Our good friend, Humberto Fontova quite succinctly wraps up Charlize Theron’s denigrating performance in the CNN interview with Rick Sanchez.
It’s so empowering to watch a wise, intelligent, beautiful woman at the height of her prowess. Unfortunately, Ms. Theron falls short on those attributes, and we are left to witness a shallow adolescent attempt to deflect Sanchez’ questions by disingenuous flirting. As Fontova shows us, Rick Sanchez is not your average CNN pushover.
From NewsMax:
A Hollywood A-lister (Charlize Theron) recently traveled to Cuba and returned without the paeans to its Stalinist regime that habitually issue from her colleagues after such visits.
Pigs worldwide started sprouting wings.
During her Cuban visit Ms. Theron helped produce a documentary (“East of Havana”) on Cuban hip-hop artists that cast the Castro regime in a negative light.
Pigs worldwide started flapping and taxiing down the runway.
Last week on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Charlize Theron said: “I think the (Cuban) younger generation is starting to say, ‘You know what? It doesn’t work. We’re not happy. We want to have freedom of speech. We want to be able to travel.'”
By now every pig from Bangkok to Stockholm was galloping madly and flapping furiously while nearing the end of his runway.
During a subsequent interview on CNN, anchor Rick Sanchez started to ask Theron about the lack of freedoms in Cuba. She interrupted the question with the following: “I would argue that there’s a lack of freedom in America.”
Pigs worldwide promptly cocked their ears and started slowing down both their hoofbeats and wingbeats.
“I seem to recall,” explained the Academy Award winning Best Actress, “some time ago some reporters being fired from their jobs for speaking up on television about how they felt about the war.”
“But do you think the lack of freedoms in Cuba are parallel to the lack of freedoms in the United States?” asked CNN’s Sanchez.
“Well, I would,” answered Theron. Pigs worldwide now stopped flapping and cupped their ears in rapt attention. “I would compare those two,” continued Theron. “Yes, definitely.”
Inches from the end of the runway pigs worldwide dug in their heels and jammed their engines into reverse, thus remaining earthbound. “AH!” they squealed. “Now this is more like it!” Their wings retracted and they returned to their wallows, grunting contentedly.
After many nights of scrutiny and meditation, the best my team of analysts can determine is that Charlize Theron equates the policies of a regime that incarcerated political prisoners at a higher rate than Stalin’s, that machine guns to death entire families for attempting to travel abroad, that mandates (under penalty of prison or firing squad) what its subjects, read, say, eat, earn, eat (both substance and amount), where they live, travel or work — she equates this regime with a government under which a private corporation owned by stockholders terminated some employees for violating company guidelines.
Who in Hollywood could argue with that? By Hollywood standards her logic seems airtight.
Meanwhile, back in the studio, Rick Sanchez remarked to Theron: “It sounds like you don’t have a very high opinion of the United States.”
Theron retorted that she actually lives in the U.S., so he was clearly wrong. As Sanchez continued to seek clarification of her comments Theron interrupted with, “I want to make out with you right now.” Amazingly, this dust-up occurred on CNN “Castro’s a hell of a guy!” Ted Turner had gushed to a Harvard audience in 1997. “You’d like him!”
Within weeks of Ted’s comments at Harvard, CNN had a bureau in Havana, the first ever granted to a U.S. network. Bureau chief Lucia Newman assured viewers, “We will be given total freedom to do what we want and to work without censorship.”
Hard-hitting stories immediately followed. To wit: CNN soon featured Fidel’s office in its “Cool Digs” segment of CNN’s “Newsstand.” “When was the last time you saw a cup full of pencils on the boss’s desk?” asked perky CNN anchor Steven Frazier. “And they do get used — look at how worn down the erasers are … Years ago, our host worked as an attorney, defending poor people … He’s Fidel Castro, Cuba’s leader since 1959!”
Rick Sanchez was born in Cuba and knows about conditions on the island. But for his background, Theron might have sailed though the interview a la Hillary Clinton with Katie Couric. But for Sanchez’ impertinent behavior Theron might have forsaken her riposte, which was obviously both brilliant and germane, dug out Hollywood’s thumb-eared script on Castro/Cuba and started reciting the lines. Among the choicest: “Fidel I love you. We both have the same initials. We are both powerful men. And we both use our power for good” (Francis Ford Coppola).
“Castro is a genius and Cuba is a paradise” (Jack Nicholson).
“Socialism works. I think Cuba might prove that” (Chevy Chase).
“Castro is very selfless and moral, one of the world’s wisest men” (Oliver Stone).
“If you believe in freedom, if you believe in justice, if you believe in democracy, you have no choice but to support Fidel Castro!” (Harry Belafonte).
“It was an experience of a lifetime to sit only a few feet away from him (Castro)” Kevin Costner.
“The eight most important hours of my life,” Stephen Spielberg describing his dinner with Castro.
OK, so Cuba’s a repressive place — but no more repressive than the U.S. Charlize Theron made this clear. So let’s give her time. As a political philosopher, she’s obviously not shoulder to shoulder with Hollywood’s best and brightest just yet. But she’s off to a promising start.
Humberto Fontova is the author of “Fidel; Hollywood’s Favorite Tyrant,” a Conservative Book Club Main Selection.
One of the best posts I’ve ever read on Babalublog, which is saying something.
Your technique of set-’em-up-knock-’em-down quotes from such Hollywood intellectual giants as Kevin Costner and Chevy Chase, leaves those who read this blogpost, breathless, myself included.
One after the other, the quotes come out tumbling down like a waterfall of ignorance, delusion, and appeasement.
This is the worst part of the Castro-fawning.
