As America celebrates its 250th birthday, the elitist media seem to be collectively asking the question: “What’s there to celebrate?”  From CNN Bakari Sellers insisting there isn’t much difference for Black Americans in 1896 and 2026 to New York Times columnist Paul Krugman calling for a “thorough purging of [MAGA] from the United States” to MS NOW host Ali Velshi feeling a “deep unease” about honoring the birthday of “our so-called democracy,” the media elites have revealed their real feelings about this country.  The following are the most obnoxious outbursts from leftist journalists and celebrities over the last month: [LANGUAGE WARNING]   Bakari Sellers: Not Much Difference for Black Americans In 1896 and 2026   “If somebody fell asleep in 1896 and woke up today in 2026, they would simply say the only difference is now negroes have a TV show, and we wear nice suits. They’ve swapped out Klan hoods for Brooks Brothers suits.” — CNN political commentator Bakari Sellers on CNN NewsNight with… pic.twitter.com/CpRDw6i5n3 — Geoffrey Dickens (@GCDickens) June 4, 2026   “If somebody fell asleep in 1896 and woke up today in 2026, they would simply say the only difference is now negroes have a TV show, and we wear nice suits. They’ve swapped out Klan hoods for Brooks Brothers suits.”— CNN political commentator Bakari Sellers on CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, May 11.   Paul Krugman: We Need a “De-MAGAfication” Like We Had a “De-Nazification”   “We need to de-fang Trump, as much as possible and make sure that neither he nor anybody who follows in his footsteps has power after the next two elections. But beyond that we really need to do a thorough purging of the United States. We need a de-MAGAfication. And that is - you… pic.twitter.com/A6NWOOy6To — Geoffrey Dickens (@GCDickens) June 4, 2026   “We need to de-fang Trump, as much as possible and make sure that neither he nor anybody who follows in his footsteps has power after the next two elections. But beyond that we really need to do a thorough purging of the United States. We need a de-MAGAfication. And that is - you  know - I am not going over the top by using a word that is very similar to the de-Nazification that we pursued successfully after World War II in Germany.”— New York Times columnist Paul Krugman on his official Substack account, May 31.   Ali Velshi: I Feel “Deep Unease” About Celebrating 250th Anniversary of “Our So-Called Democracy”   Go back to Canada? MS NOW anchor Ali Velshi thinks America is a mess, not worth celebrating: "I feel a deep unease about the celebrations to which I am invited to mark the 250th anniversary of our so-called democracy." MS NOW sounds like Al-Jazeera. pic.twitter.com/74FqKkiNjM — Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) June 3, 2026   “In one month, America will mark the 250th anniversary of its founding. Like previous anniversaries, there is a deep unease about this. I feel a deep unease about these celebrations to which I am invited to mark the 250th anniversary of our so-called democracy because this 250th anniversary is taking place during yet another period of deep and fundamental and existential unrest in this country brought on by the country’s unresolved racial politics. That’s what this is. Women and Black Americans have seen their rights taken away. The Voting Rights Act has effectively been gutted.”— Host Ali Velshi on MS NOW’s Velshi, May 31.    The New Yorker Celebrates America’s 250th Birthday: “How Problematic Is Patriotism?” “How Problematic Is Patriotism? National pride in America has plummeted in the Trump era. Is it worth trying to salvage?”— Headline to May 25 The New Yorker article by writer Arthur Krystal.    Al Sharpton: Trump’s UFC Fights on White House Lawn Is Him Bringing Back the “Fights for the Slave Masters”    On Thursday's Morning Joe, Rev. Al Sharpton compared the upcoming UFC Fight Night at the White House to "fights for the slave masters." pic.twitter.com/PsJxnM7j6l — Nick (@nspin310) May 28, 2026   “Let’s celebrate how we grew and the people that paid the price for it, and that are continuing to pay the price now because when we’re dealing with this redistricting, Trump and others are trying to bring us back to an America that we struggle to get out of. So there is a connection of why they’re having these fights on the White House lawn, the UFO and all – the UF – whatever they call it, UFC and all that, because they’re trying to go back to that when, you know, they watch people have these fights for the slave masters and they’d be entertained by that. They’re literally going back to that.”— Reverend Al Sharpton on MS NOW’s Morning Joe, May 28.    Lawrence O’Donnell Trashes Trump’s “Temple of Violence” “Donald Trump is desecrating the White House grounds to build a temple of violence where there was once a Rose Garden, and where there will next be an ugly and utterly pointless exhibition of men trying to savage - savagely beat each other as part of the Trump White House celebration of America’s 250th birthday. Trump and the men who will join him to worship the gladiator skills on display where there was once a Rose Garden don’t know the history of this country and don’t want to, and seem to believe that savage combat is really what this country is about.”— Host Lawrence O’Donnell on MS NOW’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, May 27.   