Actress Eva Longoria directs a movie that has already been discredited, is obviously worried it will flop, and is now publicly degrading herself with lies in search of affirmative action.
Longoria’s feature directing debut, Flamin’ Hot, claims to tell the true story of a Hispanic janitor who invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos 35 or so years ago.
The janitor in question is a man named Richard Montañez, who has been dining out and making himself rich off this story for decades.
So the story goes, he was sweeping floors at a Frito-Lay factory and ended up creating one of the most popular snack foods in the history of mankind.
Obviously, that is tailor-made for one of those rags-to-riches stories America loves. Even better, Montañez is an ex-con and gang member who got his life together and made something of himself.
Good for him. Except…
The story is not true.
Although serial liar Longoria is presenting it as true, it is just not…
Nothing less than the far-left Los Angeles Times debunked Montañez’s fable back in 2021 before Longoria began filming her lie. Montañez is unquestionably a go-getter, but it is all a hustle based on the lie that he invented something he did not:
There’s just one problem: Montañez didn’t invent Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, according to interviews with more than a dozen former Frito-Lay employees, the archival record and Frito-Lay itself.
“None of our records show that Richard was involved in any capacity in the Flamin’ Hot test market,” Frito-Lay wrote in a statement to The Times, in response to questions about an internal investigation whose existence has not been previously disclosed. “We have interviewed multiple personnel who were involved in the test market, and all of them indicate that Richard was not involved in any capacity in the test market.
So now, Eva is out there pre-excusing her potential flop (who wants to see a movie based on a true story that is not true?) and hurling emotional blackmail and lies to land another directing gig.
“A white male can direct a $200 million film, fail and get another one,” she whined during something called the Kering Women in Motion talk at the Cannes Film Festival. “That’s the problem. I get one at-bat, one chance, work twice as hard, twice as fast, twice as cheap.”
Here are eight female directors who have directed expensive flops and earned another at-bat:
- Ava DuVernay – A Wrinkle in Time (2018) easily cost nearly $200 million to produce and advertise. She has been working steadily ever since and will direct another feature later this year.
- Patty Jenkins – Even by pandemic standards, the $200 million Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) was a financial disaster and embarrassment. The result? Jenkins was immediately offered a Star Wars.
- Elizabeth Banks – In 2019, Banks directed a box office catastrophe called Charlie’s Angels. Between production and promotion, the price tag probably topped $100 million. It grossed $73 million worldwide. Banks again proved she can not direct with the almost-as-bad Cocaine Bear (2023).
- Kathryn Bigelow – This brilliant Oscar winner has worked steadily for decades despite two hugely expensive flops on her resume: Stange Days (1995) — $50 million budget (figure another $25 million to promote); $8 million box office – and K-19: The Widowmaker (2002) — $92 million budget (figure at least $30 million to promote); $66 million box office.
- Angelina Jolie – Jolie has directed three flops and one under-performer (2014’s Unbroken). She will next direct a feature called Without Blood.
- Catherine Hardwicke – This talented director helmed the box office failure Nativity Story (2006) — $35 million production budget (double that for promotion); $46 million box office — and jumped right into the Twilight franchise in 2008.
- Chloé Zhao – This Oscar winner earned the distinction of directing the worst flop in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s history. The Eternals cost over $250 million to produce and promote. It grossed just $402 million. Zhao has at least three feature films in the works.
- Mimi Leder – Pay it Forward (2000) probably cost $80 to $100 million to produce and promote. It flopped with just $56 million at the box office. Leder has directed two features since. Plenty of female directors continued to work despite a series of box office disappointments, but I think you get the point.
Yes, of course, left-wing Hollywood is sexist and racist. All left-wing institutions are sexist and racist. But those directors—male and female—who get a second chance after a big flop tend to have one thing in common: a prior track record.
They call it merit, sweetheart. When someone is gambling $200 million, no one cares if you have a penis.
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