Memo to Megan Fox: Hitler is a four-letter word in Hollywood

When actress Megan Fox, then-star of the “Transformers” franchise decided to liken her boss, the director Michael Bay, to “Hitler” in an interview with a British magazine, her star-seeking fortunes changed.

“Fire her right now,” Steven Spielberg reportedly said, according to Bay’s account in the July 2011 issue of GQ.

Fox’s tactless Hitler talk wasn’t the only reason she was canned. According to Bay, “She was in a different world, on her BlackBerry.” And according to “Transformers” screenwriter Ehren Kruger “She was there for rehearsals. But she seemed like an actress who didn’t want to be a part of it.”

The sudden revelation of a steely Spielberg has the blogosphere aghast. Who knew that the man who comes off as so polished and benevolent could have a hard heart? But as it turns out, even the saintly sculptor of “Schindler’s List” has a wild streak, a tempestuous side.

When Hollywood’s bit-players jab at Jewish sensitivities, the results are predictable (just ask Oliver Stone, Charlie Sheen, Lars Von Trier, Mel Gibson et al). But Spielberg has a reputation that precedes him and doesn’t seem the type to succumb to hot-headed impulse. Which probably only means Fox deserved to get the boot. Think about it: If your director, cast and crewmates take to a national glossy to vent about your bad behavior it doesn’t exactly bode well for your staunch professionalism.

Spielberg, on the other hand, has a reputation for employing utmost civility and poise. As one of Hollywood’s most powerful, he’s the kind of industry class act that has a low tolerance for underlings who are under-mannered. Comparing one of his employees to Hitler was probably the final straw in a frequent display of crassness and conceit.