Joe Scarborough Rails Against Trump’s “Internment Camps”   On Friday's Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough mocked DHS Sec. Mullin's accent and labeled ICE facilities as "internment camps." He then stated ICE detainees are "being treated much worse than the Japanese were treated in their internment camps, if you read history." pic.twitter.com/j1HPvXvYTN — Nick (@nspin310) May 29, 2026   “You look at Donald Trump’s approval ratings. When did they start really collapsing? The war didn’t help. But you look at what happened at Minneapolis. You looked at the fact that U.S. citizens were gunned down in American streets. You look at the fact that ICE officers abused people. ICE officers clearly not trained for the work they were being asked to do, and abused that power. And young people, children, being scooped up off the streets when they came home from school and thrown into internment camps, being treated much worse than the Japanese were treated in their internment camps, if you read history.”— Host Joe Scarborough on MS NOW’s Morning Joe, May 29.   Democrats Lost Because of America’s “Backlash Against a Black Woman Being the Democratic Nominee”   Kamala Harris lost because of “the backlash against a black woman.” Dana @Milbank, ex of @washingtonpost and now @NOTUSreports, on @ThisWeekABC: “Why did Democrats lose? Well, it’s like Captain obvious, right? Why did incumbent parties all around the world lose at that time, it… pic.twitter.com/J458IT4yTY — Brent Baker 🇺🇲🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) May 24, 2026   “Why did Democrats lose?...Why did incumbent parties all around the world lose at that time? It was high inflation, and that was coupled with the problems of, you know, Biden staying in the race too long, and the backlash against a black woman being the Democratic nominee. There you have it. Pretty simple right there.”— Former Washington Post/current News of the United States (NOTUS) columnist Dana Milbank on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, May 24.   MAGA Doesn’t View Blacks as Full Citizens, Wants “Brown People Sent Out of the Country”    Princeton Prof Glaude's Meltdown: MAGA 'Trying to Make America White Again' pic.twitter.com/7fK9i1TuTP — Mark Finkelstein (@markfinkelstein) May 16, 2026   “They don’t view us as full citizens, right? There, there are, there are forces at work in – MAGA forces at work in this country, who have as their aim and end, right, to put us in our place. Their, their, their design, whether it’s an assault on DEI, whether it’s an assault on federal contractors, whether it’s an assault on college admissions, even Yale Medical School, right? Across the board, and now voting rights, there’s a sense in which there are folks who believe that this country must be and must remain a white republic, and that begins with the diminution of black political power.”— MS NOW contributor/Princeton Professor Eddie Glaude on MS NOW’s The Weekend, May 16.    On Friday's Morning Joe, amid a discussion on a possible deportation ramp-up, frequent panelist John Heilemann said the "MAGA base" wants "to see more brown people sent out of the country." pic.twitter.com/Ltvc98TZCA — Nick (@nspin310) May 15, 2026   “I think what the MAGA base wants is more deportations. Their problem in Minneapolis, or not even their problem. I don’t think they cared very much about what happened in Minneapolis, frankly. And they want to see more brown people sent out of the country.”— Political analyst John Heilemann on MS NOW’s Morning Joe, May 15.    Eugene Daniels: Democrats Can Win By Talking About “Kitchen Table Issues” Like Services for Trans Kids   Yesterday, Eugene Daniels, whom MS NOW technically considers a reporter, reacts to the Democrats' autopsy by saying the party "should be more comfortable with the idea of power" and urges them to talk more about abortion and transing kids "When you talk about whether or not… pic.twitter.com/vXcr4RZbdT — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) May 22, 2026   “You can use ‘identity politics,’ quote unquote, as a kitchen table issue, right? When you talk about whether or not people can have access to healthy abortions — safe abortions, that is a kitchen table issue, right? Whether or not a trans kid can get the services they need, that is a kitchen table issue for families.”— Senior Washington correspondent Eugene Daniels on MS NOW’s Chris Jansing Reports, May 21.    Clueless Katy Tur: Is Mike Johnson “Putting God Over the Declaration of Independence?”   God talk is SO foreign to MS NOW. Katy Tur: What about this passage from Mike Johnson declaring that our rights do not derive from government? They come from you, our creator and heavenly father. Is this him putting God over the Declaration of Independence? McKay Coppins: I… pic.twitter.com/sfpykN5bYc — Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) May 18, 2026   “What about this passage from [Speaker of the House] Mike Johnson declaring that ‘our rights do not derive from government, they come from you, our creator and heavenly father?’ Is this him putting God over the Declaration of Independence?”— Host Katy Tur to The Atlantic’s McKay Coppins on MS NOW’s Katy Tur Reports, May 18.   Joy Behar: Once Trump Puts His Name on Prescription Drugs, “We’re All Going to Die!”   ABC News co-host Joy Behar claims "we're all going to die" because Trump wants to lower drug prices with TrumpRX. She even lashes out at Mark Cuban for getting involved. She shouts at her co-hosts who support lowering drug costs. pic.twitter.com/Wi3SNqU41J — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) May 19, 2026   “Once Trump puts his name on prescriptions, we’re all gonna die! Okay? He put his name on the Trump shuttle, the Trump vodka, the Trump University, the Trump hotel and my favorite, the casinos that all went bankrupt.”