Paul Thomas Anderson and composer Johnny Greenwood are throwing a full-on tantrum over the perfectly legal use of a snippet from the *Phantom Thread* score in the smash-hit documentary *Melania*. According to reports, the filmmakers behind *One Battle After Another*—a project spotlighting former First Lady Melania Trump—secured all necessary rights to weave in Greenwood’s haunting strings, yet Anderson’s camp is crybabying in the press, whining about artistic integrity and implying some moral foul. This isn’t just Hollywood drama; it’s a textbook case of elite snobbery clashing with First Amendment realities, where a licensed clip becomes the villain simply because it elevates a narrative the lefty tastemakers despise.
Dig deeper, and the irony sharpens like a well-honed KA-BAR. *Phantom Thread* itself is a tale of control, obsession, and fragile egos in high society—mirroring Anderson’s meltdown over his music gracing a film that humanizes Melania amid her husband’s unapologetic 2A advocacy. Remember, Donald Trump’s staunch defense of gun rights, from calling out ATF overreach to championing concealed carry reciprocity, has painted the Trumps as public enemy #1 for the gun-grabbers. By crybullying this score usage, Anderson and Greenwood aren’t protecting their art; they’re signaling to the cultural gatekeepers that pro-2A stories deserve sonic sabotage. It’s the same playbook Hollywood uses to blacklist conservative voices—legal hurdles be damned when ideology demands purity tests.
For the 2A community, this is a win wrapped in petty whining: it spotlights how even neutral creative tools get weaponized against us. As *Melania* surges in popularity, racking up views that dwarf Anderson’s arthouse flops, it proves independent creators can bypass the establishment echo chamber. Gun owners take note—support these docs, stream them relentlessly, and remind the crybabies that the culture war isn’t just about ballots or bullets; it’s about who controls the soundtrack. When elites clutch their pearls over fair use in a pro-Trump flick, it’s confirmation we’re hitting nerves. Keep building parallel institutions, patriots—our Second Amendment spirit demands nothing less.
