|
TRICKSTERS AND HUCKSTERS: SHOW BIZ ARCHETYPES
by Addison De Witt
“Bad Casting”
When former B-movie actor Ronald Reagan ran for Governor of California (in 1966), and then for President of the United States (in 1980), it was famously said, “The casting’s all wrong. It should be Jimmy Stewart for President, and Ronald Reagan for best friend,” alluding to some of the affable sidekick roles Reagan had played over the years. I can’t be the first to have had a similar thought about this year’s recall/gubernatorial race in California: It should be Tom Hanks for Governor, and Arnold Schwarzengger for...well, for...uh, just about anything else, outside of politics – movie action hero, restauranteur, Special Olympics ambassador, all positions he’s held over the years. But Conan The Barbarian and The Terminator as Governor of California? Surely there’s a better replacement for gray Gray Davis than Arnold. Politics and party affiliation aside, it’s just bad casting, pure and simple.
With the allegations for sexual harassment and assault, not to mention pro-Hitler statements, flooding the media in the days leading up to the election, it appears that more relevant facts about Arnold Schwarzenegger are being ignored. How about, for instance, that he has never previously held elected office? Or that he has no experience that would remotely qualify him for honorary mayor of Pacific Palisades, let alone Governor of one of America’s largest states, and the fifth largest economy in the world? What astonishes me the most is not just that a large chunk of the electorate would vote for an actor without political experience to be Governor. What’s amazing is that they are voting for the wrong actor.
What’s the matter with you people? Don’t you remember Morgan Freeman in that movie where an asteroid hit earth and sent a tidal wave crashing over Washington D.C.? He was a fantastic President! Couldn’t you tell that, at the end of the film, he was going to bring America back together after this horrible crisis? Think what he could do for California.
Or, for that matter, what about Martin Sheen? Has there ever been a United States President with more honest-to-God integrity and simple wisdom than his Jed Bartlett on “The West Wing”? Although it’s a stretch, I would even prefer Michael Douglas (“An American President”) to the star of “Pumping Iron,” wouldn’t you? He was a good father in that movie, and pretty charming with the ladies (in ways that aren’t against the law). And Martin Sheen was his chief of staff – two for the price of one!
Actors running for political office is certainly not a new phenomenon. Years before Ronald Reagan ran for Governor, Broadway and film star Helen Gahagan Douglas (wife of actor Melvyn Douglas) ran for the Senate in California against Richard Nixon. His red-baiting of his opponent in that 1950 race won him the nickname “Tricky Dick,” which hounded him for the rest of his political life. (Read the book, “Tricky Dick and he Pink Lady” by Greg Mitchell for a gripping account of that race.) Tap dancing actor turned Republican politician George Murphy, who played second fiddle to Gene Kelly in “For Me and My Gal” opposite Judy Garland in 1942, was actually elected to the United States Senate in 1964. At least Murphy, like Ronald Reagan, had been President of the Screen Actors Guild and, ostensibly, knew how to lead, and how to represent a large group of people. (Will we be seeing Patty Duke or Ed Asner running for the Senate after Diane Feinstein retires...? How about a rematch between Melissa Gilbert and Valerie Harper?) Gopher from “The Love Boat” and Miss Hathaway from “The Beverly Hillbillies” were both elected to Congress in the 1980’s (from other states), but those offices don’t have the impact of Governor.
Let’s face it, Sonny Bonno was bad casting for Congress. But at least Sonny knew that you have to have some credibility before you run for such a position, and became mayor of Palm Springs first. Perhaps if Arnold had started with more modest job aspirations (L.A. City Council?), it would make sense that he could build a political base. What does it say about our society and our culture that we would eagerly elect a man known for solving all problems with brutal, mind-numbing violence? Is that what we really want?
At least if Tom Hanks were running, we would know that our candidate was really a sensitive, good guy we could count on, with a romantic streak (“Sleepless In Seattle”), had faith in America (“Apollo 13”), empathized with the marginalized in our society (“Philadelphia”), and believed in education for all our children, even those who fall through the cracks (“Forrest Gump”). It’s too late to send Gray Davis to acting school (or even “Extreme Makeover”), but I think if we could get Tom to run against Arnold in 2006, the voters might come to their senses. And at their big debate, Tom could borrow a phrase from Arnold’s playbook and turn to him and say, “Hasta la vista, baby!”
(Back to Columns index)
|
