Ballet Audience Boos Tea Party Billionaire David Koch

[underpants]

http://thinkprogress.org/2011/01/04/brooklyn-boos-koch/

David Koch masks his role as one of the top financiers of the Tea Party movement and pro-polluter front groups by loudly tacking his name to more laudable charities, like the New York city ballet. Koch, who has professed his devotion to “The Nutcracker” ballet performance by Alexei Ratmansky, made a matching grant of $2.5 million so that it could go on this season. At a special opening of the performance at the Brooklyn Academy of Music shortly before Christmas, Koch made an appearance to talk about his donation. The Financial Times’ John Gapper was in the audience and witnessed a crowd of “harried Brooklyn moms and salivating balletomanes” erupting in boos at the sight of the Tea Party billionaire:

The excitement started even before the show when David H. Koch, the co-owner of Koch Industries, the largest privately-own industrial conglomerate in the US, came out on stage to talk about his $2.5m sponsorship of the production. Most people applauded but there were also boos from near where I sat in the balcony, followed by an angry debate in the row in front of me, with one of the booers declaring “he’s an evil man” and a couple next to her telling her to “shut up” and to leave the theatre. <...> Once Mr Koch had left the stage, the booing stopped and the ballet started.


http://thinkprogress.org/2011/01/04/brooklyn-boos-koch/

[alcibiades_mystery]

1. BAM is located in one of the most liberal areas in the whole country

I'm surprised an asshole like Koch could stomach even being in the building.

[MedicalAdmin]

60. If you want to sleep with a balerina you need to go where they are...

and pretend to like their amazing and great art. That's just my guess. They should have pelted the fascist bastard with shoes.

FDRs greatest mistake was not prosecuting war criminals who were aiding the Nazis with oil and other supplies and material before and during WW2. He should have lined papa Koch, Prescott Boosh and the rest of the John Birch Society and had them shot for treason during a time of war. MAn, that one has come back to bite us in the ass.

[JackRiddler]

75. Come on, he's of the national ruling class. Where do you think he lives, Indiana?

[DeSwiss]

2. K&R

The man is CANCER.

[kag]

49. Now, now...

Let's not denigrate a perfectly respectable disease.

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[glitch]

3. Good. They are not respectable, they need to be made to feel like the pariahs they are.

Gangsters don't belong in polite company.

[socialist_n_TN]

4. I want his face and vital statistics on a playing card.............

You know, like they had for Saddam Hussien and the Baathists. Surely there are 52 evil capitalists faces to complete a deck of those cards.

[lonestarnot]

8. Excellent idea! Swampie?

[socialist_n_TN]

10. Thanks. I thought that it would be a nice way..........

to show that SOME of us aren't cowed by the rich elites. They won't budge unless they feel at least a LITTLE threatened. That type of thing could be taken several different ways by the people portrayed and it wouldn't be an OVERT threat.

[Enthusiast]

15. Yup nt

[BlueMTexpat]

31. I'd buy at least one of those decks! n/t

[Plucketeer]

34. How about rolls of toilet paper

with the brother's mug printed on each sheet?




BOEHNER - McDUNCELL JOBS PROGRAM

[BlueMTexpat]

38. Yikes - that would likely give me constipation.

:spray: I wouldn't want them anywhere near my private parts.

I do like the deck of cards concept though - as a constant reminder of who the biggest a**holes are. In fact, I don't know why the DNC, DSCC and DCCC don't compile and issue decks of cards listing incumbent Repubs together with a couple salient bullet points containing their most memorable hypocrisies, betrayals or insane utterings for fundraising - and for educating voters.

[Duval]

47. LOL!! U R funny! :)

[liberalmike27]

71. I hear that brother

I hope for a time when they fear going out into the public for fear of...well, we'll let the imagination take hold.

After another two years of nothing, there are going to be a lot of angry desperate people out there. They won't like the rabble when they are angry.

