Wednesday, 11/19/03
Brian Weatherson at Crooked Timber comments on a loopy TIAA-CREF proposal to stop investing in companies that support gun control. By way of a whimsical correlation between support for gun control and strong economic performance, Weatherson points to the NRA's thorough blacklist of pesky civilians and corporations, including the Kansas City Chiefs, who are apparently having a pretty good year.
This list is surprisingly entertaining. Some notes:
- I counted sixteen Oscar winners, and undoubtedly missed more.
- I learned that Julia Child is on the board of Handgun Control, Inc. I've read that she was affiliated with some sort of spy agency in World War II, despite being a woman and very tall. I'd like to know more about that.
- Richard Belzer is on the list. While taping an episode of Homicide, Belzer and two cast members once accidentally arrested a criminal fleeing from police, using their fake guns and badges.
- Peter Bogdanovich's name is misspelled.
- Bonnie Bruckheimer -- !!! That's like discovering a needle exchange run by the Pope's brother.
- John Leguizamo is on the list. The first time I saw him in a movie, he killed Al Pacino for no reason in Carlito's Way, and it was years before I could find him funny.
- Matt Damon is on the list. If I recall correctly, he shot a man for no reason in Jay and Silent Bob Fight Back. That, on the other hand, was very funny.
- Tara Lipinski is on the list, cited as "Former Olympian". Ouch. She's 21.
- Richard Donner is on the list. He produced and directed Lethal Weapons 1, 2, 3, and 4, which in addition to being gun-crazy were also generally witless. When he stands before St. Peter, he can at least claim to have also made Scrooged.
- The inclusion of Tim Roth and Steve Buscemi means at least two cast members from the notoriously bloody Reservoir Dogs made it; alas, Michael Madsen is not on the list.
- There are no fewer than five Zappa children included. Kinda like shooting fish in a barrel, no? But then the NRA probably sanctions shooting fish in barrels.
- And finally, while I found it surprising that the NRA bothers to include church leaders and former Surgeons General on its list -- was there some sort of quota to meet? -- I was slack-jawed to note the inclusion of Coretta Scott King.
Update: I initially attributed Coretta Scott King's inclusion to "some NRA intern", forgetting momentarily that the national organization is easily crazy enough to condemn the anti-gun views of the widow of an assassinated winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. I don't know what I was thinking.
Also, John Gruber writes to point out that Steve Buscemi made sure that his Reservoir Dogs action figure would not come with a little toy gun. While commendable, Buscemi conveys his conviction somewhat less intensely than Drew Barrymore, who after once making a movie called "Guncrazy" now refuses to allow guns in the Charlie's Angels movies, which she produces. Ms. Barrymore is definitely on the list.
06:26PM «
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