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Time Warner Shareholder: Freeman Must Be Reined In

Actor endangers 'Dark Knight Rises,' rep suggests

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff

Posted May 17, 2012 9:53 AM CDT

(Newser) – Could outspoken Morgan Freeman's politics endanger the success of The Dark Knight Rises? That’s what one Time Warner shareholder warned at the annual shareholders' meeting this week, noting that while Freeman was promoting Dolphin Tale last year, he took the opportunity to call the Tea Party racist during an appearance on Piers Morgan Tonight. A rep for shareholder David Ridenour brought up the incident and noted that filmgoers are less likely to see movies with stars who disagree with them politically, the Guardian reports.

"What specific steps will Time Warner take to ensure that Mr. Freeman avoids such divisive and insulting words while promoting his next Warner Bros film, The Dark Knight Rises?" asked the rep for Ridenour, who runs a conservative think tank. He added that Dolphin Tale didn’t do all that well at the box office. Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes' response: "What can we do about it? Is that the question? Not much. It doesn't usually have a significant commercial effect on the success of the film."

Morgan Freeman at the Governors Ball following the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles.
Morgan Freeman at the Governors Ball following the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles.   (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 94 comments
StationaryMan
May 18, 2012 11:33 AM CDT
So this guy believes people only see movies where the stars agree with them? If that were the case Tom Cruise Movies would only be seen by one, Tom him self.
HarryBeaver
May 18, 2012 8:00 AM CDT
What is the kind of government where corporate power supersedes state power?
Itchywolf
May 18, 2012 4:21 AM CDT
So, corporations like Time Warner can give gobs and gobs of anonymous, unlimited money to the PAC of their choosing, because Time Warner is a person and a person has rights. However, Morgan Freeman, well, he needs to keep his mouth shut, because he is not a major corporation and he needs to goose-step in line with what his corporate over-lords demand him to be a part of right? F***in hilarious. We are so unbelievably screwed... Everyone on the right, saying the left is uninformed, paranoid about the "Gubment gumbe taken away dour ferdums cuz Ubama is a Kenyan Musliam Mao Mao anti colonialst, bred from birth to take over the country and basically do everything the right asks of him..." But corporations, how actually stand to profit greatly from seeing the government fall apart, they are awesome? You really thing, corporations, who answer to profit only, and can't be voted out, you think THEY are going to watch out for the little guy? Hell they've got their tentacles deep inside the government anyway, to the point were money = votes. How is that a good thing? Sorry people, it's not a democratically elected government you should be worried about, it's greedy corporations who want zero regulations, and anything that makes a profit is the moral, ethical thing to do we should fear. If you could actually make some progress, instead of shoving your head farther up some imaginary golden age of awesomeness that never existed, but your aging parents say was so much better, and you blindly believe them... Jesus it's just madness, you're not even conserving anything you're destroying the f***ing planet because it's profitable... You don't even understand how the economy works, and rich people have you thinking they are akin to the almighty, even associating the word "Creator" with them. They are "Job creators." yes, because every rich person, ALWAYS creates jobs out of the goodness of their heart right? Even if no one say, in the middle or lower class can afford the product he is selling? He's going to hire MORE people and lose money on that hire? No, we need to build up the middle class, THEY are job creators. If the middle class can afford to DEMAND a product, then the rich have to increase the SUPPLY, meaning they have to hire more workers... How F***ing hard is that to understand? Just because a rich person has 300% more money than you, do you think he buys 300% more shirts, pants, TV's, radios, lawn mowers, stereos, cars? No, they invest that money, pay hardly any taxes on it, and watch it grow and grow, making more money for themselves while the economy is waiting for an injection of cash that will NEVER trickle down, but everyone has been brainwashed into thinking someday, they too will be rich, and they won't want to help people, that will in turn help themselves, they just want more more more, now now now, mine mine mine... A nation of spoiled 2 year olds, unable to understand anything outside their own little bubbles of self importance... And instead of an intellectual debate we get talking points and called godless or traitors... It's almost funny if it wasn't so tragic. Stop listening to what Fox news and any other Murdoch based publication tells you to think, he's a fricking Aussie for crying out loud, he did this same crap all over, you think he really gives a damn about Americans? No, he just tells you what you desperately want to hear, so you don't have to think very hard, while he laughs his crazy ass all the way to the bank. WAKE UP!!! Logical, independent thoughts can be fun!
 

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