Disqualified
The cheeked tongue department presents the following editorial:
I was amused at a recent report that a columnist for the LA Times, Tina Daunt had postulated that a presidential run by Fred Thompson might be hurt because he portrayed a racist in his previous acting career. "So can "Law & Order" actor and former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) become the first presidential candidate with this credit? Thompson played a white supremacist, spewing anti-Semitic comments and fondling an autographed copy of "Mein Kampf" on a television drama 19 years ago."
If that is so, I wondered who else could be made politically irrelevent from past television or film roles. As Ms. Daunt remarked, Arnold Schwartzenegger's political career was not hurt by playing a robot bent on murder and the ultimate destruction of humanity. Perhaps, it was because he switched sides in the sequel. But who else could be hurt by prior evil roles?
While currently having no political aspirations that I know of, James Earl Jones seems to be first on the disqualification list. Being the voice of the evil Darth Vader for not one but three movies (plus about two lines at the end of Star Wars III), Jones has to live down destroying planets, dismembering his progeny and being a cruel, heartless villan. In fact, when his character finally does redeem himself, at the end of Star Wars VI, it is in the voice of another actor entirely. And, early in his acting career, Jones was the bombadier in an aircraft that nuked Russia, in Dr. Strangelove. With that kind of baggage, no politics for you, Mr. Jones!
And how about Martin Sheen? He's never been shy regarding politics. In fact, he played the President in the recent television series "The West Wing." Should he have even been let near the White House set, after playing Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Gettysburg? Remember, the Confederates were on the side that was for preserving slavery. How much more racist could you be than that? Shouldn't his playing of Watergate figure John Dean, gangster Pretty Boy Floyd and deserter Private Eddie Slovak have disqualified him from both the fictional White House and any real political participation?
I was amused at a recent report that a columnist for the LA Times, Tina Daunt had postulated that a presidential run by Fred Thompson might be hurt because he portrayed a racist in his previous acting career. "So can "Law & Order" actor and former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) become the first presidential candidate with this credit? Thompson played a white supremacist, spewing anti-Semitic comments and fondling an autographed copy of "Mein Kampf" on a television drama 19 years ago."
If that is so, I wondered who else could be made politically irrelevent from past television or film roles. As Ms. Daunt remarked, Arnold Schwartzenegger's political career was not hurt by playing a robot bent on murder and the ultimate destruction of humanity. Perhaps, it was because he switched sides in the sequel. But who else could be hurt by prior evil roles?
While currently having no political aspirations that I know of, James Earl Jones seems to be first on the disqualification list. Being the voice of the evil Darth Vader for not one but three movies (plus about two lines at the end of Star Wars III), Jones has to live down destroying planets, dismembering his progeny and being a cruel, heartless villan. In fact, when his character finally does redeem himself, at the end of Star Wars VI, it is in the voice of another actor entirely. And, early in his acting career, Jones was the bombadier in an aircraft that nuked Russia, in Dr. Strangelove. With that kind of baggage, no politics for you, Mr. Jones!
And how about Martin Sheen? He's never been shy regarding politics. In fact, he played the President in the recent television series "The West Wing." Should he have even been let near the White House set, after playing Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Gettysburg? Remember, the Confederates were on the side that was for preserving slavery. How much more racist could you be than that? Shouldn't his playing of Watergate figure John Dean, gangster Pretty Boy Floyd and deserter Private Eddie Slovak have disqualified him from both the fictional White House and any real political participation?
Labels: tomfoolery, U.S. Politics
posted by DMinor | 9:08 PM
1 Comments:
Hmmmm...taking a chance there with that fickle Newsranker. If Jones or Sheen should call a press conference and annnounce candidacy for prez tomorrow, you'll look the fool!
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