What’s he smokin’?
: There’s quite a collection of nonsensical quotes from Tim Robbins appearing at the Venice Film Festival and talking about how wise and virtuous he was regarding war in Iraq.
Says the Guardian: “The American actor Tim Robbins broke his silence yesterday after being attacked for putting US troops ‘in danger’ by speaking out against the invasion of Iraq.”
What silence? He never shut up!
Agence France Presse had a different take: “Tim Robbins took a thinly-veiled sideswipe at fellow Hollywood stars who failed to follow his example and speak out against the US-led war on Iraq.”
What, trouble in paradise? Who didn’t speak out? Why?
Now back to the Guardian, where Robbins says they did speak out. I’m so confused.
Robbins, whose partner and fellow actor, Susan Sarandon, has also been criticised for her anti-war stance, said the cold shouldering they received had been “a gift” which had rallied liberals to the cause of free speech.
“It’s sparked a lot of people in Hollywood who would have spoken out and felt intimidated to say something,” Robbins said at the Venice Film Festival.
“Too often people abdicate their freedom in their minds and choose not to speak. But once you abdicate that freedom you may as well not have it.”
What the hell does that mean? Can someone translate and put subtitles under the guy?
And he keeps blathering. And blather, this is:
Robbins was persuaded to hire a bodyguard during filming for the first time in his career. But he said his anxiety had “no basis in reality”.
“People in the Middle East make a distinction between governments and individuals. They say they disagree with my government but not with me. I live now in a lot less fear, now I have turned off my TV,” he said.
Quick, call Bonnie Fuller and tell her to rip up The Star and shout, “Stop the presses!” We have a new wood for her: ‘HOLLYWOOD STAR SCARED OF TELEVISION. ‘I have turned of my TV,’ says a quivering Tim Robbins, who admits that he has ‘no basis in reality.’