— Co-host Joy Behar on ABC’s The View, May 19.   Sunny Hostin: “We Need to Form a Rebellion” Against Trump   An open call for violence? On The View's Behind the Table podcast yesterday, Sunny Hostin called for an Andor-style "rebellion" to fight Trump and Republicans: SUNNY HOSTIN: And we are felling the result of not having a resistance. A valuable resistance. BRIAN TETA: You do… pic.twitter.com/bG8qvEg4uU — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) May 19, 2026   ABC’s The View co-host Sunny Hostin: “You want to lead by example, and you want to be above the fray. That is not how this Republican, Trumplican party works, and we are feeling the result of not having a resistance. A valuable resistance.”The View executive producer Brian Teta: “You do really have to watch Andor. Let me tell you. It’s all about the resistance.”Hostin: “I know! You’ve been telling me about Andor! We’re both such sci-fi and fantasy fans.Teta: “It will change your life. It’s all about forming a rebellion.”Hostin: “I’m going to start - We need to form a rebellion. A true resistance.”— ABC’s Behind the Table podcast, May 19.    Sunny Hostin: “Very Limited Destruction” During BLM Protests   Sunny Hostin defends the deadly Black Lives Matter riots of 2020. She claims there was only "very limited destruction of property and violence." pic.twitter.com/8TWNsP2DEE — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) May 21, 2026   “I just think we need to make it clear that there can be no comparison between the Black Lives Matter movement and what we saw on January 6th. I just want to make that clear….There were very limited destruction of property and violence during the uprising of — the Black Lives Matter uprisings.”— Co-host Sunny Hostin on ABC’s The View, May 21.    The View: Trump Only Wants “American-Born White Children,” “Toddler White Nationalists”   Of course, Sunny Hostin suggests the program is racist because Trump didn't speak to "the black maternal mortality crisis" specifically." "He wants toddler white nationalists," Behar chimes in. GOLDBERG: Go ahead. SUNNY HOSTIN: I'll just quickly say because I think everyone is… pic.twitter.com/LtjnxfanC8 — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) May 12, 2026   Co-host Sunny Hostin: “I think that the intent can be questioned behind these new Trump policies. There was no acknowledgement of the black maternal mortality crisis because black women die at a much higher rate than any other demographic….This administration is not concerned about that. I think it’s true he wants Trump babies, which implies he wants American-born white children.”Co-host Joy Behar: “He wants toddler white nationalists.”  — ABC’s The View, May 12.   Jon Stewart Hoping for the “Electorate” to Repudiate “Putrid” Trump Administration   In a YouTube extended portion of his interview with Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart claims it is "a ridiculous framing" to view the late night shows as Trump opposition, yet he urges the audience to "Close your eyes and dream. The day that the electorate in this great nation we call… pic.twitter.com/TcWb1EzZ4Y — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) May 20, 2026   “Oh, people, close your eyes and dream. The day that the electorate in this great nation we call home repudiates this putrid administration – the day that that happens. My brother, my brother, there will be – and I mean this. The day that that happens, there will be a joyful noise from the bowels of this great country that will make Hungary’s repudiation of [Viktor] Orban look like an Amish Sabbath.”— Comedy Central’s The Daily Show host Jon Stewart on CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, May 19.   Bruce Springsteen to Stephen Colbert: “You’re the First Guy in America” Who Lost His Show Because “We Got a President Who Can’t Take a Joke”   Bruce Springsteen closed out the penultimate episode of "The Late Show" by giving his ode to Stephen Colbert before singing "Streets of Minneapolis" "I am here in support tonight for Stephen, because you are the first guy in America who's lost his show because we got a president… pic.twitter.com/TpkjvgADDU — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) May 21, 2026   “I am here in support tonight for Stephen, because you’re the first guy in America who’s lost his show because we got a president who can’t take a joke. And because Larry and David Ellison feel they need to kiss his ass to get what they want….These are small-minded people, they got no idea what the freedoms of this beautiful country are supposed to be about.”— Singer Bruce Springsteen on CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, May 20.   Pete Davidson Makes a Sick Joke Referencing Charlie Kirk’s Murder   Pete Davidson makes horrific "joke" mocking the cold-blooded murder of late conservative activist Charlie Kirk. #NotFunny #TheRoastofKevinHart @charliekirk11 @BlakeSNeff pic.twitter.com/sotKueWx77 — Dawn Slusher (@BlondeBlogger) May 12, 2026   “Tony [Hinchliffe] reminds me of Charlie Kirk, in that he’s definitely been on camera letting a guy unload in his throat.”— Former NBC Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson mocking comedian Tony Hinchliffe at Netflix’s The Roast of Kevin Hart, May 9.

