Proving the old adage that instead of sitting quietly letting everyone think you are an idiot one should speak up and prove it, funnyman John Cleese and Kung Fu action star Jackie Chan recently did some talking that they should probably have avoided. Apparently unaware that they've left office, Cleese unloaded on George W. Bush and Dick Cheney and seemed to say U.S. Marines weren't very sophisticated at a recent visit to Cornell University. For his part, Jackie Chan announced to the world that Chinese people "needed controlling" because all that darn democracy is just too "chaotic" for them. One wonders where Jackie thinks all his many millions of dollars have come from: communism or democracy?
Chan's comments were so ridiculous that even the communist Chinese government thought they were foolish enough to denounce in the Chinese press.
"I don't know whether it is better to have freedom or to have no freedom," numerous mainland news websites quoted Chan as saying at the Boao Forum for Asia.
"With too much freedom ... it can get very chaotic, could end up like in Hong Kong or like in Taiwan... I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled."
The dim action star handed the Chinese government the perfect opportunity to drum up some pro-Chinese propaganda saying that Chan is obviously not informed about all the great things China has done for the "rule of law" there and that he is ignorant of all the wonderful "democracy" the Chinese have instituted lately. Of course, little of that is true, mind you, but Chan gave them the perfect opportunity to pretend it is.
But the Chinese government did say one thing that seems patently obvious.
"The comments made by Jackie Chan ... show that he is ignorant of democracy," said a commentary on the Huamei Website...
I'd say that is a dead on assessment of Chan's abstruse comments. This guy has been making millions of dollars a year off western democracy and doesn't seem to have the first clue what it is that has made him world famous and rich beyond his dreams. Does Chan think any of this could have come without the freedom and liberty of democracy? Apparently he does.
Then there is the Minister of Silly Walks himself, John "I Hate Bush" Cleese. Apparently he is still holding on to his hatred and anger because Cleese erupted in a little BDS in front of an audience of students on a visit to Statler Auditorium at Cornell.
Were I Cleese I'd have been laughing too hard to even begin the talk because the person serving as interviewer was the "Ann Whitney Olin Professor of Management and vice provost for equity and inclusion" for Cornell. Now if THAT isn't funny, what is?
In any case, Cleese went on his little anti-Bush rant in which he seemed to prove he never met anyone that was a Bush voter. He was flabbergasted that Americans were "much too respectful to the president," after which he blurted out, "It's pathetic!"
"Eight years of this rubbish," he continued. "The Brits were asking, 'where is the American’s sense of outrage?'"
Could it be, Mr. Cleese, that the "outrage" you so wish were prevalent is missing to some degree because a bit more than half the electorate voted for Mr. Bush? Could it be that real Americans actually supported the man?
Of course, such a thought would never occur to a denizen of the "entertainment" community, after all.
There was one other curious thing about Cleese's visit to Cornell. He seemed to take a shot at the U.S. Marines, seeming to call them dolts, or somehow not intelligent enough to get humor.
Another audience member also asked Cleese about humor, to which Cleese noted the difference between humor and jokes. He recalled hearing about a group of marines who shared jokes in a long bus trip. Cleese demonstrated how the marines laughed loudly and almost mechanically to every joke: "HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"
I guess Cleese thinks U.S. Marines are too unsubtle, too gauche, too low-class to "get" his "subtle" sort of humor. You know... like the kind of subtle humor where a guy walks funny or where a guy screams at the top of his lungs all the time? Yeah, that sort of subtle humor.
Once again, we see that the entertainment industry has spawned some of the worst anti-western thinkers of any profession. The galling thing is that these same people have become rich and famous from the very society and system they constantly bash. I guess gratitude isn't in much supply in that industry?
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Where's Manuel when you need him?
April 21, 2009 - 04:55 ET by Vivaldi5I don't know where Cleese's sidekick from Fawlty Towers, Manuel, is now, but maybe we need to call him out of retirement to repay some of the slaps on the head that "Mistah Fawlty" used to give him. It might knock some sense in because I think his political mindset has been operating "almost mechanically"--like those marines he criticizes.
