[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04GpY2OPxBc[/youtube]
Keith Olbermann: When celebrities and performers get involved in politics, obviously there can be an impact — the obvious example, Oprah Winfrey with Barack Obama. Is there any concern that they sometimes blowback, that it could be hurtful to a candidate or to a cause?
John Cusack: Yeah, I think when you say something is as important as what you say in some ways. And, you know, I certainly wouldn’t want to lecture the electorate or the American people about anything. But on the same token I have a right to speak out and speak my mind, and democracy requires participation. And some things are so egregious, and I think that this administration — as you’ve chronicled for seven years — has been so criminal and lawless that I think morality compels you to speak out.
I know, I know: Some will say they wish celebrities would stick to their jobs and leave politics to the politicians. I’d say if we had more politicians who would step up to their responsibilities, then the rest of us could stand down and stop clamoring.
People such as this actor John Cusack are bigger heroes to me than senators are. I have not seen alot of his movies but now I will make sure to.
ha! Missed that, RRA, but The Onion rocks.
I have great faith in the teachings of The Onion Testament.
Ryan, remember that THE ONION photo some years back, that had some guy wear OLD NAVY gear, and the caption underneath said:
“Dipshit wears OLD NAVY”
I can get by without incest.
What kills me is trying to shop for clothes and abiding by
Leviticus 19:19 “Neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.”
(Though that might be a bad translation. Possibly it’s supposed to read, “Neither shall ye come upon a garment mingled of woollen and linen… verily, I’m lookin’ at you, Bill.”
However, I agree that Old Navy is a scourge and an abomination.
“it’s not in the Bible ”
But Incest is.* So is that ok now?
If so, Tennessee will be happy.
*=Look up “Sodom & Gomorrah” after Lot and his daughters get “trapped” in a cave.
Kathy Griffin:
Nat, at The Film Experience, was way ahead of everybody when he started to smell something rancid emanating from Patricia Heaton, as far back as 2005.
Then there’s this political ad on youtube, approved by Jesus himself.
OMG, what did Patricia Heaton say about gay people?
Seattle, you sure about Sandler? I know that as a Jew, he’s a strong supporter of Israel. But otherwise, I’ve always had the idea that he was a Democrat…but what do I know?
As for Willis, I still remember that CHUD interview back when 16 BLOCKS was coming out, and he basically disowned Dubya. See? John McClane never can stand assholes. Just ask Hans Gruber.
Now Dennis Hopper and Alice Cooper, they’re GOPers…but Hopper was cool enough to ham up as a Rumsfeld-esque baddie in LAND OF THE DEAD, and hey Cooper is mother fucking Alice Cooper.
I mean, unlike Heaton, did they ever saw anything rude about gays? No.*
*=That I know of.
let’s not forget the other right-wing, conservative players in Hollywoodland…Bruce Willis, Adam Sandler and Jon Voight.
We’ve had discussions here before about the dearth of “important” conservative players in Hollywood. It’s funny to even imagine that Republican Freedom Festerval, RRA (and I’d have to imagine it, ‘cos I’d sure never watch it.)
We can count the “right-winger celebrities” on the fingers of one foot. Who’ve we got? Ron Silver? Patricia Heaton? Kelsey Grammer? See? Three names leap to mind and none of them leap past 3rd tier.
Are right-wing movie people really that scarce, or do the few who exist just find it wise to make themselves scarce? I’d have to guess that there are covens of closet conservatives in Hollywood the same way their are cabals of closet gay flimmakers. (and let’s not get distracted guessing how much those two overlap in a Venn diagram that twists into a Mobius strip.) Another fair assumption that — as in most communities and corporate entities — the higher up the ladder you go the tighter the grip on the oily rungs of the traditional establishment. It’s a long hard fall from up there.
Thanks to bebe and Saltire Flower for making an explicit and valuable point that I missed emphasizing. What makes John Cusack’s activism more impressive and really beyond reproach is that he doesn’t simply pop up his talking head as a semi-regular agitator on Larry King. He follows through by backing up his convictions with real and genuinely significant work in his day job.
War Inc. is no Dr Strangelove, though it clearly aspires to be. But for me the intent of the aspiration is as meaningful as the ultimate value of the film.