So there's the answer: Yes, there were "multiple women" accusing the Nazi of rape, but the New York Times ran a catch-and-kill operation to suppress their stories, while only reporting on less serious charges. (Though still serious enough.) In newspaper...

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Director Curry Barker has a surprise hit on his hands with his indie horror movie Obsession, which has especially connected with Gen Z audiences. Barker said he got the idea for his frightening movie from a real-life source. "I once met a woman!" Barker exclaimed.

Travis Knight’s “Masters of the Universe” is a mighty mixed bag, full of rousing action and choice moments.

It’s also suffering from an identity crisis that matches the struggles of He-Man, the film’s hero.

The story: Adam Glenn/He-Man (Nicholas Galitzine) works at a joyless cubicle job (shades of “The Matrix”) and just-barely hides his secret past from puzzled co-workers. What we know from an elaborate prologue is that Glenn is Prince Adam, the son of Eternia, a magical world that was taken over by the Evil Skeletor (Jared Leto).

Prince Adam was a boy when he and the Sword of Power, which holds the future of Eternia, were sent to live on Earth.

Now, 15 years later, the young heir of Eternia and his sword are reunited – it would have made more sense if Prince Adam had amnesia during this time and took this long to find a sword on Earth due to memory loss and not failed internet searches, but never mind.

Once Prince Adam returns to Eternia, he reunites with his best friend Teela (Camilla Mendes), her father and teacher Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba) and Cringer, the talking green tiger who needed much more screen time. At some point, Prince Adam thrusts his sword into the air, says the magic words, and we’re off into another wild action sequence.

Camila Mendes stars as Teela in new featurette for MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE. pic.twitter.com/qQVXCggfKV

— cinesthetic. (@TheCinesthetic) June 3, 2026

Coming from an enormous fan of the toy line, I was ready to embrace this film. The original animated series from Filmation was a passion of my ’80s childhood- I recall begging my mother to record episodes I missed on blank VHS tapes, which I would later watch and rewatch obsessively, as though it were the Zapruder footage.

The Evil Horde Slime Pit, where the heroes would be forcibly doused with “gruesome ooze” into slime monsters and subsequently possessed to join the villainous Hordak, is among my all-time favorite toys. I not only collected the He-Man action figures and comic books but regularly purchased He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Magazine, which covered the arrival of the ’87 film as though it was a new work from Martin Scorsese.

Aside from “Star Wars,” no other toy or clothing line dominated my grade school years more than He-Man.