Of course if those Monty Python residuals dry up, John can always go on a comedy tour with Sen. John "Stuck in Iraq" Kerry! I can just see them performing now:
Yep, those two long faces will draw a lot of laughs (from sympathetic libs at the New York Times).
Cleese
April 21, 2009 - 05:26 ET by kiwikitOne more sign that Cleese's 'comedy' just isn't very funny. There's no comparison
between the really idiotic 'faulty towers' which really is just slapstick nonsense, and some of the good 20-year-old comedies on replay. Cleese is a known 'victim' of depression and seems to fit right in with the rest of Obama's victims.
Cleese is overrated
April 21, 2009 - 08:36 ET by Joe BlogsI always thought Rowin Atkinson as the Black Adder was WAY funnier than Cleese as Basil Fawlty, who was usually just painful to watch.
I think Jackie Chan took a
April 21, 2009 - 05:51 ET by motherbeltI think Jackie Chan took a few too many round kicks to the head.
As for Cleese...does he wonder why Brits have a reputation for being snobby?
They might say "Wow, that sucks!" But at least they'll say "Wow!" -Duff Goldman, the Ace of Cakes
Jackie Chan does not appreciate his Career
April 21, 2009 - 06:50 ET by PopularTechIf it was not for Democracy and the Free Market paradise that is Hong Kong, he would be a nobody.
Index of Economic Freedom - 2009 Rankings (Heritage Foundation)
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
These dried up comedians
April 21, 2009 - 06:01 ET by SeashellThese dried up comedians just don't have any new material so they recycle the old Bush-bashing routine and hope they get a laugh or two. I hope they realize how boring they are.
BTW-I doubt that Mr. Cleese has the testicular fortitude to disparage our marines to their faces.
Everyone thinks
April 21, 2009 - 06:05 ET by 10ksnookerThey can be a better dictator and mass murderer than the other guy.
Pathetic lefties.
First thing we do is ban the comics. If they persist, the gulags await.
Wait
April 21, 2009 - 06:12 ET by Warner Todd HustonWait, I thought we needed to get rid of the lawyers, first?
Be sure and visit my home blog PubliusForum.com.
That's a pretty astute
April 21, 2009 - 06:34 ET by BruzillaThat's a pretty astute observation coming from Jackie Chan... a guy who was born and raised in Hong Kong, when it was a British protectorate, and who's never had to live under Communist rule. I wonder if his opinion would be different if he had been born and raised on the other side of the Democracy fence?
Card check for entertainers and news reporters
April 21, 2009 - 06:40 ET by BKeyserForget Card Check for Unions- lets institute card check for the bully pulpit. For example-
Fortunately we are not a democracy
April 21, 2009 - 06:57 ET by dasherThe dirty little secret is the US is not a Democracy at all. The US is a Republic and the rule of law not the rule of the majority. At least in theory.
"Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P.J.O'Rourke
Right. Democracy is 3
April 21, 2009 - 08:07 ET by motherbeltRight.
Democracy is 3 foxes and a chicken voting on what's for lunch.
They might say "Wow, that sucks!" But at least they'll say "Wow!" -Duff Goldman, the Ace of Cakes
And "liberty" is a
April 21, 2009 - 09:17 ET by Indiana JoeAnd "liberty" is a well-armed chicken contesting the vote.
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."-John Adams
From General Al aka "Right Wing Extremist"
April 21, 2009 - 07:06 ET by GeneralAlWhy do we even bother to point these idiots out? You don't have to take the cover off a cess pool to know it contains human excrememt! We shouldn't give these Commywood stars the time of day!
That Cleese guy has cheese [Linberger to be exact!] for brains! He sees the Marines in the stereotype of Gomer Pyle. Hey Linberger brain, Pyle was and is a fictional Character! All of Commywood is fictional for crying out loud! You people have about as much intelligence as the crash dummies in the safety commercials! Wait a minute, at least they know that they are dummies!
