Johnny Depp, Fedora Ambassador

[Vladimir Berkov]

Apparently Depp just bought the movie rights to Lord Whimsy's book so we might soon be seeing a movie where he wears more strange hats.

http://www.lordwhimsy.com/essays/sportswear.html

 

[BellyTank]

Depp means idiot in German but I think he's OK-
A good ambassador abroad for America, if not for the Fedora...
..lends some diversity beyond the stereotype-

B
T

 

[Biltmore Bob]

You trying to stir things up, BT?

Depp an ambassador for America? He ain't my ambassador, as a matter of fact I find it really hard to pick an american celebrity that I would endorse for "American Ambassador". Most of the actors these days are vehemently anti-american to the point of sedition. Most of them talk about sharing the wealth and lessening the gap between the rich and poor, while they amass millions of dollars and live in Spanish or French villas and eat grapes dipped in champagne. They have never worked a hard day in their life and most have never finished college. Yet, their opinions are highly regarded and they are considered athorities on everything from parenthood to politics. It's a shame that the rest of the world, meaning other than the USA, sees this kind of behavior and speech from these celebrities and think that is the way all Americans are. These Buttheads don't speak for me.

 

[Panamabob]

I loved Sleepy Hollow! Heads will roll!

 

[Mycroft]

No matter his politcs, he is an actor America needs more of. He is picks his roles indivdually for the uniqueness of them and their artist value, nothing more, that I know of. I really appreciate this returing of an artist to the art not a steotypical pretty boy who can dance.

 

[Bebop]

What exactly is so stange about Johnny Depp? He seems like a regular shmo to me. He is just a guy that makes alot of money pretending to be someone else and interviewers, knowing that the public will respond, ask him questions he has as much right answering as you or I do. The people that take his answers seriously are the "strange" ones. Who gives a flying tiger what Depp has to say about anything? I am sure that behind closed doors, he would agree with me. He has no secret to acting. There is no magical power. Him and a team of supervisors were able to convince us that going to see him in a movie is magical. Money rolls into alot of peoples bank accounts and he gets bigger paychecks than we do. I do think that he is probably one of the most entertaining actors due to his choice of rolls. Same with Sean Penn. Shut up and entertain me! The smartest actors are like DeNiro and Pacino. Not too many interviews. You don't want the masses knowing that you are just a regular guy that can barely speak without a script. Let them think that your acting ability comes from some hidden knowledge. Let the people look at you like Jesus just stepped in. I am sure that many of us can do what they do but everything worked out for them, not us. More power to them.
As far as J. Depp and the fedora...... I am sure he has no knowledge of a web sight dedicated to a hat. He just wears what he wants because he really can't do anything wrong when it comes to fashion. He could wear a paper bag over his head and still be handsome (in a girlish way) and accepted by his fans. Look how far Michael Jackson overstepped his boundries and still has people fainting at his presence. He has one over on the rest of us. Like him or not.

 

[nightandthecity]

Any position on JD?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s acting ability or sex appeal has to be purely subjective. Personally, I saw him in legend of Sleepy Hollow and Pirates of the Carribean and I thought he was great. And all the women I know seem to think he?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s the best thing since Sean Connery.

As regards his politics: I tend to agree with Bob that it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s crazy that success as an actor or a musician seems to make your personal views important to thousands of people you don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t know. On the other hand I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve never understood why being rich is supposed to stop you from holding leftist views. Given that most people?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s political opinions, left or right, are simple rationalizations of self interest, I find the existence of millionaire socialists rather heartening. And I found Bob?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s reference to ?¢‚Ǩ?ìsedition?¢‚Ǩ? a bit disturbing. ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSedition?¢‚Ǩ? is a concept that originated in medieval tyrannies and it should have no place in a liberal democratic society. Most definitions of sedition say something like ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSpeech or action promoting discontent or rebellion against a government?¢‚Ǩ?. Which I would have thought was the very essence of freedom. If you can?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t say things that the government (or the media, or the public) don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t like then you are living in an authoritarian society.

If this seems a bit off topic for this forum then let?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s remember that Golden Age Hollywood was also attacked as a stronghold of ?¢‚Ǩ?ìsedition?¢‚Ǩ?, that many of it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s stars held views well to the left of Mr Depp, and that it was McCarthyism, HUAC and the blacklist that ended Hollwood?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s greatest era.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Webster says...


Main Entry: se?Ǭ?di?Ǭ?tion
Pronunciation: si-'di-sh&n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin sedition-, seditio, literally, separation, from se- apart + ition-, itio act of going, from ire to go -- more at SECEDE, ISSUE
: incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority

 

[airfrogusmc]

See this is the problem I have with the far right today. You can't be American or a Christian if you have an opposing view. Well I'll let God decide on the Christian thing and besides my family being in this country since before the revolution my 4 years in the Corps should make me not only American but a patriot to boot.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Maybe sedition is to strong of a word for what I had in mind. So I retract, humbly. However I have a problem, and I think most Americans should too, with celebrities aiding and abbetting the enemy. Last I checked we were at war with militant Islamic extremeists. Any support for these people, countrys or views by celebrities or others should not be condoned. We should not allow anti-American retoric during time of war. If you want to trash the US go to Iran or Syria and do it.

