Letter of Loathing To Tim Robbins (When Left Fights Far Left)

The New York Observer ^ | April 1, 2004 | John Heilpern

[ActionNewsBill]

too long, no read

I'll sum it up for you...

Dear Mr. Robbins,

You're a no-talent hack.

John Heilpern, Theater Critic, The New York Observer

[Tacis]

I think Heilpern is being unfair. He fails to recognize how far Robbins has gone on such little talent or capability. Robbins simply doesn't know what is "good" because he never has been associated with it. He inherited his place in the biz and has been very well paid for the marginal work he's done. To hold Robbins to standards established by capable people who were clever and not simply successful hacks doesn't seem fair. Some one has to provide those with little intellect material that matches what they've been told to appreciate and does not challenge, why not a B class movie person?

[dirtboy]

How else to explain the sophomoric wankery of your "scathing" political satire at the Public?

Uh, perhaps an explanation is that Robbins is a sophmoric wanker?

But you have left me only in despair at the timid political bankruptcy of theater.

Yeah, that despairs me too / sarcasm.

[OESY]

Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, looking Left

"Smugness is his calling card: Tim Robbins, with his Embedded, has brought
to the stage a smorgesbord of sanctimony and simple-minded satire."

[Spok]

Does anyone know if Robbins put any of his own money at risk in this fiasco? Some actors are willing to put their own money and careers at risk, if they truly believe, like say, Mel Gibson.

[js1138]

You ommitted the part where he says the show sucks because it isn't leftist enough.

[OESY]

too long, no read

a spicy meal to be savored, not fast food to be gulped down

[zbigreddogz]

Now you'er not being fair. Robbins might be a lefty RAT, but he does have talent. Ever seen "The Shawshank Redeption" or "Mystic River"? He's a very good actor.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Bit*h-slap! Little Timmy has produced the theatrical equivalent of an ugly drawing that Mom sticks to the fridge just to be nice.

[Socratic]

"a spicy meal to be savored"

Ah, Johnathan Swift's cooking got to you too, huh?

[Paradox]

I'll sum it up.

Dear Tim Robbins.

Since you are such a no-talent hack, and your play is beyond awful, you have done NOTHING for La Revolucion! You have hurt our cause, you pathetic wannabe.

Signed, a TrueLeftist (tm) Theater Critic.

[Shermy]

These critiques about Tim Robbins miss the big point. This play is a deflection from his own history with Iraq. He adopts the Larouchite conspiracy theory which detaches the Iraq war from a history he is all to aware of, and was a participant in.

Robbins and Susan Sarandon were two of the foremost anti-Sanctions campaigners. They helped spread the "million dead Iraqi babies" lie, a lie repeated by Osama as a reason for 9/11.

Robbins should have a lot to say about Iraq, though no one asks him - a journalistic failure. Robbins studiously avoids any mention of his involvement, and his play, form what I read, can be seen as a distraction from his own guilt. An artistic CYA for his own conscience.

No journalist seems much interested in the context of our 12 year long hostilities with Iraq, and the Kerry campaign is likewise defining the "war" as something that just popped up in Bush's mind either at the instigation of the secretive, hidden Cheney or the you-know-who "neocons".

Who fronted these anti-Sanctions groups and NGOs? Saddam? French or Russian interests? That's an interesting subject to pursue. One of the classic Sarandon performances I saw was just before the "war". On TV she advocated "containment" - that is, the French and Russian position on sanctions. Why did she deviate?

Anyway, for context here's a letter the lovely couple signed in 1998, printed in the New York Times.

___________________________

Are the Children of Iraq Our Enemies?

Ten years ago, on August 6, 1990, the U.S. imposed
economic sanctions on Iraq. Since then, over one million
Iraqis, mostly children under five, have died. 10 years is
enough! The military sanctions on Iraq should continue,
but the economic sanctions not only do not work, they are
killing innocent Iraqi children.

We say, the time has come to stop killing innocent Iraqi
children.

Lift the economic sanctions on Iraq now!

Susan Sarandon

Tim Robbins

Martin Sheen

Liam Neeson

Rosie O'Donnel

Jeremy Irons

Robert Altman

etc.

[ActionNewsBill]

yeah, but Susan Sarandon was hot back in the day

Never did care for those bug-eyes of hers.

[ThreeYearLurker]

It appears the gerbil has burrowed its way from the colon to Mr. Helprin's brain.

[Shermy]

Correction on #15, the letter is from July 28, 2000 NY Times.

I can't find anything Robbins said in 2003, but here's a report about his wife and sanctions from February 2003, generally as I remember her outrageous flip flop.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,79470,00.html

"...The Hollywood anti-war faction got plenty of face time: Comedienne Janeane Garofalo appeared on Fox News Sunday, while actress Susan Sarandon and actor Mike Farrell were paired off against National Review's Rich Lowry on Face the Nation. Lowry joked he did not have enough Hollywood or TV credits to be in the debate.

Garofalo refused to concede there ever could be a "just war" and claimed sanctions were responsible for "mass murders" in Iraq. Sarandon and Farrell, with a slightly different set of talking points, argued, "Sanctions work, war doesn't." ..."

Sarandon abandoned her anti-Sanctions position in face of the fact Saddam was about to be removed militarily. Why the flip flop? She reconsidered her previous position on sanctions due to careful study? She was paid to change her position?

Don't know, but there's a good story about her, hubby and Iraqi politics to be written IMO.

[OpusatFR]

Ouch!

[DCPatriot]

Susan Saradon is STILL hot...politics aside.

That's *all* woman there. < sigh >