[socialist_n_TN]

76. Yep bro!. Marie Antoinette wasn't particularly happy........

with the public was she? And vice versa! :)

[CatWoman]

5. K; R

:kick:

evil bastard

[brooklynite]

6. Not really booing...

I was in the audience...I heard some hissing, but nothing overly vocal.

[lonestarnot]

9. Do you have all of your ear hairs?

[gateley]

11. Then it was up to you to begin the "off with his head" chant. Be alert next time. nt

[underpants]

12. Okay thanks

first hand knowledge is always best.

How was the show?

[brooklynite]

23. NYC Ballet it's not...

...and for a first night premiere, the dancing seemed to need some work, but the plot, choreography, sets and costumes suggest it could have staying power.

[Demeter]

43. Nutcracker is the Bread and Butter of Every Ballet Co

"staying power" :rofl:

[Bluenorthwest]

54. Acually, New York City Ballet it is...

The performance in question was given by the New York City Ballet Company, in the theater at BAM. What you saw was the New York City Ballet. American Ballet Theater it was not. Perhaps that is what you meant.

[UTUSN]

7. K&R #30 n/t

[Raine]

13. Types like him shouldn't even be allowed among decent people

everytime they go out they should be booed and shunned. Let them KNOW they can't do that type of thing and not expect to pay a penalty amongst those they are crapping on. :mad:

[VeryConfused]

14. Good the man is scum

[SOS]

16. David Koch and NY arts

Koch gave money to Lincoln Center.
The sell-outs at Lincoln Center renamed the New York State Theater in exchange for some renovations.
It is now officially the David H. Koch Theater.

Please, never call it by that name.

It is forever the New York State Theater!

[MedicalAdmin]

61. We could start calling it the shit house. Waddaya think?

[SOS]

79. Better than it's current name!

:)

[CTyankee]

84. Or the Koch Sucker

[bullwinkle428]

17. I guess the wealthy elitist sociopaths like Koch will

still need their entertainment, long after they've destroyed the economic foundation of this country.

[formercia]

18. Stalin was a patron of the Theater

that didn't make him a better person.

[dembotoz]

19. next year he will fund the Dancing palin review

coming to a tea party convention near you.

[Daphne08]

20. He sponsors a lot of PBS programs as well.

This story makes me feel good.

[lfairban]

69. Your post got me thinking that I remembered Koch from a PBS sponsor credit.

And when I think, I Google. And when I Google, I find:

Koch contributed $7 million to the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) show Nova,<31> and is a contributer to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., including a $20 million gift to the American Museum of Natural History, creating the David H. Koch Dinosaur Wing and a contribution of $15 million to the National Museum of Natural History to create the new David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins, which opened on the museum's 100th anniversary of its location on the National Mall on March 17, 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_H._Koch (search for "PBS")

[midnight]

21. Good..... Art is to be shared and enjoyed, not hoarded by greedy tea wingers...

[Celeborn Skywalker]

22. Funny.

I would've thought that he would consider the ballet to be one of those elitist, latte-sipping, wine-drinking, liberal type things, ya know? Good that the audience booed his sorry ass.

[MedicalAdmin]

62. Ummm he's not supporting the ballet.

He's making sure that his supply of dancers doesn't run out. He's not a patron, he's a perv.

[tosh]

24. Thanks. This post served as a reminder for me

to look up the products that this filth produces

http://www.kochind.com/IndustryAreas/default.asp

so I can avoid buying them ever.

[russspeakeasy]

42. tosh

that was better than the original post...thanks...

[lfairban]

70. sombody did that already

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9202161

[WilliamPitt]

25. I was saying Boo-urns.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up4LTKxe0PA

;)

[CatWoman]

67. LOL!!!!!!!

[AmandaMae]

26. Good.

[LeftinOH]

27. Good. He needs to know what the public thinks of him. n/t

[Zoeisright]

28. Koch-suckers is the perfect name for his followers.

He and he brother are evil wastes of oxygen and water.

