Article

2003-11-12 Fifth Column

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Atrus 2003-11-12 10:52:13 AM|| || Front Page|| [11138 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Big Al agrees:
The "quasi-hypnotic influence" of television in America has fostered a complacent nation that is a danger to democracy, former Vice President Al Gore said Tuesday. Gore, speaking on "Media and Democracy" at Middle Tennessee State University, told attendees the decline of newspapers as the country's dominant method of communication leaves average Americans without an outlet for scholarly debate.

Which is why he's trying to set up a "liberal" television news network. Guess he's figured out that he'll need a lot more stupid people if he's to have any chance to get elected again.

Posted by Steve 2003-11-12 11:02:42 AM|| 2003-11-12 11:02:42 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 I am ashamed to admit it but I went to see Mystic River and even thought Tim Robbins was good in it.

Posted by mhw 2003-11-12 11:09:08 AM|| 2003-11-12 11:09:08 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Clowning on celebs is one of my favorite pet projects. Especially actors. Moore otoh is a clown. I'd like to see that fat f*ck go up 3 flights of stairs w/out falling over.

I once took an acting class as an elective at a community college. The instructor was an old hippie but a real decent guy. He said candidly that actors make a living doing what kids do everyday - "playing pretend." I remember asking him why celebs feel the need to spew about politics like they know anything more then the average Joe. He said they get wrapped up in their own self-importance, figure people care what they think, and can't identify w/you or me anymore. Plus, the media perpetuates the crap over & over.

Maybe being an actor (for those that make it) makes them smarter then me in career choice, but I'd rather not take advice on politics or life from someone who "plays pretend" everyday for a living. As far as Bernhard goes, I'm from Michigan to. I feel bad for the citizens of New York but they can keep that skank, we don't want her back and hope the rest of the country doesn't hold her being born in our state against us.....

Posted by Jarhead 2003-11-12 11:22:28 AM|| 2003-11-12 11:22:28 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Some day there will be a wtf tax placed on these loudmouths.

WTF is a wtf tax? It what happens when you tell people who are otherwise your chief customer they are dumb and word doesn't get to them until later. Then, when the prospective consumer reads or otherwise finds out about how dumb American supposedly are according to these folks, they will say to themselves "wtf was that?" Then they will look at that Johnny Dip DVD or that Dizzy Chicks CD, and buy something else.

Posted by badanov 2003-11-12 11:29:11 AM|| [http://www.rkka.org] 2003-11-12 11:29:11 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 When I read about personal attacks on the President, I tend to think of the German submarine commander's lines about Churchill in the movie Das Boot:

"They say he's a drunk. They say he's a syphilitic. I must say, for a drunken syphilitic he's putting up a hell of a fight!"

Posted by Matt 2003-11-12 11:29:41 AM|| 2003-11-12 11:29:41 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Don't feel bad mhw - Eastwood directed it and he's good to go. I liked Robbins in Shawshank as well. However, in light of recent comments Robbins makes himself look fairly silly. I just feel glad in knowing that Robbins has to go home everynight to that ugly-assed bug-eyed b*tch Susan Sarandon. Being married to that sanctimonious self-righteous ho would probably be enough to make one gay.....who says there isn't some justice in the world.

Posted by Jarhead 2003-11-12 11:33:42 AM|| 2003-11-12 11:33:42 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 Well, they present a compelling case. But I'm going to withhold judgement until Leonardo DiCaprio and Pee Wee Herman have had their say.

Posted by BH 2003-11-12 11:34:06 AM|| 2003-11-12 11:34:06 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 George Bush is dumb, and he's President of the United States. Arnold Schwarzenegger is dumb, and he's Governor of California.

I wanna be dumb.

Posted by Chuck Simmins 2003-11-12 12:02:45 PM|| [http://blog.simmins.org] 2003-11-12 12:02:45 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 Funny how actors will dump insults all over whomever they don't like. I assume most people have noticed the screwed up lives of most celebrity actors; the drugs, multiple marriages, assults, etc.

Always remember Alfred Hithcock when asked why he treated his actors like children - he replied of course, they live in a world of make believe, what else do you expect?

Posted by John B 2003-11-12 12:14:59 PM|| 2003-11-12 12:14:59 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Let me try to put this in perspective. I would think Americans were dumb too, if I all I did was hang out with the Hollywood crowd and the likes of mike moore,tim robbins,susan saradon,ed asner, jane fonda, babra streisend, etc., etc. There's not a dumber, and more ignorant, bunch of bunnies on this earth than those arrogant s**theads. Fortunately, I read Rantburg so I know better.

Posted by Gasse Katze 2003-11-12 12:16:16 PM|| 2003-11-12 12:16:16 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 "Movie stars, is there nothing they don't know?" Homer Simpson.

Posted by Lucky 2003-11-12 12:30:07 PM|| 2003-11-12 12:30:07 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 And yet, Keanu Reeves manages to keep his mouth shut on politics and make rational comments about the rumors of his homosexuality. Go figure.

Posted by Ernest Brown 2003-11-12 12:59:28 PM|| [saturninretrograde.blogspot.com] 2003-11-12 12:59:28 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 Oh, Stupid is when you don't know anything and smart is when you know lots of stuff? I keep getting those two backwards.Better tell Tim before he says something smart, I means stupid.

