There’s a reason that Hitler and Mao imprisoned and murdered intellectuals, teachers, and writers, but took over the entertainment sectors of their countries and kept those people around.

Celebrity reaction to President Joe Biden’s first primetime, public address since he took the oath of office gives a window into the reasons. With their platforms, celebrities are perfect propaganda machines, as was exhibited last night, as Breitbart News reported:

Joe Biden’s address came fifty days into his presidency. He hit former president Donald Trump right out of the gate, saying “more deaths, more infections, more stress, and more loneliness” was the result of the coronavirus being met with “silence” and “denials” a year ago when the first positive cases became public. Biden didn’t mention Trump’s decision on January 31, 2020 to declare a national health emergency and to impose a ban on travel to and from China. This came before the first COVID-19 diagnosis in the U.S. And Joe Biden was still holding crowded campaign events in March 2020.

There’s a reason “Dementia Joe” was trending earlier today, as he appears to have some cognitive difficulties with facts. This didn’t stop the Bread and Circuses crowd from falling all over themselves to praise what was essentially a dictatorial speech.

Leading in: The Meathead, Director and Actor Rob Reiner, who traded all the bile he spewed at Trump for kisses and praise for Joe Biden:

Thank God we have a real President. It makes you cry.

— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) March 12, 2021

Yeah, I want to cry too—from laughter. Joe Biden is a real president like I’m a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model.

Biden also condemned Asian-American hate crimes. This, despite the fact that Speaker Nancy Pelosi and New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio encouraged celebrations for the Chinese New Year in 2020, just when the Wuhan Flu was kicking into gear in these two, hardest hit states. California Democrats spent 2016 trying to cancel Asian-American achievement with Prop 16. The hate crimes are real; Biden’s concern for them? All manufactured outrage.

But affirmative action actor Daniel Dae Kim gushed all over this empty symbolism:

Thank you, @JoeBiden.
Thank you for being a @POTUS who sees us as Americans instead of scapegoats. #UnitedWeStand #stopasianhate https://t.co/F1UwiOJIus

— Daniel Dae Kim (@danieldaekim) March 12, 2021

And for someone who has made his reputation off one TV show and subsequent films, and dines out regularly over being a victim of dictatorial government overreach in World War II, you would think George Takei would have taken a good look in the mirror before posting this.

The American Rescue Plan is already saving jobs. When its benefits are in full force and it helps pull us out from under the weight of this calamitous year, remember that every GOP Congressmember voted against it. Return the favor by voting against them in their next election.

— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) March 12, 2021

Mao Zedong’s quote from the Little Red Book is on full display with this bunch. They are all being played like violins, and they do not care one whit.

“We should support whatever our enemies oppose and oppose whatever our enemies support.”

If Conservatives and Republicans opposed eggplants, they would be fully on board with an eggplant awareness campaign.

Oh, wait….