Ted Cruz took time during the Senate antitrust hearing about Netflix‘s proposed acquisition of Warner Brothers and its potential impact on monopolies and competition to grill Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos and Warner Bros Discovery chief revenue officer Bruce Campbell about Billie Eilish’s speech during the Sunday’s Grammy Awards, pushing the executives about how her speech reflects Hollywood’s left-wing political leanings.
“Did either of you watch the Grammys this week? One simple question, are we right now on stolen land,” Cruz asked, as Sarandos responded with a discomforted chuckle, responding that he has “no idea of the history of the this land where we’re sitting today.”
“It speaks volumes that neither of you are willing to say ‘hell no, we’re not on stolen land,’” Cruz said. “And I will say, at the Grammys, when you say an entertainer say ‘nobody is illegal while we’re on stolen land’ and then you see entertainers leap to their feet so excitedly at the notion that America is fundamentally illegitimate, it starts to convey the entertainment world is deeply corrupt.”
Without specifically saying Eilish’s name, he added that the singer “promptly went back to her $14 million mansion, and somehow that stolen land she wasn’t concerned about.”
A rep for Eilish declined to comment on the matter.
The music industry has been particularly critical toward ICE’s conduct across the country for months, with musicians growing more vocal after the shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis. Eilish was one of many musicians who aired out criticism toward the Trump Administration at the Grammys during her acceptance speech for song of the yea on Sunday, where she declared “Fuck ICE”
“I feel so honored every time I get to be in this room. And, as grateful as I feel, I honestly don’t feel like I need to say anything, but that no one is illegal on stolen land,” Eilish said. “It’s just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now, and I feel really hopeful in this room.”
Other artists who spoke out included album of the year winner Bad Bunny, who declared “ICE Out” during one of his speeches, while best new artist winner Olivia Dean called herself “a granddaughter of immigrants.”
In the press room Sunday, SZA called it “dystopian” to be celebrating while “people are getting snatched up and shot in the face on the street.”
The Senate subcommittee hearing is designed to oversee potential concerns on competition and markets and potential impact on consumers. Cruz’s questioning delved into culture wars, stating that the musicians’ display reflected a wider-spread rejection of conservatives and conservative viewpoints in Hollywood.
Cruz further said that Netflix “has long been a left-wing company,” noting Reed Hastings’ donations toward democratic causes and the company’s deal with the Obamas. He wasn’t the only Republican senator who pressed about political content Tuesday, with Sen. Eric Schmitt arguing the two companies are “promoting DEI and wokeness.”
Beyond the content questions, Sarandos and Campbell fielded questions about theatrical windows for films, who Netflix’s competitors are and how the merger would impact labor in the industry.
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