CHAN: "With too much
April 21, 2009 - 07:07 ET by MidAmericaCHAN: "With too much freedom ... it can get very chaotic, could end up like in Hong Kong or like in Taiwan...
Right there is one of the prime motivations of Leftists. They cannot stand what seems to be chaos as people go on about their lives with no apparent guidance from a controlling authority. It's not that they want to help people by taking control over other individuals. They just can't stand the feeling of being so insignificant as life just goes on without them.
Yeah, that "chaotic" Hong
April 21, 2009 - 08:18 ET by SickofLibsYeah, that "chaotic" Hong Kong. The one with the highest real estate prices in the world and more Rolls Royces and Bentleys than England.
Give up the evil life style, get back in your fishing junks and saddle up those cormorants, you Hong Kongsters.
Why?
April 21, 2009 - 07:15 ET by rightwingidiotWhy do the political views of these people get reported on? Why do they, just because they've achieved some popular status as an entertainer, get to have thier political views published? How are thier views any more imortant than everyday people.
Cleese is marginally funny. He's done some stuff that kinda makes you chuckle. Chan's stuff is full of action but short on entertainment most of the time. If you've seen one of his movies you've seen them all. But, regardless of any of that, their political views are no more relevant than yours or mine.
I just don't how either of them (or any entertainer for that matter) deserves to get any press for what they believe politically. In that vein, thier opinion doesn't deserve more press than is alloted for any ordinary person walking down the street. At least if they randomly picked a person off the steet, they've have at least a chance to speak with a Conservative. With entertainers (actors) the ratio is like 90/10 Liberal.
Their political comments/views are no more relevant than anyone elses.
"If Liberals had to live in the world they champion for just one day, they would become Conservatives the next." - RWI
The IngSoc Mentality
April 21, 2009 - 07:32 ET by Paul AtreidesThe more liberals open their mouths, the more they reveal their IngSoc Mentality: Freedom is Slavery.
Sad day for me
April 21, 2009 - 07:51 ET by general companyI was huge fans of both of these guys. I often try to miss anything one of these Hollyweidos say, mostly because so many of them have ruined their entertainment value in my eyes. Now Jackie, and Cleese have insured that I will probably never laugh at another of his movies, because all I will hear are these idiotic statements. How necessary was this, what did you 2 change, other then you audience size
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
Very, very disappointing...
April 21, 2009 - 07:58 ET by avenarI loved ALL Jackie Chan movies and I loved Fawlty Towers and the Holy Grail and Life of Brian.
What a bummer....
Agree
April 21, 2009 - 09:48 ET by KC MulvilleI'm not much for Jackie Chan, but John Cleese is one of my favorites.
We had a thread a couple days ago about John Madden, and how some critic thought he should have exploited his own celebrity to get involved in "causes." Well, here we see the reason why we don't want them to. I like John Cleese and I think he's funny - but I disagree with him about politics. Fine.
I make the distinction between his talent as an entertainer and his talent as a political commentator. I enjoy his talent, but he doesn't know any more about politics than anyone else. He deserves no more attention than anyone else. Celebrity is not importance. If he has an arguable point to make, let him make it, and we can haggle over the point. But once you make political statements, your celebrity carries no authority. If you want to make casual criticisms, back them up with argument. Otherwise, a celebrity's political views carry as much weight as flatulence.
Sad
April 21, 2009 - 08:22 ET by Indiana JoeWell, John Cleese has always been one of my favorites. I think a lot of foreigners got a warped view of GWB because of the MSM. If your only source of American news was CNN and the NYT, you would think that all of America hated George Bush, and still does. And maybe he was just doing "schtick" regarding the Marines, about how they're so disciplined they even laugh "by the book." I dunno, not trying to excuse it, maybe just understand it. Like I say, I really like his comedy. But not very smart comments, in any case. I used to credit him with more intelligence than these remarks indicate.
Chan, OTOH, seems almost like a plant, or a patsy. Maybe he has relatives in China that he's worried would pay for any remarks he made against Communism. He doesn't seem very informed politically or socio-economically. He chose to denigrate two of the few Asian success-stories when it comes to economics and freedom.