Or maybe not...maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.

I enjoy free speech, and lively debate with people who hold a different opinion than I do. But I think there is a line that you can cross. No?

I can't be the only one this board that thinks this way, can I?

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Furthermore..

I think Johnny Depp is a girly man.

 

[nightandthecity]

(I posted this before Bob's reply above.....then accidentally deleted when making a slight edit. I'm new to this site and only just getting the hang of this newfangled technology. Sorry!)

As regards "sedition": I can?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t find my OED but Collins says: ?¢‚Ǩ?ì1) Speech or behaviour directed against the peace of a state 2) an offence that tends to undermine the authority of a state.?¢‚Ǩ? Chambers has: ?¢‚Ǩ?ìstirring up rebellion against the government?¢‚Ǩ?. But anyway, I have no problem with Webster?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s definition: ?¢‚Ǩ?ìincitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority?¢‚Ǩ?. It seems to me that being able to say what you like is pretty much the acid test of what political freedom means, and if that doesn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t include the right to incite people to rebellion then you don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t have true free speech. In any case this is all pretty academic: looking at real history we see that states which don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t allow ?¢‚Ǩ?ìsedition?¢‚Ǩ? have usually defined sedition so widely that almost any criticism of the status quo becomes dangerous.

 

[BellyTank]

You undermined yerself there Bob...

B
T

 

[Bebop]

Biltmore Bob, just out of curiosity, have you ever been out of the U.S. or Texas? Not that there is anything wrong with that. Also, I thought you were the guy that is "not happy unless you offend someone everyday". Offend someone as in "crossing the line"? Since when did you get sensitive about crossing a line? Or am I misunderstanding you.

 

[jamespowers]

How did this thread go from the subject of girlyman, nutcase Johnny Depp into ambASSador Depp and the defintion of sedition?
He is not my ambassador either and no one should assume as such. The guy lives in France. How could he represent the US while living in a foreign country? That makes no sense. [huh]
Let's also remember that we live in a Representative Republic and not a Democracy of any kind. I don't want to live in a Democracy where mob rule would settle all debates without protection of the minority opinion in any case or the ability to appeal the decision of the mob.
Lastly, last time I looked in the history of our country sedition is the willful aiding and abetting enemies of the United States. Benedict Arnold was not offending, protesting or crossing a line. He was a traitor--simple. If you fight for the other side against us in a war then you are guilty of sedition. The moron who went over to Iraq and fought with the Taliban was a traitor and guilty of sedition because he was caught with the enemy as an enemy combatant. He is a traitor but was dealt with as something else. Watering down the definiton does nothing but confuse those who would have you believe that sedition is simply speach. It is not it is action against the country. When you raise a rifle or your actions result in troops dying then you are guilty of sedition. If you need further examples then I can scare them up but I think what I submitted should be sufficient to define the term.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Feraud]

Two quick points here:
1 - Depp comes off looking 'dirty' offscreen. He appears an intelligent(more than most) person. He need to clean himself up and put the fedora on forwards. Great actor tho! Not afraid to escape a typecast version of himself.

2 - These actors who go shooting their mouths off in other countries are no more ambassadors of American sentiment than I am! They sit in front of a room full of foreign journalists and say what will make the reporters write the best lines for them and their films. They are there to sell films. Nothing more and certainly not representative of America.

This goes for that husband stealing "saint", Angelina Jolie. A more despicable role models for women or ambassador of 'goodwill' I have not seen since Madonna tried to make a "comeback" as an author of childrens books....

 

[Panamabob]

I can't tell you how many parents rant and rave when their kiddos go home and tell them that I told them that the US isn't a democracy. I won't even mention the misunderstandings about the Electoral College and the Constitution.

 

[jamespowers]

I can't tell you how many parents rant and rave when their kiddos go home and tell them that I told them that the US isn't a democracy. I won't even mention the misunderstandings about the Electoral College and the Constitution.

I applaud you for at least trying. Maybe they might even open a book or read the Constitution and see that you are right.
This is a problem in the school system today. They do not give the children an even rudimentary knowledge about how the US government works. Is it any wonder that they do not participate in voting when they do not even understand how the system works? As far as I am concerned it is better that some people choose not to vote. If you are not informed about issues or what the consequences of your vote are then stay home. No need to go around guessing like they did on those True or False and multiple choice tests in High School.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Biltmore Bob]

I've been all over the world, let's see...Italy, Sicily, Spain, Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Panama, Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, The Phillipine Islands, Thailand, Kuwait, and a couple more that I have probably forgotten. I have lived in the following states...Virginia, Maryland, D.C., Ohio, West Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, California, Texas.

Is someone implying that I have not seen the world and that I have the myopic world view of a backwater hillbilly conservative?

I'm taking senstivity classes

 

[BellyTank]

Don't forget Australia HillBillyBaawb!
Ya big Albino Cyclops!
:cheers1:

B
T