Clint Eastwood

[Balfour]

I didn't think I did! Either way, I'll be the first to admit that my first couple of posts here were intended to be tabloid and somewhat satirical in nature. Well in my mind anyway. But then you can be the judge of that.

Wrt, Clint Eastwood - my point simply is this. He is/was loved by most all for myriad great movies and his persona in said movies was something most could associate with in a real sense, regardless of partisan conviction. Of which is something our friends in the US buy into - as evidenced in their politics - in a way that we tend not to this side of the pond. We are not as intensly partisan, in my opinion.

So, for years Mr. Eastwood never used his fame and on-screen persona to endorse a politician until now. His Superbowl ad, I should ad, was something all sides could buy into - the great American way. Today, however, he finds his fans divided and his his reputation compromised - by those fans(to quote Jim Hacker!) 'on the other side'.

The last paragraph is not right: Eastwood has a long pedigree in politics (he has even been elected as Mayor of Carmel, CA, although I don't know whether that was as a Republican or an independent; I think he may have endorsed the odd Democrat as well). He endorsed McCain in 2008.

For my part, I do see a big difference between saying "I don't like Eastwood - he's a Republican" and "I don't like Eastwood - I'm not a Republican or a Democrat, but it's a shame he's adopted a political position and made himself a partisan figure".

On the latter, I do think it is unreasonable to suggest that just because someone's been in the public eye (in a non-political field) they need to forswear expressing political views.

On the former, I don't find someone's politics get in the way of how much I enjoy their work. Coming at this another way, Martin Sheen's politics are very different to mine (and he is very passionate and public in his political views). But it didn't stop me from enjoying the West Wing.

 

[Balfour]

I believe they are. Can't wait.

I also really liked those two shows. I felt they really captured the essence and outputs of the Blair/Campbell relationship and the internals of the New Labour government perfects.

Quite - Malcolm Tucker was a wonderful caricature of a certain PM's press spokesman.

 

[mrkleen]

The joke was that empty chair Obama told Clint to tell Mitt to go, um, screw himself and that Obama was becoming more like Joe "Big Fn Deal" potty mouth Biden!!

Don't fret; in a few weeks your classy friends will dig up Richard Widmark to do his now infamous Paul Ryan impersonation!!

Your reference is about as relevant as Clint Eastwood.

Stay Classy RNC.

 

[arkirshner]

All I saw was that there was a yawning 'prol' gap between the back of his shirt collar and his suit jacket....there you go, AAAC has addled my brain....

To spin: The very astute expert, Haffman, observed, "there was a yawning 'prol' gap between the back of his [Mr. Eastwood's] shirt collar and his suit jacket." Always modest, Mr. Haffman attributed AAAC as helping to sharpen his already formidable powers of observation.

 

[Haffman]

Other than the slightly wider lapels, that show has not really dated at all! Certainly not in sentiment and tone anyway. Offices might be more contemporary and PC talk, well, more PC. But I can assure you that the machinations of government and civil service are broadly still the same.

I meant the production, acting style, sets...that kind of thing, dated enough to make me cringe in places (and yes the clothes) ...but each to their own

As to the subject matter, politics and bureaucracy haven't changed much...and neither has human nature

 

[Haffman]

To spin: The very astute expert, Haffman, observed, "there was a yawning 'prol' gap between the back of his [Mr. Eastwood's] shirt collar and his suit jacket." Always modest, Mr. Haffman attributed AAAC as helping to sharpen his already formidable powers of observation.

Thats really clever. I'm impressed.

 

[eagle2250]

Pathetic display of a tired, disrespectful, potentially senile old bastard - trying his hand an humor and failing miserably.

Pretty rough assessment. Think you will be doing as well as Eastwood, getting on with your life, when you are 82? I doubt that I will be. Hope I don't run into anyone at the senior home, with an attitude like yours.

 

[mrkleen]

Pretty rough assessment. Think you will be doing as well as Eastwood, getting on with your life, when you are 82? I doubt that I will be. Hope I don't run into anyone at the senior home, with an attitude like yours.

Completely irrelevant how I will be doing at 82 - as I wont be making a fool out of myself while speaking in prime time at a national political convention.

 

[Shaver]

Completely irrelevant how I will be doing at 82 - as I wont be making a fool out of myself while speaking in prime time at a national political convention.

Do you restrict such behaviour to the AAAC forum? :icon_smile_wink:

 

[mrkleen]

Do you restrict such behaviour to the AAAC forum? :icon_smile_wink:

Do I restrict commenting on a senile man who disrespects the presidency of the united states to AAAC?

No, I have made comments about the buffoon elsewhere.

 

[Orsini]

All I saw was that there was a yawning 'prol' gap between the back of his shirt collar and his suit jacket....there you go, AAAC has addled my brain....

If you make it to 80, you'll have a prol gap, too...

 

[Haffman]

If you make it to 80, you'll have a prol gap, too...

Fair comment. Even at 80, I wouldn't say that to Clint's face - I reckon he could still take me out!...

 

[Mike Petrik]

Completely irrelevant how I will be doing at 82 - as I wont be making a fool out of myself while speaking in prime time at a national political convention.

Nah, no sense in waiting when online forums are available today.

 

[mrkleen]

Nah, no sense in waiting when online forums are available today.

Thanks Mike. Knowing I am getting under your skin is worth the price of admission.

 

[dks202]

Fair comment. Even at 80, I wouldn't say that to Clint's face - I reckon he could still take me out!...

Get off my lawn!

:icon_smile_big::icon_smile_big:

 

[Orsini]

That Was Real Acting

Fair comment. Even at 80, I wouldn't say that to Clint's face - I reckon he could still take me out!...

He looked his age. He looked gaunt.

I always thought the old show business saw to the effect that performers should stay out pf politics altogether because otherwise they will alienate some part of their audience was the best advice.

But those days are history and actors are long since all over politics like white on rice -- and vice versa. If it is shocking when done for the right, I hope it is just as shocking when done for the left.

Eastwood improvised 13 minutes on nationwide TV with no script and got laughs, and made points for whatever he has signed up with. He seemed unsure of the next line once or twice, and may have been in poor taste at one point, but he put his skit across and was entertaining.

He also put a new kind of gag on the map. Comics are going to do their own version of this chair-interview thing, and it will become as classic as Slowly I Turned or Who's On First.

 

[Hitch]

Step by step ,,,inch by inch...

 

[dks202]

......disrespects the presidency of the united states....

Democrats have never done that to a Republican President?????

Are you kidding?

 

[Balfour]

Democrats have never done that to a Republican President?????

Are you kidding?

Funnily enough, I was just thinking the same thing: presumably he thinks Jon Stewart is a senile buffoon for all the disrespect he showed to the Presidency between 2000 - 2008?

It may be a British thing, but satire of politicians is well-established and pretty vicious over here: we used to have a show called 'Spitting Image' that made the Eastwood / Jon Stewart stuff look tame indeed.

 

[arkirshner]

Funnily enough, I was just thinking the same thing: presumably he thinks Jon Stewart is a senile buffoon for all the disrespect he showed to the Presidency between 2000 - 2008?

It may be a British thing, but satire of politicians is well-established and pretty vicious over here: we used to have a show called 'Spitting Image' that made the Eastwood / Jon Stewart stuff look tame indeed.

I don't think the buzz has to do with the content or the performance. As you point out, compared to others, Eastwood was rather mild. On the other hand, this was not at a comedy club, it was at a national political convention, an event with a serious significant purpose,where heretofore scorn directed at the other party was done with a bit more civility.