Bottom line, I agree with the posters here that "celebrity" opinions are no more valid than those of anyone else, and frequently less valid. These are two examples of the latter case.
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."-John Adams
Like most
April 21, 2009 - 08:30 ET by Warner Todd HustonLike most of his srot, he is an old communist apologist. Always was. He was brought up in the upper class, intelligentsia of the early 50s and 60s that thought their "new" ideas of communism were so much better. These are the same type of fellow traveling idiots that turned away as Stalin and Mao did their worst and pretended that they didn't know it was happening.
His whole troupe are leftist, subversives. Palin, Idle, Gilliam, Graham, the whole lot of them are long-time political leftists.
By the way, Cleese has been living in the USA for decades. He won't live in England because of the taxes, amusingly enough.
Still, I love his comedy. His stupidity on politics won't change that for me.
As far as Chan goes, I have heard him before and he is one of those folks that gave his life to one thing: his Kung Fu film career. He is vapid on ANY other subject. H knows NOTHING of anything but his entertainment career.
And now that he is getting too old to do all the physical stuff, he can easily be forgotten.
Be sure and visit my home blog PubliusForum.com.
Warner,
April 21, 2009 - 09:21 ET by Indiana Joe"His whole troupe are leftist, subversives. Palin, Idle, Gilliam, Graham, the whole lot of them are long-time political leftists."
Oh, that I knew. I guess I just thought Cleese had more sense. Probably prejudice on my part, coz I always thought he was the funniest of the lot.
"Still, I love his comedy. His stupidity on politics won't change that for me."
Ditto.
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."-John Adams
Python was not subversive
April 21, 2009 - 19:26 ET by Captain KirockCome on Warner, get real.
Monty Python may have been a little left wing but it was not subversive. They never called for an overthrow of the British monarchy, nor did they ever champion international Communism. Python did take a lot of shots at the British military and the Church of England, but they also took a lot of shots at the counter-culture of the time, like hippies, bikers, and Marxists. (I remember them portraying Karl Marx and Che Guevara as lovers.)
If fact, Python was painstakingly apolitical, especially when compared to other similar comedy shows of the time, such as The Smothers Brothers or Laugh-In. Consequently, Python's humor holds up much better as it is not dated.
As for Cleese, he used to be somewhat of a conservative. I suspect that living in Santa Barabara for the last 30 years or so has turned him into a liberal.
As for his stupid statements about Bush, I would submit that they are very, very tame by comparison to other comedians, such as that idiot Jon Stewart, the loathsome Bill Maher, or the neaderthal Janine Gaggoffalo.
"you can't expect to wield
April 21, 2009 - 19:35 ET by botg"you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you"
"Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend,------------inside a dog it's too dark to read" ---Groucho
"Come and see the violence inherent in the system"
April 21, 2009 - 22:10 ET by Captain Kirock"Reg:
All right, but apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine,
public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public
health, what have the Romans ever done for us?
Attendee:
Brought peace?
Reg:
Oh, peace - shut up"
"I am Obama, King of the
April 21, 2009 - 22:48 ET by CT Patriot"I am Obama, King of the Americans."
"King? You're not my King. I didn't vote for you."
Unite. Prepare. Study. Worship. Survive.
Maybe
April 21, 2009 - 20:02 ET by general companyAs for Cleese, he used to be somewhat of a conservative. I suspect that
living in Santa Barabara for the last 30 years or so has turned him
into a liberal.
I was thinking he doesnt seem to work much. Maybe the economy has him a little nervous and is try to drum up some work?
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
HUH!??
April 21, 2009 - 20:10 ET by Warner Todd HustonCleese, somewhat of a conservative? In what life??
Be sure and visit my home blog PubliusForum.com.
Yep, believe it
April 21, 2009 - 21:58 ET by Captain KirockThere is an interview of John Cleese from the early 1980s wherein he talks about being very proud to be a conservative and even says a few nice things about Margaret Thatcher. He's holding a cat during the interview and Cleese is dead serious.