The 1987 “Masters of the Universe: The Motion Picture,” with He-Man embodied by Dolph Lundgren, no less than the former Ivan Drago, and Skeletor played by a great, fittingly theatrical Frank Langella, is still a source of bliss, despite how completely absurd it is. That movie, even with a cheesiness that lasts the entire 106-minute running time, knew exactly what it was and embraced it.

Here, the filmmakers clearly want this to be “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014) but never get the tonal balance of presenting a character comedy with a special effects extravaganza (I’d argue that the 1984 “Ghostbusters” is still the best at this tightrope act).

I wish this new “Masters of the Universe” was more like the take-it-or-leave-it “Krull” (1983), my favorite Arthurian Legend crossed with “Star Wars” flick, than the nudge-nudge, wink-wink “Flash Gordon” (1980). The latter also acknowledges its silliness as a precaution and comes across with an unspoken but obvious apology for being silly.

Rather than just let this be as campy as we all knew it would be, it settles for being a semi-spoof, when everyone involved would have been better off to just emerge unapologetic and sincere with how daffy it is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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As with the ’87 film, Skeletor steals the show. Because he’s deemed a problematic actor, Leto’s involvement here has been downplayed by the studio, but he evokes a Tim Curry-like speaking voice and gives a robust performance.

All of Leto’s scenes with Alison Brie (also great and pitch-perfect as Evil-Lyn) work perfectly and the grand finale is wonderful – the ’87 film famously fell short during its climactic He-Man/Skeletor showdown but not here.

Mild Spoiler: there’s a moment that place Skeletor in a real-world context, a touch that will be divisive but I loved for how funny it comes across.

While this is not Elba’s finest work, he gives Man-At-Arms his professional best (a lesser actor would have had a losing battle with that costume alone). I liked Galitzine as Prince Adam (yes, the origin of the name “He-Man” is belatedly addressed, and it’s the film’s biggest groaner) but I still prefer Lundgren (old habits die hard).

There’s so much CGI on display; why didn’t they just make an animated film? On the other hand, the score by Daniel Pemberton, aided by no less than Brian May on the guitar, makes this one of the must-have soundtracks of 2026.

Yes, the old theme resurfaces, but the rockin’ new music here is a Queen-worthy wonder.

There are lots of Easter Eggs and references to the franchise (note how the villainous, hook-adorned Karg is in both the ’87 movie AND this one!) that will probably only connect with the film’s perceived demographic of 50-year-olds (guilty as charged).

The whole thing would have been better served with a twinkle in its eye and a more sincere approach, instead of repeatedly assuring us that this is the Honest Trailers/ How It Should Have Ended version of a blissfully absurd and glorious cartoon.

Knight previously made “Bumblebee” (2018), which is still exemplary, and few would argue that anyone has ever made a better live-action movie from “The Transformers.” A key to the success of “Bumblebee” is that it invests fully in the emotions of the story and, unlike here, doesn’t constantly pull its punches with we-were-just-kidding jabs to the ribs.

Likewise, Knight’s enthralling animated epic “Kubo and the Two Strings” was one of the best films of 2016.

Knight gives his audience, particularly those of a certain age, dopamine hits of Toys ‘R Us nostalgia, which is appreciated. Yet, had this been more like “Bumblebee,” the emotional stakes could have been countered with a story we could get invested in, no matter how goofy it all comes across.

Knight’s film is awfully fun for the most part but tonally uneven.

If there’s a sequel and they decide to go “dark and grim,” that wouldn’t be right, either, as the franchise (certainly in the ’80s version) sported a sense of humor and never needed to get gritty. However, if the follow-up includes a scene where He-Man is strapped to that dastardly Hordak’s slime pit, giving Eternia’s savior yet another identity crisis, then I’ll pre-order my tickets right now!

Two and a half stars (out of four)

The post ‘Masters of the Universe’ – Big Action, Bigger Identity Crisis appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.

LONDON — Amid controversy stemming from the latest high-profile stabbing incident that took the life of a British citizen, Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned the United Kingdom about the rise of murdererphobia.

Expecting any level of ideological consistency from partisan political actors is a fool's errand; even so, the amount of sheer hypocrisy generated by the Graham Platner scandal is striking.

