REALITY CHECKS

OLIVER STONE: ALEXANDER DIDN'T SUCK, AMERICANS ARE JUST STUPID!

 

Like the Democratic Party Oliver Stone doesn't blame a recent failure on his own failings but on what he believes it the stupidity of the American people.  A theory he posited in an interview with the Guardian newspaper.

 

That's right Oliver, and pass me whatever your smoking, it sounds like some pretty strong stuff.

 

But enough with the chit chat Ollie, it's time for a REALITY CHECK!

 

Here are the reasons ALEXANDER became a worldwide and not just an American turkey...

• Colin Farrel was miscast.  I'm sure he's a great guy and all that, and we all love his constant drunken off camera loutishness, but he's strictly a lightweight pretty boy.  He can't carry the kind of big epic productions, and he definitely can't do it looking like a failed model who just left a gay bar in Venice Beach badly hungover.  It doesn't look good when the conqueror of the known world needs an hourly dose of visine and an inch thick layer of makeup to keep from looking like a possessed zombie.  The boys at Powerline make a good point when they said that good old Charlton Heston was underrated.  Charlton in his prime could have sold even a bisexual Alexander.
• It wasn't a flop because Alexander's portrayed as bisexual.  This is the world where WILL & GRACE is considered a family friendly sitcom, and QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY is a hit on cable.  Americans will watch and often pay money to see shows featuring gay, lesbian or bisexual characters, but the shows have to be entertaining.  This leads me to the next point...
• You films just aren't entertaining anymore.  A short time after you decided that the JFK assassination was all a big conspiracy to send you to VietNam your films went from being stylish and interesting, if a bit overwrought, to being lectures delivered by a man screaming at the top of his voice.  Nobody likes to be yelled at Ollie.  If they did your films would do better at the box-office.

There are more reasons, but I'm not a film critic, I'm just a guy trying to offer a little dose of reality.

SOMALIA: WHY DOESN'T ANYONE LIKE US?

The African state of Somalia was also hit by the Boxing Day Tsunami, and I heard on the radio today that they're complaining that no one is rushing to give them aid.  Apparently aid's flooding into Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and other places, but no one seems keen on offering a helping hand to Somalia.

I wonder why?

Well, let's have a REALITY CHECK.

Let's see, in 1993 warlords and their outlaw gangs plunged Somalia into anarchy and caused a massive famine.  Countries rushed to Somalia's aid sending in food, medicine and aid workers. 

What did the Somalis do?

Somali warlords attacked the aid workers, killing several, and stole all the food to trade for guns and drugs to keep their civil war going.  Seeing ending the warlord's reign of terror as the key to ending the famine the USA sent in the troops to take them on.

What did the Somalis do?

They rushed to defend the Al-Qaida backed warlords, and attacked the American soldiers getting somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 Somalis killed.  The Somalis killed 18 American soldiers in the battle and dragged the corpses of several through the streets in a grotesque parade celebrating their self-induced starvation.   Because in their view, it's better to be oppressed and starved by fellow Muslims than to be fed and helped by the Great Satan.

And they wonder why no one is rushing to their aid.

Somalia bit the hand that fed it, and is wondering why they're not getting any more.

They chose Al-Qaida, why don't they ask them for some help.