Dealing with fantasy, playacting, and the shallowness of image over reality, Hollywood is especially primed to see a fellow journeyer in deception, and yet not be able to see through the diaphanous curtain separating actor and audience.
For once, when they speak of Castro, or meet him in person, they are the audience, come to pay their respects to his talent as the weaver of dreams.
Whereas other dictators have fallen, have been discredited, or are beyond redemption, like Ceausescu, Stalin, or Pol Pot, they hang unto their one Great White Hope of the Way of the Left, with the desperation of children desperately wishing to believe in the Tooth Fairy.
Somehow, to these people, Fidel Castro embodies survival, therefore continuity, and The Man Turned Hero (for a change), the guy who made their fantasies into realities.
How many people continue to pay for this filmmaking come to life?
When…WHEN will these people understand, make-believe is not reality, no matter how much you like the director?
Thanks for the wonderful read, Ziva.
Cheers,
Victoria
I was admiring Theron until I heard about this interview. What a shame.
Yes, let’s all agree that this woman is an idiot. But she is our useful idiot. Let her prattle all her inanities while she continues to expose on film Castro’s assaults on free expression.
Her offer to “make out” with Rick Sánchez is not surprising either, since no doubt she made the same offer to the Cuban rappers, who, hopefully, took advantage of it, though food would probably have been more appreciated.
Same here, Max. Had such high hopes for her.
Is this for real? It seems like a farce … she can’t really be that ignorant can she? Are those quotes real as well? I knew Hollywood was ignorant, but those quotes are just over-the-top ignorant.
{ shakes head in bewilderment }
This was indeed a sad turn of events. The documentary had so much potential for giving voice to the island’s youth. Miss Theron’s response, it would seem, only proves that her rationale for producing this film was to obtain a bit of publicity by latching on to the coattails of a controversial subject. Mr. Sanchez held her to task and cornered her – to the point where her only response, towards the end of the interview was: “I want to make out with you (or something to that effect).” Sigh. Carlos Eire, author of Waiting for Snow in Havana, once pointed out the inherent bigotry many exhibit towards the Cuban community – be it on the island or off. Miss Theron only proves the point.
Best,
-Gabriel
http://www.dosepocas.blogspot.com
I’d still make out with her, no matter what you guys/gals say.
“I seem to recall,” explained the Academy Award winning Best Actress, “some time ago some reporters being fired from their jobs for speaking up on television about how they felt about the war.”
I wonder why Rick Sanchez didn’t ask her exactly who got fired and from what stations and for saying what. I don’t remember any story like this. Even if it had happened, the fired reporters would have recourse in civil court, and certainly could not have been jailed like they would be in Cuba.
I wish she and Dave Mathews would go back to their South African la-la-land.
Charlize Theron is a glorified flake, but that’s beside the point. The point is that being an entertainment industry celebrity in no way confers any authority as a spokesperson on political or social issues. These “committed” and “concerned” celebs are both extremely presumptuous and highly deluded as to their actual relevance and significance.
The only thing that interests me and the only thing I will accept from these people is their talent to entertain me, assuming they have any (which is by no means a given). They may have any opinion on any subject, but they are not entitled to foist that on me unless I ask for said opinion. Their credibility with me on anything other than what they actually know how to do (act, sing, whatever) is slim to none.
As for why Theron seemingly changed her tune, I expect someone who knows the score (Hollywood-wise), especially someone with a stake in her career, made it clear to her that she’d better start singing the party line or there would be a price to pay, as there almost certainly would.
Bottom line: Who the hell cares what these puffed-up clowns think?
What I found most interesting is that she doesn’t make Pro-castro statements in the interview. What she does, is to disparage the US in response to a question about conditions in Cuba. Her answer wasn’t even responsive to the question!
It seems her liberal-anti-US knee just jerked at the wrong time.
She didn’t come off as too smart.
I wonder why Rick Sanchez didn’t ask her exactly who got fired and from what stations and for saying what. I don’t remember any story like this.
No, she’s right, but wait let me explain.
She’s obviously referring to ex-CNN News Chief, Eason Jordan’s remarks in a conference at Davos.
He pointedly said that the US military was targetting journalists FOR DEATH, in Iraq.
It was a closed to the public meeting, but a simple blogger like us, immediately wrote what he had heard on his blog, and though Jordan tried to backpedal, he couldn’t worm himself out of the situation, having been asked to resign.
So Theron is partly right. There was a journalist who was fired for his views on Iraq.
That it was the WHOLE HEAD OF THE CNN NEWS CHANNEL who put forward a complete lie to defame the US military, is beside the point to Theron.
All she heard on the Hollywood grapevine, I bet you, is that a journalist lost his job for making anti-war comments — just like what happens in CUBA!!! Oh sorry, I don’t mean Cuba, they have free press there, I meant NORTH KOREA!!!
Yeah, that’s it.
Even if it had happened, the fired reporters would have recourse in civil court, and certainly could not have been jailed like they would be in Cuba.
Amen.
Cheers,
Victoria
Eeeww. Her remark about living in the US as proof of loving the US was the absolute nadir of one long downhill hellhole interview that made you love her less and less and less as she went along. Alqaidas lived in the US too, but they most certainly didn’t love it, so Charlize’s reasoning is that of a moron. What a pity, she was a pretty girl and I had high hopes for her. Was I ever wrong. I think this Charlize creep is a moral pygmy and dollars to donuts, a racist, too, being a white south african, amid the fact that most of the people being oppressed in Cuba right now are black and most of their oppressors are a white Spaniard eurotrashian elite.
Great article, though, thanks for posting it!