In response to fresh allegations that Platner, the presumptive Democratic candidate for Senate in Maine, was abusive in his past relationships, conservatives who in the past have been correctly discerning of the motivations behind certain sexual misconduct claims are now heralding these accusations as all but confirmed. In fact, they have assailed The New York Times, which published a detailed story about Platner's dating history and alleged violent episodes, for not going further in its indictment. Meanwhile, many Democrats who gleefully and uncritically embraced the "believe all women" mantra of the #MeToo era are broadly dismissive of the Times story, even though the evidence of wrongdoing is arguably more compelling in this case.

What do I mean by that? The central accusation unfurled by the Times comes from Lyndsey Fifield, who dated Platner from 2013 to 2015. Fifield is a Republican activist, which is probably enough reason for some people to be dismissive of the claims: Her partisan reasons for raising issues about Platner's behavior and character are obvious. Nevertheless, Fifield claims that Platner often grabbed her, dragged her, and shoved her during arguments and when he was drinking; he once "twisted her arm behind her back, shoved her into a bedroom and held the door closed from the other side so she couldn't get out," she told the Times. Fifield denied that he ever seriously hurt her, instead characterizing his behavior as "rough."

In an appearance on MSNBC last night, Platner strongly denied that any of these altercations took place, though he has conceded to being a bad boyfriend in the past and has chalked this up to psychological trauma from his service as a U.S. Marine. The Times could not corroborate this part of Fifield's narrative, though she claims she provided them with ample sources who could do so. In a post on X, Fifield slammed the Times for failing to include accusations of sexual assault allegedly made by other women.

"The journalists I trusted who convinced me to share a story I never wanted to tell methodically delayed and twisted this into a gift to the Platner campaign," she wrote.

Supporters of Platner do not see it this way. Progressive commentator Cenk Uygur castigated the Times on X, calling the paper a "gossip rag" engaged in hyping up a "bullshit story."

So conservatives are mad that the story doesn't go harder against Platner, and Democrats are mad that it exists at all. That might lead an independent-minded person to conclude the story is right on the money, but I actually see some merit in both sets of criticisms. Fifield says that she provided corroboration that isn't sourced in the story, and that she was told there were sexual assault victims who would go on the record. Instead, the Times focused on other past relationships they describe as "unsettling and at times emotionally wrenching." But that's unfair: No person accused of "emotionally wrenching" behavior can possibly disprove it, since it's entirely subjective. Focusing on those elements of Platner's behavior seems unfair.

The Times is on firmer ground when it effectively catches Platner in a lie with respect to his tattoo. Platner has claimed he had no idea the skull tattoo that marked his chest for 20 years was associated with Nazism, but Fifield provided the Times with fairly compelling proof that he did in fact know. Platner lying about that doesn't necessarily mean he's lying when he unequivocally states that the physical abuse did not take place, but it arguably speaks to his credibility.

Of course, all of that is beside the point if one applies the standards of the #MeToo era, which were simply that all women should be believed when they make an accusation of assault or sexual misconduct. This was, of course, the standard applied by progressive activists, Democrats, and many in the mainstream media when they considered Christine Blasey Ford's accusation against then Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. For example, Rep. Ro Khanna (D–Calif.), a progressive Democrat and major supporter of Platner, cited the believe-all-women ethos when he called on Kavanaugh to withdraw in 2018.

I believe Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.

I believe Deborah Ramirez.

I believe Anita Hill.

Brett Kavanaugh should not be on the Supreme Court.

— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) September 28, 2018

Note that Khanna has not called on Platner to drop out of the Senate race—even though there is still time for Maine Democrats to select a different candidate—and even intends to continue campaigning with him.

That's one prominent example of Kavanaugh/Platner hypocrisy, but there are countless others, including Sen. Ed Markey (D–Mass) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D–R.I.) and leftist commentators Krystal Ball, Kyle Kulinski, and Emma Vigeland. These people all believed Blasey Ford was telling the truth about Kavanaugh, even though there was no corroborating evidence whatsoever that he groped her; indeed, there was no actual evidence that the two had ever met. With Platner and Fifield, the fact that they dated for two years—and the relationship was at times very toxic—is not even in dispute.

While it would be a good idea for everyone to move away from the excesses of the #MeToo era, don't expect partisans to do so consistently. The frustrating truth is that both sides are perfectly willing to overlook huge red flags when evaluating their own people; when it's somebody from the other team, though, the rules will be applied mercilessly and with blinding moral fervor.

The post Graham Platner Has Made #MeToo Democrats and Their Enemies Switch Sides appeared first on Reason.com.