Mike Farrell: Art of Deception

FrontPageMagazine.com ^ | 04/03/03 | Jean Pearce

[bedolido]

By now, Mike Farrell probably figures he’s got the nation fooled. For over 20 years, the Hollywood actor turned peace activist has flawlessly played the part of the pacifist patriot with America’s best interests at heart. Farrell is quite convincing when he’s in character, as he has been since he propelled himself to the forefront of the Iraq war protest movement. Without batting an eye, Farrell will tell you how much it would pain him to see Iraqi or American blood spilled in the unjust war on Iraq.

Farrell is counting on the fact that no one remembers another part he played one Friday night, 18 years ago in San Salvador. For 2 ½ hours, Farrell, who played a surgeon on M*A*S*H, assisted Dr. Alejandro Sanchez in a real-life operation to restore movement to the arm of Nidia Diaz, a guerilla leader of the Marxist Central American Worker’s Party. Just two months before, the group had claimed responsibility for the slaying of four U.S. Marines, two American businessmen and nine civilians. Diaz is still barred from entering the U.S. for her role in the murders.

"Apparently, it was the most important role in his life," Sandra "Sand" Brim of Medical Aid for El Salvador told the Associated Press at the time. The U.S.-based Medical Aid, which was founded by Farrell’s long-time friend and radical activist buddy, actor Ed Asner, flew in the Los Angeles doctor because there was no surgeon available with the skills to perform the delicate operation. Because he needed someone to assist him, Sanchez asked Farrell, who at the time was in Central America at the behest of Amnesty International, for help on the way to the hospital.

"I know this is going to look like a publicity stunt, but that’s too bad. It isn’t," Farrell told the Los Angeles Times after the operation.

[bedolido]

[3AngelaD]

He's not a doctor, but he plays one on TV, and I'm going to let him help operate on me? I don't think so.

[Gefreiter]

This is the same guy who, ca 1990, did a TV special about aliens at Area 51, and how nice they were. No joke.

[lilylangtree]

Never enjoyed his acting ability. Don't enjoy his politics either.

[zingzang]

Don't forget, he's a PETA freak as well. That in and of itself speaks volumes.

[UCFRoadWarrior]

So BJ Hunnicutt is really a Commie...not a peacenik

No freakin wonder we lost in Korea......BJ was secretly helping the No Koreans ;-)

[beckett]

I remember some five or six years ago listening to Farrell, I believe on radio, field some questions about Mumia Abu Jamal, whom he has vigorously defended for many years. It became apparent during the questioning that Farrell knew less about the case than I did, and I have only read accounts of the killing of 25 year old, newly married Police Officer Daniel Faulkner in the mainstream media and done no special research, while Farrell holds himself out as an expert on Abu Jamal. I mention the age and marital status of Faulkner because those were two things that Farrell did not know. It was clear he had never bothered to learn anything about the man who was so senselessly murdered by Abu Jamal that night.

Mike Farrell is a true pinhead, an empty-headed, vacuous Hollywood minor celeb whose politics go from one muddled idea to the next in a neverending stream of inanity.

[Martus]

As much as I loved the show MASH, I am going to erase ALL of my episodes that I have taped.

[MJemison]

He has boobs.

[okie01]

I dated his Farrell's wife when we were in college. And I cast Mike in one of his first commercials, pre-M.A.S.H.

Regrettably, I might bear some responsibility for his success.

Had I won Judy's heart...? Or might he have starved and dropped out without the Hot Shot residuals...?

I apologize to everyone.

[isthisnickcool]

He has boobs.

That's called the "Michael Moore Chest Syndrome".

[G L Tirebiter]

"Hot Shot" as in the bug spray?

There's a good line in there somewhere waiting to emerge...

[CatoRenasci]

accepted. you were simply being decent at the time. pity he turned out so badly.

[okie01]

"Hot Shot" as in the bug spray?

Yup! Ant & Roach, prophetically...

[what's up]

Ugh...didn't know his history.

Scum.

[litany_of_lies]

Farrell was one of the more prominent celebrities who placed a full-page ad in the New York Times congratulating hard-core Communist Daniel Ortega on being elected president of Nicaragua the day after the election was held (in roughly 1987).

Only one problem. Ortega lost, badly. Once the Nicaraguan people had a chance to voice their opinion, he was history.

This forever marks Farrell as a hard-core anit-American socialist not to be trusted on anything forever.

[Maven]

Mike Farrell is a true pinhead, an empty-headed, vacuous Hollywood minor celeb whose politics go from one muddled idea to the next in a neverending stream of inanity.

He's also a pretty nasty, unfriendly person in real life. Unfortunately, I've had several encounters with him over the years (we live in the same neighborhood).

Maven

[F16Fighter]

"I dated his Farrell's wife when we were in college."

I don't know -- you might have cooties.

The big question is whether we at FR are suseptible if we post to you ;-)

[CdMGuy]

Don't feel badly. His sister was our departmental secretary back in the mid 70s when he was on Mash. I thought he was an a-hole then, I know he is an a-hole now.

[Kay Soze]

He is in favor of the Iraqis being brutalized by their military leaders.

He is a freak and a dangerous one.

He supports dictaorships, mass murders, executions and tortures.