# What actors can you not watch for ethical reasons? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239 "2003-08-23T22:59:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/81 "2003-08-26T18:08:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by amarone \* > \*\*I am not making any judgment about on-screen performance. I think it is perfectly reasonable not to want to direct income towards someone whose actions you find to be vile. Even if you are not paying to get into a movie, you are funding someone indirectly by watching them on TV/DVD. > > “Art” is not something special that transcends this judgment. If you saw a shop with a sign in the window saying “blacks and faggots not welcome”, would you not understand people’s desire not to bring custom to the owner? Or should they just judge the quality of the merchandise on sale? > > My response to the OP was Mickey Rourke for his open support of the IRA, including financial assistance. The IRA killed some 1,800 people. I remember going shopping, or to pubs and restaurants in England with the knowledge that there was a chance, small but real, that I may get blown up. > > If an actor openly supports Osama Bin Laden and sends Al Quaeda money, could you still not understand people not wishing to direct income towards that actor? Would you still judge him purely on the merits of his on-screen performance? \*\* I realize that there’s probably a line somewhere in there, and i would probably draw the line myself if i thought someone was providing direct material support to terrorists, etc. My main beef was with those who boycott liberal or conservative artists who are doing little more than expressing a political point-of-view. I don’t have much time for Arnold Schwarzeneggers politics, and i certainly hope he doesn’t become California’s next governor, but it’s not going to stop me watching T2 again. If i boycott some Arnie movies, it’s because they suck (e.g. True Lies). As far as personal behaviour goes (drugs, violence, alcohol, etc.), i tend not to pay much attention to that sort of stuff. Also, except when such things actually make it to the courtroom, we often only get a very distorted view of the story from the media. After quite a lot of Google searching, for example, i still can’t find what i consider to be a really reliable source confirming that Sean Penn tied Madonna to a chair and beat her. I’m not saying that what these celebrities do off-screen doesn’t matter at all, i’m just saying that, in the frequent cases where evidence is slim, i choose to ignore the issue and concentrate on artistic merit. I could say the same about the Kobe Bryant case. Even if he is found innocent of sexual assault, he still admits fucking around on his wife. I think that makes him an asshole. It won’t stop me appreciating his basketball talent, however. If he is found guilty of sexual assault, the point might become irrelevant, because he will certainly lose his endorsments, and might end up playing prison ball for a while, where none of us could watch him anyway. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/82 "2003-08-26T18:12:43Z")
Fair enough. And I’ve just noticed my misspelling of Al Qaeda. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/83 "2003-08-26T18:20:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dropzone \* > \*\* > And friedo, in 1926 we were fighting the Sandinistas in Nicaragua. \*\* No, we were fighting _Sandino_. The _Sandinistas_ weren’t formed until, what, the 1960s? I don’t really boycott anything, but I do find it hard to watch anything with a Scientologist (I make an exception for _That '70s Show_-Hyde rules). ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/84 "2003-08-26T18:38:20Z")
I try very hard to keep what happens off screen not ruin the performance on screen. But sometimes you just can’t look the other way. **Jeffrey Jones** is one of them, though his performance in Ferris Buellar is stellar. \*\*Woody Allen \*\* has always creeped me out, but his comedy for the most part, I really like. Keep it to the voice overs and I am ok. **Courtney Love** is just down right …I don’t know what, but she just is creepy to me. **Barbara Streisand** I have never liked, not her music, not her movies, not her politics. I cannot understand why this woman is popular at all. **Celine Dion** and her creepy May-December marriage to her husband/manager. **Latrell Sprewell** he choked his coach and somehow is a wonderful person now. Yes, I’m sure everyone deserves a second chance… **Mel Gibson** I have always loved him as an actor, but his wacked out views are just plain scary. So, after his latest flick comes out I will probably boycott anything he acts in after. I can’t give up Martin Riggs or Porter. **Sampiro** do you have a link to that John Wayne article in Playboy? ---
