Truer words . . .
SAG Awards: Lily Tomlin Likens Donald Trump’s Tactics to Those of Nazis (excerpts below)
What was that sad caricature accepting a “Life Achievemant Award” at the Screen Actors’ Guild self-congratulatory extravaganza Sunday night?
It surely wasn’t the Lily Tomlin it claimed to be.
Lily Tomlin, as I recall her, was a supremely talented and beloved entertainment icon for many years. She was a variety of lovable comedic characters, including a mischievous 6 year old, “Edith Ann” and “Ernestine”, the snarky telephone operator. Ms. Tomlin was a performer of wide range, appearing in numerous hit movies, Broadway productions, and TV series.
Tomlin’s “range”, however, does not extend to prowess as an effective political activist or a widely respected interpreter of history, as she demonstrated to the world last night.
In a tired, typically shrill “Hollywoodish” rant aimed at President Trump, she proved it in a most bizarre way. Tomlin’s babbling could, at first, be interpreted as a new comedy character creation Tomlin is working on…a grumpy, ill-informed elderly biddy who thinks she’s leading a major political movement among her fellow rest home residents.
But after spouting a few lines, it becomes obvious that Lily is going to need a lot of work on that character to make it an appealing, amusing addition to her comedic repertoire.
After last night’s well-deserved homage to a one time widely respected entertainment superstar, tragically ruined by the honoree’s own embarrassing incoherence, one is sorely tempted to beg Ms. Tomlin to ‘please, do go gentle into that good night…don’t rage, rage against the dying of the light”*… Last night’s performance sadly became a tragic and bitter conclusion to a well-acclaimed and successful life. DLH
Excerpts
“You’ve got to change the laws, just like he’s changing, Trump is changing the laws now. He’s trying to change the laws. You know, my mind is going too fast. I wanna think about the fact that, you know, I don’t wanna make this comparison, I’m not making it any way, but the Nazis, they changed the laws if they didn’t agree with them. They just changed them and they could do whatever they wanted.”
Tomlin added, “We need to be vigilant and we need to agree when he may have a good idea or she may have a good idea, and we should be resistant when they don’t. Oh my gosh, I feel like I’m talking to someplace in Germany many decades ago.”
Tomlin was awarded the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award Sunday night at the 2017SAG Awards. During her acceptance speech, she said that recent protests against Trump had inspired her to think about “what sign should I make for the next march: Global warming, Standing Rock, LGBT issues, immigration — there are so many things.”
An additional note:
I believe I am going back to watching these cheesy “awards”shows like Sunday’s SAG (an appropriate acronym).
I don’t think these “show biz” people yet realize that they have a legitimate “hit” on their hands.
Actually not completely correct. They’ve always thought they had a hit, just because they show up in their glitzy finery and walk a faux red carpet,collect their “swag” bags, and a fawning press drools over a chance to talk to them on air.
But it is now indisputable that these folks do not do well without a script.
For “accomplished” actors they are incredibly unconvincing when they express their righteous indignation at the latest transgression by a non-conforming American public…that is, one who doesn’t support their radical left agenda. They tend to come as snarly, pampered, wildly overpaid poseurs.
What I’ve come to appreciate about these award shows is the brilliance of their production by people who don’t even realize they are participating in an hilarious self-parody! They actually believe that viewers are taking seriously their sanctimonious rants.
As has been noted, Lily Tomlin is the latest to so utterly destroy her well-earned public image by her pathetic, incoherent rant on a subject that so blatantly exposed the abject ignorance of a person otherwise supremely talented in her chosen field.
It is especially tragic, to me, that she chose to do it in the twilight of a life well-lived, only because she felt a need to pander to her equally ignorant peers who deigned to honor her legitimate achievements.
Very, very sad, Lily. I still cherish the entertainment you provided, but it is not the way I wanted to see you end your run on the public stage.
Be well, Lily.
Wonder if Jamie Lee Curtis added Activia to the “swag” packets her fellow actors received the SAG bash. It appeared many of them were suffering serious Trump-caused bowel distress.