Posted on 03/04/2006 11:46:25 AM PST by La Enchiladita
He hates government, loves cops, but he's no Republican...
NEW YORK -- Bruce Willis is supposed to be giving a press conference on behalf of his new movie this morning.
And yes, he does have a lot to say about the upcoming 16 Blocks, in which he plays a corrupt, burned-out cop who's given the opportunity to redeem himself.
But a Willis press conference -- his preferred way of communicating with a media he often dislikes -- also tends to be a performance. And it's entertainment quotient rises when it becomes a series of rants.
So he's in prime form today as he launches into a tirade against Entertainment Weekly magazine; explains why he hates being labelled a Republican; and, in typical Bruce Willis fashion, both defends and denounces violence and suggests policemen should be paid lots more money. ....
Beneath the brashness there's a committed actor who also thinks long and hard about the society of which he's a part. Willis is also smart enough to know that 16 Blocks offers him his best role in years.
"I'm from Jersey and I have a strong affinity towards working-class people," he declares. That's why he likes cops. "I believe with any job that requires you possibly to get shot at or get shot dead, you should be paid hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"These guys don't get paid anything. Yet they go out there and do it and there's not a lot of them out there and they're the last line between us and the wolves and the chaos that's out in the world.
"All these guys -- cops, EMT workers, men and women, emergency room doctors and nurses, people that every night have to see horrific things -- there should be thousands of films done about these guys. And they should get paid more money. A lot more money."
Moments later, he's off on a tangent when a reporter suggests that Willis is one of the few Hollywood actors who is "proud" to be a Republican.
"Let me stop you right there!" Willis interrupts.
"Everybody write this down because I'm sick of answering this.
"I'm a Republican only as far as I want a smaller government. I want less government intrusion. I want them to stop pissing on my money and your money -- the tax dollars that we give 50 or 40 per cent of every year, and I want them to be fiscally responsible, and I want those goddam lobbyists out of Washington. Do that and I'll say I'm a Republican.
"But other than that, I want the government to take care of people who need help -- like the kids in foster care, the half million kids in orphanages right now.... I want them to take care of the elderly and give them free medicine, give them whatever they need. There's tons, billions and billions of dollars, that are just being wasted. Okay? I hate government. I'm apolitical. Write that down."
... Almost immediately, Willis gets asked a political question anyway: is it ever legitimate to use violence in order to do the right thing?
"Occasionally -- when push comes to shove," replies Willis, who adds that he's not a violent man and doesn't advocate violence. But the United States and other countries in the free world "should do whatever it takes to end terrorism in the world." He's not just talking about the Middle East.
"I'm also talking about going to Columbia and doing whatever it takes to end the cocaine trade. It's killing this country. It's killing all the countries that coke goes into.... It's just a plant that they grow, and these guys are growing it like it's corn or tobacco or any other thing. By the time it gets here, it becomes a billion-dollar industry.
"And I think that's a form of terrorism as well."
... He then springs to the defence of controversial writer James Frey who received a verbal flaying from a furious Oprah Winfrey on her show last month for embellishing parts of his best-selling memoir, A Million Little Pieces.
"That's a great book," Willis says defiantly. He's unhappy that Frey had been "sucker-punched on Oprah, one of the most powerful women on television, just to grind her own axe about it."
"Hey Oprah -- you had President Clinton on your show. And if [he] didn't lie about a couple of things, I'm going to set myself on fire right now."
But Bruce, if you boot them out, how will the MPAA be able to convince lawmakers to strengthen copyright protections for movies and DVDs?
Common sense kind of Hollywood guy!
You go Brucie..
What Bruce doesn't understand is, if you strip the politicians of about 95% of their power, the lobbyists will have to find real work.
Also, it's contradictory to hate government but still want it to provide free anything to anyone.
If he's for the right to carry arms, though (the article doesn't say), I'll give him a pass on a lot of other stuff. That alone would take care of the "not enough cops" thing.
Its "PROMOTE the general welfare" Huge difference.
Ah! Good point!
Need more beer.
Like him a bit more now.....
Me too, I'll have a guiness.
Funny that you should mention "Moonlighting". Back in the 80's when it was on, I'd never watch it because it was what I called "a chick's show".
Several years ago, one of the cable channels started re-running old "Moonlighting" episodes. I wasn't hooked - but I definitely watched more than a few episodes. I liked it.
We need to save this rant!
Well, that last line was certainly worth reading the rest.
Yipee ki yay (expletive deleted)!
Off camera, they were at each others' throats. I liked that part, too.
Got yerself a new tagline this Saturday! ;-)
The Republicans have sold out.....
Washington D.C. has co-opted or coerced the best of the GOP. Remember when it still stood for the Grand Old Party?
Demi Moore, the cradle-robber.
Yes I did, thanks! And thanks for noticing.
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