Mr Cleese: "Eight years
April 21, 2009 - 08:27 ET by BDMr Cleese:
"Eight years of this rubbish," he continued. "The Brits were asking, 'where is the American’s sense of outrage?'"
Cleese
April 21, 2009 - 08:31 ET by Warner Todd HustonNo doubt Cleese is one of those that think we deserved 9/11.
Be sure and visit my home blog PubliusForum.com.
You Know The GOP Is In The Wilderness When...
April 21, 2009 - 08:54 ET by williams411they're left with attacking the likes of john cleese and jackie chan LOL!!! Man, this is just getting sad.
Trix are for kids, fox is for fools
I was always trained to
April 21, 2009 - 09:01 ET by BDI was always trained to engage the 50m target first.
They pop up, we knock them down. Wanna play...?
I love this comment
April 21, 2009 - 09:08 ET by Warner Todd HustonYou can tell a lefty by this perfectly representative comment.
Now class, pay attention. Our pal Witless911 has given us a perfect lesson in liberal stupidity.
Notice how Witless911 thinks he is engaging is prescient discussion of the issues. Notice how he is self-congratulatory in his attempt to seem "smarter" than we poor conservatives. But, also notice how witless911 didn't mention a single issue, bring up any point in the discussion to actually debate it, didn't assess the celebutards in question, and didn't add any new points to the matter at hand.
We saw this in the way the anti-American left attacked the Tea Party movement. In that case they didn't discuss taxes, they didn't discuss the general subject of protests, they added nothing to the arena of ideas. What did they do with the tea party matter instead of engage in salient and intelligent debate? They made a sex joke out of it.
You see folks, with the tea party issue and this post by Witless911, we see that liberals are mentally inferior and haven't the capacity to actually discuss an issue without resorting to mindless jabs and locker room "humor."
So, I want to thank Witless911 for stopping by. His mental defect has done us all an important service.
Be sure and visit my home blog PubliusForum.com.
WTH: I must say I was
April 21, 2009 - 09:11 ET by BDWTH:
I must say I was taken with Witlesses analytical skills, oh wait.... I just read what I was typing - never mind.
I think there's also a
April 21, 2009 - 09:39 ET by Indiana JoeI think there's also a lesson in liberal arrogance here.
I've noticed an awful lot of "newb" trolls here lately. Many dating from three months ago or less (hmm, what happened 3 months ago?). Few of them do much but throw very small and stupid "bombs," then run silent (but not deep). They feel they now have "the POW-ah!" They feel they now basically own this country, and can do and say whatever they want.
They've taken off the masks, the gloves, and dropped the pretend "discussion." The KosKids are coming out in droves, out into the daylight. All can now see and hear their hatred, their arrogance, and their complete lack of debating skills, principles, or even civility. And this is their mistake, because, try as they might to believe it, they don't represent the "average" American.
Pride goeth before a fall. The only question is, how far will that fall be?
Please pass the popcorn.
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."-John Adams
Don't Represent The Average American?...Really?
April 21, 2009 - 22:42 ET by williams411Is that why obama still has a 60% approval rating, while dubya left the white house with the lowest approval rating since nixon?
Trix are for kids, fox is for fools.
just another MSM
April 21, 2009 - 22:44 ET by botgfeedback loop
"Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend,------------inside a dog it's too dark to read" ---Groucho
Obamas ratings are
April 22, 2009 - 10:00 ET by BDObamas ratings are falling. Most people want to give him a chance, some for idealogical reasons, some for racial reasons, some just because they see a need to be ultra fair.
But it is falling none the less. In fact, his ratings now a lower than his predecessor if we project a one year time in service rating using current trends..
Jackie Chan is a Socialist
April 21, 2009 - 09:12 ET by PopularTechSo should the GOP adopt socialism, just to appease Chan? I don't think so. The real questions is why do you support socialism.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
He will not be able to
April 21, 2009 - 09:15 ET by BDHe will not be able to accurately reply to your question because he has no idea of socialism....
