And that was Ben Davies
00:26:51.180 from Hollywood
00:26:51.960 and keep it here folks,
00:26:53.360 more to come
00:26:54.420 right after this.
00:26:55.240 Well folks,
00:27:07.880 that's our show
00:27:08.440 for tonight.
00:27:09.300 Ezra and Sheila
00:27:10.060 are at the
00:27:10.840 Conservative Convention
00:27:11.980 reporting from the
00:27:13.160 outside of course
00:27:14.220 because they won't
00:27:15.620 let us in.
00:27:16.700 They will have a show
00:27:18.060 from the convention
00:27:18.900 tomorrow.
00:27:19.800 It's exciting times
00:27:21.040 with Bernier leaving
00:27:21.960 the Conservative Party
00:27:22.980 and Scheer not
00:27:24.600 backing down.
00:27:25.940 Let us know
00:27:26.500 what you think.
00:27:27.500 Do you think
00:27:28.100 Bernier is in the
00:27:29.380 right or in the
00:27:29.980 wrong or did
00:27:30.780 Scheer push him
00:27:31.820 out of the party
00:27:32.620 prematurely?
00:27:33.920 We would love to
00:27:34.760 know your thoughts.
00:27:36.040 Email Ezra
00:27:37.000 at therebel.media
00:27:38.900 or comment below.
00:27:40.880 Until next time,
00:27:42.040 good night and
00:27:42.880 don't miss tomorrow's
00:27:43.900 episode with
00:27:44.640 Ezra and Sheila
00:27:45.500 from Halifax.