Cameron: Yes, Avatar's Political

James Cameron struck back at conservative critics of his blockbuster Avatar on Tuesday night, telling the crowd at an industry screening, "I've heard people say this film is un-American, while part of being an American is having the freedom to have dissenting ideas," and eliciting applause from the audience. While right-wing commentators like John Podhoretz and John Nolte have accused the film of being a "deep expression of anti-Americanism—kind of," Cameron remained unfazed. "I think everyone should be a tree hugger," he said. "As an artist, I felt a need to say something about what I saw around me." Seen any eight-foot-tall blue aliens walking around lately? We must have missed them.