[femrap]

29. He is evil! nt

[Raksha]

30. Glad to hear it.

Filthy rich scumbags like Koch should be made to feel like the pariahs they are.

[Green_Lantern]

32. so is it ok for conservatives to boo liberals?

Or will I get a lecture telling me it's ok to boo conservatives because they are "bad."

[Name removed]

36. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[prodigals0n]

51. conservatives boo liberals just by being alive

Their entire existence is one long uninterrupted boo. It's who they are and their entire reason to exist.

conservatives are the enemy. Fuck conservatives and anyone who offers the enemy comfort and support.

[Green_Lantern]

72. I'm not that bitter to actually want conservatives to be dead...

They aren't "the enemy", they are just wrong.

[prodigals0n]

78. Then why did you bring up conservatives being dead?

I never mentioned conservatives being dead.

And they are the enemy because, in case you haven't noticed, that's what they've considered us ever since Nixon compiled his enemies list and all the rest of them from that time forward have treated us the same way.

Fuck conservatives and anyone who gives them aid and comfort. They are the enemy. They've destroyed this nation economically and morally. Their bullshit ideas have caused and continue to cause untold suffering here and around the world. They've usurped our rights and they're hell bent on destroying the middle class. Class warfare is the means to their goal of a feudal society and they're well on their way to that goal. Money is their religion and the dollar is their god.

Why should I give a damn about any of them when they don't give a damn about any of us? They aren't only wrong, they are WILLFULLY wrong and that, in my opinion, is one definition of genuine EVIL.

[Green_Lantern]

81. wow...now they're evil?

I'm not sure that's even rational. It is nice to have a scapegoat.

[prodigals0n]

86. Yes. Evil.

The Koch Brothers. The Bush family (entire). Speaker Boner. Dick Cheney. Not scapegoats. Evil.

Just check out their handiwork.

They're evil. You're deluded.

[Green_Lantern]

87. "evil" is a relative term really...

I'm not the judge of who is evil, only God can judge that.

[socialist_n_TN]

88. Judge them by their actions. They're Evil............

and I capitalized the "E". When you fuck other people over for your own gain, that's evil. When you do it EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE MORE THAN YOU CAN EVER USE, that's Evil.

Capitalism and capitalists are Satanic.

[Green_Lantern]

89. I don't think economics can be defined by morality...

I think laissez-faire capitalism is silly and unproductive but not evil.

Hurting people for your own gain is evil(the actions are) but I'm not judging a person as evil.

The people in question could be just ignorant or truly believe they are doing right.

Without capitalists opening businesses there'd be far less jobs.

Small business owners are capitalists too.

[Sparkly]

58. Yes.

The very next time a liberal donates a ton of money to an organization dedicated to, say, CUTTING the Arts, after supporting the Arts for years, then they'd certainly deserve to be booed by the Arts-Cutters for their past deeds and hypocrisy.

[Green_Lantern]

74. Koch is cutting the arts by donating $20 million to the arts?

So do you support booing people who donate money to art that's sacrilegious?

[MedicalAdmin]

63. First amendment dude.

First amendment. Doesn't mean that they are correct to boo liberals.

BTW - are you suggesting that booing of liberals hasn't been going on for at least 30 years in this country. Pull you head out of ....

[Green_Lantern]

73. Didn't say that they have no right to boo..

I just don't think it's very mature or offers any benefit to anyone.

I think the "conservatives did it first" excuse is childish.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

68. At first glance, it appears that Koch supports the arts...a little farther down the road

his contribution will hinge on performances and displays of the "right" kind of art. Watch for paintings depicting the heroic deeds of Ronald Reagan, choral masterpieces which praise of the sanctified invasion of Iraq and operas glorifying wealthy conservatives and villifying liberals.