U KnoThe Pop-Entertainment Industry Is In The Wilderness When...
April 21, 2009 - 12:06 ET by lotrthey're left with attacking the likes of a former GOP president. LOL!!!
NB Staff: Here's little quote from williams411's MSM hero, Keith Olberman "Let's wrap him up, alright?"
Wow
April 21, 2009 - 09:41 ET by nolotrippenI am shocked — SHOCKED — that there are two entertainers who don't have two brain cells to rub together, are as spoiled as day-old cheese, and list so far to the left that they need special shoes to walk straight.
The left lives in a bubble. They are terrified by other ideas and befuddled by logic. Their idea of debate is mere ridicule (can you say "tea bagging"?).
It is so darned hard to separate these vocal loons from their comedy (yes, Chan is funny). At least we still have Adam Baldwin!
Bummer
April 21, 2009 - 10:07 ET by IgnatzJFahrquarI grew up watching Python and I'm sure it helped shape my now "dry" sense of humor. When he does these kinds of rants, he should be wearing a corner knotted handkerchief and in his best Mr. Gumby voice state "My brain hurts!"
Warner, that old adage can be found in my tag line from one of my favorites, Mark Twain.
"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." Mark Twain
Marine laugher, yea, Marine laughter.
April 21, 2009 - 10:26 ET by JWFLook anything like this John?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXEfjVnYkqM
So True. That's my dream
April 21, 2009 - 10:39 ET by MPayneMy dream is that some of these idiots mouth off in front of a pissed off Marine and a camera is filming nearby. I could watch the slapping for hours on end, in a loop. Sort of like when Buzz Aldrin gave that moon landing denier a correction.
The Marine would have to be angry already, though, because they are usually very good at keeping their composure, since THEY are the professionals.
" Courage - a perfect sensibility of the measure of danger, and a mental willingness to endure it. " - William T. Sherman
I actually used to enjoy John Cleese...
April 21, 2009 - 11:14 ET by PrairieSkyI loved to watch Monty Python, but I wouldn't waste my time on Cleese now...He is an ignorant, elitist America and Bush hater, and is not worth my time. As for Jackie Chan, I've never had any use for him or any of his movies. I suppose mental midget dimbulbs like Chan believe that people (at least the Chinese) are just sheep to be led around by the nose by the government, and can't handle the "chaos" of democracy...
What a couple of idiots...
"...peace is the highest aspiration of the American People. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it, we will never surrender for it, now or ever." President Ronald Reagan~ January 20, 1981
Cleese: liar, old has-been and coward
April 21, 2009 - 11:58 ET by lotr"Cleese demonstrated how the marines laughed loudly and almost mechanically to every joke: 'HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!' "
I take it Cleese did not crack this joke before "a group of marines on a long bus trip," as I cannot imagine they would be amused, thereby demonstrating that (1) his "joke" is based upon a false premise, (2) his joke ain't funny, and thus (3) he's a coward.
Cleese is mentally unstable and has been for decades.
April 21, 2009 - 12:26 ET by farstar99He's been in and out of therapy sessions like he has failed marriages.
It pains me.
I used to admire his work, but I confess this hatred of his taints it. He's unhinged. Terry Jones and Terry Gillaim are the same way, sadly, but at least they're coherent.
Not a guy you'd want to take advice from, political or otherwise.
Jackie Chan
April 21, 2009 - 19:20 ET by BondPlainBondYeah, um, I ain't buying it. Actually, to me, it's pretty damn laughable. You know Jackie's gotta be hot in Hollywood after this, though. Everyone knows people need to be controlled by their governments, or, oh-mah-gawd, they might actually do things they want to do!
Sorry. Chan made the classic mistake of speaking before thinking. It's too late, baby, yeah, it's too late.
No Problem.
April 22, 2009 - 18:45 ET by someloudthunderI need nothing wrong with their comments. They are fully entitled to their opinion. This writer just sounds like he's sore because Cleese criticized America and Jackie Chan is brainwashed by the Chinese.