Satire? Meryl Streep made angry call to CBS Teachers Rock. Josh Groban and mom speak out.

[madfloridian]

All our tweets and all our emails and petitions did not get their attention as much as a paragraph in an ad for the show. It is anti-public school teacher, anti-union.

From a site called Students Last, a play on Michelle Rhee's anti-union Students First. (It appears to be satire, but it is surely calling attention to the CBS show. So that's good.)

Update: Stars Threaten to Walk

What bothered Ms. Felton lies in the fine print at the bottom of the concert promotion. Alongside food and tee-shirt vendors is listed an entertainment booth entitled "Rock-a-Teacher.” Further description reads, “Like an old fashioned dunking booth only better. Live teachers. Real stones. C’mon, you know you’ve always wanted to.”

Marsha was shocked. “I read it over and over again." She began to spread her rage, as so many do, by sending a Tweet that linked to the advertisement and read, "Teachers Rock=Rocks@Teachers.”

Los Angeles - TMZ is reporting that several stars scheduled to appear at the "Teachers Rock" concert have threatened to pull out if teachers are actually rocked. According to TMZ sources, Leslee Dart, Meryl Streep's publicist, made a fury-filled phone call to CBS, which is scheduled to record and broadcast the concert later this month. She is quoted as screaming at CBS President and CEO Les Moonves, "Meryl's in a god damn union for Christ's sake. She has to work with Teamsters. Damn right she wants this rectified." No word yet on Moonves' reaction.

Also unhappy about the "sport" of stoning teachers is Josh Groban. People magazine is reporting that Groban expressed his concerns to Walmart and Walden Media producers after getting an earful from his art teacher mom. According to sources close to the star, Groban's mother is angry about more than just the stoning booth. She objects to the entire event which is a publicity vehicle for the movie "Don't Give Up." "I don't want you lending your time and talents to a movie that glorifies yet another way to turn public schools over to charter chains," Lindy Groban is reported as saying. "They can call it whatever they want, but this concert is not about honoring teachers. It's being put together by the same people who did 'Waiting for Superman.'"

Here is some background on this event from my earlier post.

So many big stars on board for CBS Teachers Rock to push Parent Trigger laws. TFA to get proceeds.

The benefit concert will showcase live performances by Dierks Bentley, Fun. and Josh Groban and special appearances by Viola Davis from "Won't Back Down," Josh Hutcherson, Miranda Cosgrove, Pauley Perrette, Roshon Fegan and many more. Proceeds from TEACHERS ROCK will benefit three non-profit organizations: DonorsChoose.org, Feeding America and Teach for America.

..." The TEACHERS ROCK concert will feature scenes from Walden Media's upcoming motion picture "Won't Back Down," released by 20th Century Fox. The film stars Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis

Also in the concert are Carrie Underwood, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Garner, Matthew Morrison, Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, Usher, Maroon 5's Adam Levine and James Valentine, and more.

Proceeds do NOT go to help public schools. TFA gets the proceeds. I hope more stars fight back against this outrage.

[No Elephants]

1. WTF?

No, seriously, :wtf:

[madfloridian]

2. The show and stars are for real. The stoning and star outrage are satire....unfortunately.

In spite of all the emails to the stars, they still will appear. Guess they need the publicity and probably money. I notice many TV shows are importing Australian or Canadian stars often now.