Because he’s trying. The movie wasn’t a complete success, but I’m grateful for the effort. The same way Sex and the City might not be a cinematic masterwork, it was still a campfire to gather around as an alternative to the standard cookie-cutter fare that’s authorized and certified as “viable” by the corporate decision makers.
Nope, I don’t know who the handful of production companies are behind the financing of War, Inc., nor do I think First Look International (the film’s US distributor) is a major power player — but I deeply appreciate them putting up the cash, sticking their necks out, reaching higher, and making an effort to say something meaningful.
We don’t see Time-Warner or Viacom or Sony having the balls to allocate a few mil to make movies with a political message. Why would they? The actors they hire might be progressive and their personal opinions tough to chew on, but the bottom line for the corporate hierarchy depends on the status quo of easily digestible comic-books and popcorn.
[ding! Flag pops up on the Rant Meter. Ride over. Get off.]
😎
Rob, well they for the most part keep to themselves it seems, unless you would count Kurt Russell, except he and buddy John Carpenter are more libertarians* than Republicans….
Zemeckis I know is a GOPer for a fact, which I don’t really care about, except that dude needs to make good movies again. BEOWULF and POLAR EXPRESS aint cutting it Bob.
And of course, the genius madman that is John Milius…..if there are so-called Republican major stars in H-town, they need to use their muscle to get that guy to making movies again.
I mean, the dude who gave us CONAN THE BARBARIAN, co-scripted APOCALYPSE NOW, and shot the cool BIG WEDNESDAY and DILLINGER, and also the Octagon in UFC……..hasn’t made a movie in a decade.
Yet Rob Cohen still works.
*=Conservatives will never forgive them for ESCAPE FROM L.A…
I am all for people speaking out against the criminal Bush presidency,
but it seems to me that it is much easier to get on the band wagon now. Where was everybody when the Dixie Chicks were vilified?
BTW, how can you respect a country that impeaches a president
for hanky panky and not for war crimes? It will take a long time before America regains respectability around the world. Impeaching Bush would be a start.
I know. Its only people who disagree who ask the people who are disagreeing to shut it. Check out Robert Duvall’s quotes on IMDB. And well, anyone who is on FoxNews is rather unwell (to put it politely).
RRA,
I agree with you about Sean Hannity’s double standard. I called in to his show and asked him on it. He said that since it was for charity, that it was OK. I got cut off before I could say anything beyond that.
And who is really going to say that Chuck Norris is anything higher than an J-List actor? I can’t think of one current actor/actress D-List or higher that leans to the right. Ah-nold doesn’t count.
Rob
“I’d say if we had more politicians who would step up to their responsibilities, then the rest of us could stand down and stop clamoring.”
Word, Ryan.
Is Chuck Norris an actor? I thought he was a species of wood.
I think one of the defining moments in my youth that turned me against the Conservative Orthodoxy was when you had Sean Hannity, and alot of those Fox News personalities, saying back in 2002-2004 of how Hollywood celebrities should shut up about politics and what not…and I bought that.
THEN he hosts some Freedom Fest or something, where he has right-winger celebrities speak out in favor of the Iraq War.
Which made me think, “wait shithead, you mean you simply want people who DISAGREE with you to shut up, but not those who agree with your viewpoint?”
What an Asshole.
Reminds me of alot of I noticed around the same time of how the same Neo-Cons who blasted the liberals as privliged Ivy League brats were themselves…..privliged Ivy League brats.
I agree with you Andrew, but I’ve always found it funny how actors who are liberal are usually told to shut up, while someone like Chuck Norris gets some sort of free ride. What I like about John Cusack is that he doesn’t just say a few words about an issue – he puts time, energy, and money into making films about what he believes in. I respect him for that.
Agree. And John Cusack made a comedy about his worst fears vis a vis this administration’s lawlessness and corporatization of our government. What’s really funny to me is that the classical definition of fascism, according to Mussolini himself, is the merging of government and business interests. Bravo for posting this, Ryan!!
Every citizen has the right to speak out, it’s called freedom of expression. I have, you have, actors have. Why they should not have this right? So, actors and actresses, let the world hear your opinions! Chin-up!