Posted by Susan Sarandon. 2003-11-12 1:27:22 PM|| 2003-11-12 1:27:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 According to Michael Moore Americans are stupid and ingnorant while Germans are wise and educted: they know how to manufacture Ziklon B.

Posted by Anonymous 2003-11-12 2:53:53 PM|| 2003-11-12 2:53:53 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 Wish I was dumb enough to go to Yale and Harvard...

Posted by Paolito 2003-11-12 2:54:48 PM|| 2003-11-12 2:54:48 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 Martin Sheen-Apocolypse Now. Character executed wounded Vietnamese civilian; beheaded Brando at end of film.

Robbins/Sarandon-Bull Durham. Scenes of heavy sex between Sarandon, a groupie who "adopts" a player every season; get laid by two guys (not simultaneously, don't worry) in film.

Depp- Platoon Remember he was the interpreter in village scene where civilian got offed by the Evil sarge

Larry Hagman- Dallas J.R. is an adulterer, materialist, liar, shylock and general sleeze.

I'll stop there, for now. ALL of these folks (list could go on for days) are part of the reason US is so despised abroad and in Muslim-Arab lands. How many times in the past 25 years (17 in Arabia) have the Wahibi/Muslim Brotherhood/Antisemite fools pointed out to me that they hate Amreeka because of the blood/drugs/sex that is exported to their lands. Are they talking about real gangsters and porno stars? Hell no. It's all about what they see on TV and on movie screens. The damn Hollywood hypocrites. They are just so full of themselves that they cannot get past their dollars to see the damage their industry is doing to the rest of us in the eyes of those who, at best, do not have any interest in seeing America do well in war on Islamofascism. JUST CAN'T CONNECT THE DOTS. Then on top of that, the jerks' images get transmitted all over the world with their bitching and moaning about how Hitlerite and stupid the leadership is here.

My uncle was a director in LALA land in the 50's and had to get back to Chicago to become sane again. He had never seen before or since such a bunch of insecure, preening, worthless group than the Hollywood "moral authorities" That's a wrap.

Posted by Michael 2003-11-12 4:01:19 PM|| 2003-11-12 4:01:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 Sandra Bernhard..... raised in Arizona

I fill ill.

Posted by Raptor 2003-11-12 6:43:56 PM|| 2003-11-12 6:43:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 MHW and Jarhead, Tim Robbins was good in the Mystic River movie. But the book was wonderful and the movie was butchered by Clint.

Posted by Sgt.DT 2003-11-12 7:14:07 PM|| 2003-11-12 7:14:07 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 I don't know how a promotion tour translates into knowing a country. Making a moovie in a coutry doesn't qualify in my book either if there are psynchophants everywhere to cater to you.

I give Depp credit for speaking French and living a real life in France. I think its been quite a while since any of these clowns have truly lived in America, though.

Posted by Super Hose 2003-11-12 7:36:05 PM|| 2003-11-12 7:36:05 PM|| Front Page Top

#20 Sgt.DT, roger your last. Have not seen it. I'm a cheap bastard by nature so doubt I'll blow the $7+ to see Robbins or Penn. Sorry to hear Clint butchered it for you. Watch The Outlaw Josey Wales, Fistfull of Dollars, & High Planes Drifter and please find it in your heart to forgive Clint this one faux pas (well, yeah, maybe second faux pas if you factor in that piece o'shite Bridges of Maddison County as well) LOL.

Posted by Jarhead 2003-11-12 7:50:34 PM|| 2003-11-12 7:50:34 PM|| Front Page Top

#21 Hmmmmm, I'm dumber than rocks, or so Hollyweird says... Nice to know. Guess my selection to the Air Force Academy was based on my looks (NOT!). Guess the perfect score on an IQ test that sent shock waves through the local VA was just a fluke. Guess we'll have to discount the 18 years I spent OUTSIDE the United States, in places like Panama, Vietnam, Germany, England, and a dozen other countries - I don't know beans about any other country. The 200+ semester-hours of credit I've earned at college over the past 35 years is just eyewash - I'm really dummer than durt...

The Hollywood Hypocrites should take a tour of the United States without their glamour and make-up. They might be surprised at how many really INTELLIGENT people there are running around without a single film or television appearance to their credit.

Posted by Old Patriot 2003-11-12 9:46:15 PM|| [http://users.codenet.net/mweather/default.htm] 2003-11-12 9:46:15 PM|| Front Page Top

01:15 Bayan Elashi
22:46 alaskasoldier
23:08 Atomic Conspiracy
23:01 Old Patriot
23:01 Laurence of the Rats
22:55 Bomb-a-rama
22:49 Old Patriot
22:46 Atomic Conspiracy
22:37 Old Patriot
22:30 Old Patriot
22:28 Atomic Conspiracy
22:23 Old Patriot
22:23 War46
22:22 Bomb-a-rama
22:14 Atomic Conspiracy
22:12 Old Patriot
22:11 Rawsnacks
21:51 Old Patriot
21:46 Old Patriot
21:29 IceCold
21:25 Anonymous
21:15 Jarhead
21:13 Tony (UK)
21:12 debbie