Gump and Gumper

Published Aug 18 2008, 10:31 AM by Peter Keough

“Stupid is,” a great though imaginary person once said, “as stupid does.”

However it does for “Tropic Thunder” (and its opening weekend numbers, $26 million to beat out “The Dark Knight” for top spot, suggest it is playing pretty well), going the “full retard” doesn’t seem a liability when it comes to running for President. Since “Forrest Gump” came out in 1994, stupid has done pretty well for candidates, especially lately when its opposite is no longer “smart” but “elitist.” It works even better at selling politicians than selling beer. As Susan Jacoby saysin a recent interview, “It shows that a lot of politicians think they have to play to ignorance and label anything that goes against received opinion as elitism.”

But back to the movies. Are they really that stupid? “Tropic Thunder,” one can argue, doesn’t really do the full retard per se, but does it ironically. Or is that just elitist reasoning?

And look at the heroes of two of the year’s biggest hits, “Iron Man” and “The Dark Knight.” Now those are elitists: smart, well educated, rich, connoiseurs of fine things, especially women. But then again, those are their secret identities. Who knows, maybe behind those masks they are as stupid as you or me.

In a way, they’re kind of like John McCain, who has managed to hide his multi-millionaire status, muddled adulteries, blue blood heritage, and marriage to an heiress (maybe the reason that doesn’t make him an elitist like John Kerry is that Cindy keeps her mouth shut) and instead characterizes Barack Obama with his hardscrabble background and uppity ideas as “elitist.”

Ironically, “Gump” star Tom Hanks has gone and endorsed the smarty-pants Obama. But the spirit of the movie prevails: “Run, Forrest, run!”

Steve Coogan: no holds bard

Right Wing Hollywood or Left Wing conspiracy?

1 Comments

COL. A.M.Khajawall [Ret] said:

Dear American Citizens and the media

Challenge to Media.

As a disabled American Veteran and concerned American citizen.

"We the citizens of the United States of America have the ultimate responsibility to elect the " Right Candidate with the right temperament" to lead our nation'

Our nation is and will be facing many present and future critical internal and external challenges as well as opportunities to address those challenges.

In order to prevent any probable prolong recession and diminished world standing as the sole superpower in the world' Whether it is the moral, democratic, economic, military, and other issues.

I impress upon voters to vote after considering following " qualities and characteristics" of our presumptive presidential nominees.

In my firm professional opinion that the media should help the common voter to explore and discuss following attributes of Hon. Senator McCain and Obama:

1. Calm, cool, and collected " temper " [ Presidential Temperament ].

2. Sound and sustained "Judgment and Caliber".

3. "Thought-fullness and togetherness" of purpose and positions.

4. Minimum "ex-poser and exploitation" around "Washington and Washington insiders".

5. Renewed " Vigor and Vision " for our Great-grand Nation.

6. Foreign policy based on " American Values, Virtuous, Vastness".

7. The campaign based of facts and free of fiction, deception, seduction, and attacks.

I plead to common voter to stay informed, stay involved, and stay engaged.

Do not allow some partisan media, pundits, pollsters, and perpetual political opinion makers effect your vote in the wrong direction.

Please do not be deceived and duped by "Psychological Terrorism" that is being directed at you without your consent and awareness.

Long live U.S.A and its diverse but democratic people.

Col. A.M. Khajawall [Ret] MD., Colonel, USAR / MC Combat Stress Control[Ret], Disabled American Veteran and Iraq Freedom team.

August 18, 2008 11:41 AM