The Height Of Bad Taste

Talk about the latest movies and video releases here!
Message
Author
Eric Paddon
Posts: 8595
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:49 pm

The Height Of Bad Taste

#1 Post by Eric Paddon »

Hollywood's monolithic thought on politics is something that I've long had to be used to. But it's truly amazing how that slavish devotion to monolithic thought on politics leads this industry to blind themselves to all forms of common decency. Now they think Alzheimers disease is something to use as the source of cheap laughs and alleged "satire" so long as the target is Ronald Reagan.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/ ... -is-funny/

Patti Davis, who spent years estranged from her parents because she didn't share their politics nonetheless reconciled in later years because she understood the basic human tie of family being stronger than politics. And its fitting that she takes Will Ferrell to task in a letter penned directly to him.

User avatar
Monterey Jack
Posts: 9714
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:14 am
Location: Walpole, MA

Re: The Height Of Bad Taste

#2 Post by Monterey Jack »

Wow, just when I thought I couldn't dislike Will Ferrell more... :shock:

User avatar
AndyDursin
Posts: 34186
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:45 pm
Location: RI

Re: The Height Of Bad Taste

#3 Post by AndyDursin »

It's disgusting. I cringed at reading the description. Ferrell's politics have colored very little of his on-screen work -- with a couple of exceptions -- but this is a terrible idea and smacks of Hollywood liberals in their little bubble concocting what they perceive to be a "comedy" that's going to insult Reagan, his family, his friends, and anyone who cared about him.

But, you know, maybe that's the point.

Reminds me of this bomb from Tom Selleck...an earlier Alzheimers "comedy" that was tone-deaf and dumb.

Image

mkaroly
Posts: 6214
Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2005 10:44 pm
Location: Ohio

Re: The Height Of Bad Taste

#4 Post by mkaroly »

Beyond poor taste to be sure. I never cared for Will Ferrell to be honest, and now he has basically just assured that I will never support him in any project he is involved in.

User avatar
AndyDursin
Posts: 34186
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:45 pm
Location: RI

Re: The Height Of Bad Taste

#5 Post by AndyDursin »

His days of being funny do seem to be far removed at this point. There are a slew of his films I find quite hilarious, but the likes of DADDY'S HOME -- its commercial gross notwithstanding -- show him to be on the decline. And material like this? Desperate.

User avatar
AndyDursin
Posts: 34186
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:45 pm
Location: RI

Re: The Height Of Bad Taste

#6 Post by AndyDursin »

Multiple outlets confirming Ferrell is NOT doing this film
Must have heard the protest so a wise move made there.

Eric Paddon
Posts: 8595
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:49 pm

Re: The Height Of Bad Taste

#7 Post by Eric Paddon »

Well good for him if he was shamed into realizing the backlash he'd be facing. The fact that this script got this far along though is still appalling. Ferrell might have recovered his decency but the same can't be said for those who took part in a March "live read" of the script to yuk over it as "satire". The names mentioned were James Brolin (who played Reagan before in a Streisand produced Showtime hit job that tried to parrot the line of Reagan being responsible for the AIDS epidemic) and Lena Dunham (she who falsely accused a man named Barry of having raped her in college and who forced a retraction on that point after Breitbart was the only media outlet that bothered to investigate how uncredible her claim was and how it was ruining an innocent man's reputation) .

User avatar
AndyDursin
Posts: 34186
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:45 pm
Location: RI

Re: The Height Of Bad Taste

#8 Post by AndyDursin »

Don't get me started on Dunham. If there was ever a reason to vote for Trump, her migration to Canada would be #1 on my list!

mkaroly
Posts: 6214
Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2005 10:44 pm
Location: Ohio

Re: The Height Of Bad Taste

#9 Post by mkaroly »

AndyDursin wrote:Multiple outlets confirming Ferrell is NOT doing this film
Must have heard the protest so a wise move made there.
Definitely a wise move!

DavidBanner

Re: The Height Of Bad Taste

#10 Post by DavidBanner »

There is a helpful Hollywood Reporter article on this script, wherein the author actually took the time to read the material rather than assume anything.
The reporter found this movie was not intended as a mean slam on Ronald Reagan, but was more of a comedy in the same vein as the 90s film "Dick" about two teenage girls who encounter Nixon around the time of Watergate.
It doesn't sound like Mike Rosolio intended the reaction that was stirred up here.
The article also clarifies that it's more likely that Will Ferrell was interested in this project not as a cheap shot at Ronald Reagan but more as a commentary on Donald Trump's candidacy.
That doesn't make the movie a great idea or something that I would recommend seeing. Frankly, most Will Ferrell movies I hear about are in extremely questionable taste.
I'll also note for anyone who thinks I'm somehow in favor of attacks on Reagan that the man was a good friend of my family and a big supporter of my grandfather.
I just would prefer to make sure the record is straight as to what this idea of a movie actually was, without any hyperbole.
Again, I don't think it would be a good idea to make this movie and I think it's a good thing that Will Ferrell decided he didn't want to do it after all. Obviously, Rosolio and the people around him didn't think about how their idea of a comedy would affect the many families who have been affected by this disease. I'd say that's more a matter of someone being clueless about how their jokes could hurt someone else than a political statement.

Regarding Eric Paddon's comments, I'll just say that I know these are touchy areas for him, and I appreciate that this has been a difficult year for him. I don't accept his premises, but I'm not going to argue with him and I'll leave it at that.

Regarding Dunham's comment about going to Canada, I honestly don't think we'll see that happen, regardless of how many friends of mine actively dislike her TV show. I wouldn't know as I've never watched it and have no interest in it.

Eric Paddon
Posts: 8595
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:49 pm

Re: The Height Of Bad Taste

#11 Post by Eric Paddon »

David, out of respect for your graciousness to me, I will only say that I read that article and it only IMO proves every assumption about the project in terms of what it says about the monolithic attitudes of the industry.

User avatar
AndyDursin
Posts: 34186
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:45 pm
Location: RI

Re: The Height Of Bad Taste

#12 Post by AndyDursin »

DB I'm well aware Dunham's comments are likely hyperbole...I can dream can't I? Lol

DavidBanner

Re: The Height Of Bad Taste

#13 Post by DavidBanner »

Dunham is certainly being hyperbolic herself. But that isn't the reason she won't need to migrate to Canada. I don't believe she'll have any issue with the next President.

Eric Paddon
Posts: 8595
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:49 pm

Re: The Height Of Bad Taste

#14 Post by Eric Paddon »

Alec Baldwin still needs to make good on his promise to leave because the 2000 election didn't go his way.

DavidBanner

Re: The Height Of Bad Taste

#15 Post by DavidBanner »

And we're still waiting for Rush Limbaugh to move to Costa Rica as he said he would if the ACA was passed.
And Stephen Baldwin still needs to honor his pledge to leave the USA if Barack Obama won the Dem nomination in 2008. Last I checked, Obama did get that nomination.

The only case where someone has actually taken off that I've heard of was an unnamed professor who wanted to see Tom Tancredo get the nomination in 2008. One of his colleagues wrote that as soon as Obama won the 2008 election, this guy immediately left the country and moved to South America. Pretty much everyone else seems to have had second thoughts...

Post Reply