**Author:** ![gawen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e57/32.png) [@gawen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gawen)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/85 "2003-08-26T19:06:11Z")
it’s a current hot topic right now in france. Famous singer/songwriter Bertrand Cantat from “Noir Desir” recently killed actress Marie Trintignant. It took place in Lithuania where she was shooting an adaptation of the life of Colette. It seems they had a fight while drunk about her ex husband, he hit her and she died later in hospital after a day in coma. He’s currently held in jail in Lithuania while the investigation is taking place. Lots of people and the medias talked about boycoting or not Noir desir but I work in a music store and believe me whe have never sold as much albums since the accident, there is every kind of customer from the “I’m just curious to see what kind of man he was” to the “i’ve always been a fan it’s got nothing to do with what happened” ---
**Author:** ![JohnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/848f3c/32.png) [@JohnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnM)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/86 "2003-08-26T21:19:41Z")
**Anniee** , a sedevacantist (Latin for “the chair is empty”) is a traditionalist Catholic who believes that the last lawful pope was John XXIII. The usual reasoning is that the Second Vatican Council, called by John, introduced so much heresy into the Church that no pope has been validly elected since then. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/87 "2003-08-26T23:09:25Z")
No, they think the last lawful pope was Pius XII. John XXIII was elected by a Masonic conspiracy backed by the Jews. Well, according to Mel’s pappy, anyways. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/88 "2003-08-27T00:02:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anniee \* > \*\*Sol…what about human shields or idiots who lay down in front of moving bulldozers? That’s humanitarian aid that sometimes ends up getting killed and people ATTEMPT to make them saints and martyrs against the US. Just curious what you think of that crap. \*\* I dunno, I can respect that on some level. It’s not the best way to make a point, obviously – when you show yourself to be an extremist, you just make it easier for others to dismiss your entire opinion/agenda because you’re a kook, even if you started out with a valid point to make. But as long as you’re not hurting others, there’s a level of passion and dedication and sincerity there that shouldn’t be so quickly dismissed. Want to go to Iraq to be a human shield? Yeah, whatever. Want to go to Iraq to show support for the Iraqi people? Good for you. Want to go to Iraq to show support for the Iraqi military against US invaders? Don’t bother coming back and try to make a fortune selling workout videos, unless it’s required community service as part of your prison sentence. ---
**Author:** ![JohnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/848f3c/32.png) [@JohnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnM)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/89 "2003-08-27T00:13:45Z")
**Guin** , after posting I realized that I had overgeneralized. There are various flavors of sedevacantists; some believe, along with Gibson pere, that John XXIII was a Mason and therefore automatically excommunicated, while others believe that the heresy entered with the end of Vatican II, and that John was the last valid pope. There are likely other variants as well. Some of the groups have elected their own popes, and have shown a tendency to fragment into ever smaller feuding groups. Here endeth the hijack. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/91 "2003-08-27T00:28:03Z")
Then there are the “Sedevacantis Optimista”, who see the papal chair as half-full. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/92 "2003-08-27T00:48:50Z")
**Shirley Ujest and sampiro** I have tried to find a link for the John Wayne Playboy interview but I don’t think it is on the 'Net (at least not a free website). I believe I just might have that very issue of Playboy. If so, I will scan it and send it to each of you. Give me a few days though. ---
**Author:** ![Anniee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@Anniee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anniee)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/93 "2003-08-27T05:15:42Z")
Ahhh, thanks for the replies on sedeva whatsis. Heh; I don’t mind Mel in some things (Braveheart for example, or anything where he’s funny) and have no ethical complaints against watching him, but IMO he’s pretty obnoxious in making himself the much-sung hero of everything he’s ever in. It is just way too much pap for me. Re: human shields; good answer, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![MidnightRadio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@MidnightRadio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MidnightRadio)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/94 "2003-08-27T12:02:08Z")