[Lucian]

77. So we should kiss his ass because he funds the arts?

[Green_Lantern]

82. when did I say to kiss his ass?

I just think booing him is childish and serves no purpose.

All it does is make him look rational and the person booing look stupid.

You can't lose it when a conservative says something because you end up looking like you have no rational argument.

[Lucian]

83. I think it's okay for anyone to boo anyone.

It's a form of social protest. I'm not against protesting someone vile like him.

[Green_Lantern]

85. yeah sure and was it just "social protest" when people at

The town hall meetings disrupted pro-health reform politicians?

So you supported tea party rallies as "social protests"?

[Initech]

33. Funny, I thought conservatives hated the arts.

[tpsbmam]

50. Corporations give because it's good PR, gives them cachet, provides big time

tax write-offs, etc etc. TONS of corporations (and their Republican executives) support the arts in a big way.

[elleng]

35. GREAT to hear this!

'Studied' ballet there, when I was 7, and of course Brooklyn is one of the great places to be, and to be 'from!'

[librechik]

37. His trophy wife,Julia?

what a crock

[prodigals0n]

52. I thought she was his granddaughter. nt

[librechik]

55. I'm sure it was true love.

:eyes:

[prodigals0n]

59. Just the thought of true love with that reptile and any woman.

I think I'm going to be sick.

:puke:

Yep. Sick.

:puke:

[Ron Green]

39. Tax his ass and fund the arts.

Don't give him a pulpit or a memorial.

[mstinamotorcity]

41. Mr Koch's wittle donation

is the norm for people like him. They wreak havoc on others and donate a sizable amount to get noticed, and hold hands with the organization as if to say " See I am not as bad as people think, I give to Charities. Since the days of my youth I have witnessed individuals like the Koch Brothers, with all their wrongdoings, try and buy the forgiveness of the American people with large contributions to some charitable organization. They feel they have done their good DEED, and Heaven will have trumpeting angels waiting at the gates.

If he thinks the ballet was an embarrassment, he should have donated to the Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe. That would have got my money!!!!I would love to have been there to see him get some real booting,I mean booing from the crowd.

[katty]

44. Greg Palast has written about Koch Indus - years ago

Koch is only NOW being put in the spotlight-certainly not enough.

[BrklynLiberal]

45. The natives are getting restless.....

[Duval]

46. Good! Wish I'd been there!

[tpsbmam]

48. Bwwwaaaahhhhhaaaaa! I worked in the dance world in NYC before I went back to

grad school (and grew up in NYC). Do not fuck with NYC arts lovers -- very liberal, smart, educated, well-read group they tend to be! I love it! I can't blame NYC Ballet for taking the money -- money is money and hard to raise but LOVE the audience's savvy & rejection of the asshole. Man, do I wish I'd been in the audience because (a) I'd loved to have joined in the booing but (2) mainly because I MISS NYC theater, dance, museums, etc. Big time!! I just don't miss NYC hassles & costs. :P

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[prodigals0n]

53. That disgusting, evil motherfucker looks like Mr. Potter from "It's A Wonderful Life" nt

[wilt the stilt]

56. It's called buying people and buying a wife.

She's a ho.Can you imagine having to touch that fat fuck's body and penis. That my friends is a real ho

[MedicalAdmin]

64. Ho's got honor.

The real scum is the perp who purchases people.

[proud2BlibKansan]

57. Good. Tell him to stay in NY.

He's as welcome as Fred Phelps here in his home state.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

65. I could have sworn I heard Ann Coulter dissing Pelosi for supporting ballet...

...and suggesting that conservatives support "real" charities. Hmm...

To my mind, the thugs who support the arts are essentially just trying to buy them, and quell the voices who oppose Fascism.

[KansDem]

66. If that's Koch and his wife, who's the woman at the far right?

:shrug:

Mrs. Koch has a nice-looking tiara...

[sarcasmo]

80. Good for the people booing.