About Jane Fonda… I would never have supported the Vietnam War (had I been around then), I don’t support the current administration, and I think Dubya is a fraud who stole the presidency. I think it’s safe to say that my politics are just maybe ever-so-slightly to the left of center. 😃 I consider Jane Fonda to be one of the finest actresses of the last forty years and _9 To 5_ is one of my favorite (guilty pleasure) movies of all time. For years, I’d heard people refer to her as “Hanoi Jane” and call her a traitor and all sorts of nasty things and thought they were just disagreeing with her politcs. Then I read [this](http://www.snopes.com/military/fonda.htm) page at the Snopes website. I was floored. And yet, I’m still able to watch her movies and my feelings about what she did in Vietnam aside. I hope that doesn’t make me a bad person. Also, I find it odd that no one’s mentioned Victor Salva yet. He directed _Powder_, _Jeepers Creepers_, and the upcoming _Jeepers Creepers 2_. He also spent some time in prison for molesting a boy and, if memory serves, videotaping the act. I didn’t see _Powder_, but I absolutely loved _Jeepers Creepers_ and can’t wait to see the sequel. I also loved _Rosemary’s Baby_ and _Death and the Maiden_, both directed by Roman Polanski. I find it disturbing, though, that a lot of people bash Victor Salva (usually around the time one of his movies is being released) and boycot his movies, but ignore Roman Polanski and his movies. I’m certainly not defending the actions of either man; I think they both did truly vile things. And it’s true that what Roman Polanski did happened a long time ago, but still… When _Jeepers Creepers_ was realeased on DVD, there was a review of the DVD in the local paper. The reviewer went on and on about how much he hated Victor Salva for what he’d done and couldn’t really enjoy the movie even though he thought he would have liked it under different circumstances. Of course, the thought running through my mind then was: _Well, then why did you even review it in the first place?_ But I wonder how many positive reviews he’d given to Roman Polanski’s films over the years. It’s ceratinly possible he reviewed them in the same fashion, but somehow, I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![Anniee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@Anniee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anniee)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/95 "2003-08-27T12:06:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shift \* > \*\*I can’t watch Arnold Schw. now that he is making a fool of an entire state. \*\* Well at least he can hardly do that any worse than Gray(out) Davis has 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MidnightRadio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@MidnightRadio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MidnightRadio)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/96 "2003-08-27T12:16:34Z")
Oops, sorry, **Sam Hell**. I missed your mention of Victor Salva before I made my post. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/97 "2003-08-27T12:29:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wolf\_meister \* > \*\ ***Shirley Ujest and sampiro** > I have tried to find a link for the John Wayne Playboy interview but I don’t think it is on the 'Net (at least not a free website). I believe I just might have that very issue of Playboy. If so, I will scan it and send it to each of you. Give me a few days though. \*\* Could I get one of those too? ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/98 "2003-08-27T12:53:36Z")
I always wanted a good excuse to never see Arnie on screen again. Wanna be politician works for me. It’s a damn shame he couldn’t be president I can just imagine “Iraq…I’ll be back” rolling off his tongue. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/99 "2003-08-27T13:42:21Z")
Hearing that **Tom Sizemore** is now on trial for beating his ex-girlfriend, Heidi Fleiss ([see here](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3181207.stm)), bums me out. I liked him a lot as an actor, but now I can’t look at him without revulsion. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/100 "2003-08-27T15:34:53Z")
Guin, who on That 70’s Show is Scientologist? If I didn’t watch anything that had Scientologists, I don’t know what I’d watch! ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239/101 "2003-08-27T19:05:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FriarTed \* > \*\*Guin, who on That 70’s Show is Scientologist? > > If I didn’t watch anything that had Scientologists, I don’t know what I’d watch! \*\* Danny Masterson (Hyde from THAT 70S SHOW) and his brother Chris (Francis from MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE) were reared as Scientologists and are still practicing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actors-can-you-not-watch-for-ethical-reasons/197239.md?page=6)