While I’m a political liberal, I don’t really have much angst about American Sniper. I think Michael Moore’s tweets were crappy (he called all snipers “cowards”) and I hate that Moore is being used a liberal straw man, like every Democrat believes Michael Moore 100%. My issue with American Sniper is that the film’s historical/biographical inaccuracies are being whitewashed in a way that only happens when the subject matter involves big white guys with guns doing the “right thing” for ‘Murica. Selma had historical inaccuracies too, and Selma faced a significant backlash because of it. So why can’t Sniper face the same backlash? Because Clint Eastwood directed it and he never makes mistakes? Because Bradley Cooper is a white guy and we wouldn’t want to ever offend a white guy?
In any case, Sniper has become a political lightning rod for the right and the left. The controversy worked in its favor financially, as Sniper won the weekend box office with an impressive $89 million debut. But will the controversy help or hurt Bradley Cooper’s Oscar chances? I think Coop was always going to be a dark horse. And now his chances have been hurt even further by Sarah Palin’s word salad endorsement. Palin posted this message on her Facebook on Monday:
God bless our troops, especially our snipers.
Hollywood leftists: while caressing shiny plastic trophies you exchange among one another while spitting on the graves of freedom fighters who allow you to do what you do, just realize the rest of America knows you’re not fit to shine Chris Kyle’s combat boots.
May the epic “American Sniper” bring nothing but blessings to Taya and the children of this true American hero.
Thank you Bradley Cooper and Clint Eastwood for respecting the United States Military.
– Sarah Palin
If you can make logical sense out of Palin’s argument, then you deserve your own shiny plastic trophy. Let’s just go through a few Palin Fact Checks, shall we?
*While B-Coop is a white guy and a ‘Murican, he’s actually a plain old Hollywood liberal too. He’s given money to several Democratic campaigns, Pres. Obama has invited him to the White House for events, and B-Coop was even so pro-Affordable Care Act that he was the one to stage-manage Obama’s appearance on Between Two Ferns to promote the ACA. B-Coop, to his credit, has also been a long-time supporter of the USO and he’s made many trips overseas to screen his films for soldiers. Isn’t that mind-blowing, Ms. Palin? That a Hollywood Democrat would make a KILLING IS GOOD movie and support the troops?
*Many of the trophies handed out in Hollywood are actually not made of plastic. The SAG Award is bronze. The Oscar is a heavy metal with gold plating. The Globe is half marble.
*American Sniper was actually financed and distributed by Warner Brothers, a major studio in Hollywood. It didn’t just spring out of the earth, fully formed, in the midst of a Rush Limbaugh fever dream. It was made with the full compliance of what I assume was an interesting mix of political lefties, conservatives and moderates, all of whom live, breathe and work in Los Angeles, otherwise known as Hollywood.
*Is Palin saying that if you don’t see the movie, you’re spitting on the grave of American heroes? Or if you see the movie and still have qualms about the actual person Chris Kyle and his verified statements about how much he loved killing Muslims, then you’re spitting on the graves of American heroes? What if the American Hero was an American Muslim soldier who gave his life in the service of his country? But that would defeat the purpose of Sarah Palin’s moronic bigotry and her nasty habit of wrapping her ignorance and hate in the flag.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Sarah, honey, you’re not fit to shine his boots or the boots of any law-abiding man or woman in our military either.
Grifters gotta grift.
++1!!!!
And THAT says it all about the Palins.
I would find her stupidity amusing if I didn’t know she speaks for a significant group of people. That scares me to death.
+1
Make that two.
And the guy took the dude he knew had PTSD to a shooting range. What could possibly go wrong? (-.-)ゞ゛
On a side note, I wonder what form of PTSD the Gitmo employees are going to bring home. Will they try to shove pureed hamburgers up the neighbors’ butts at the homecoming bbq? ლ(ಠ_ಠლ)
Try whole countries of Iraq and Afghanistan, let’s not sugar coat it. This country has never been invaded/occupied for war. PTSD is horrible. Or I wonder if they should start calling some of it …blowback.
Make that three, GoodNames.
She could have been elected VP, which is also very scary. Truly Terrifying is the prospect that she could have been PRESIDENT if McCain had died in office, too.
And I will never forgive McCain for that, for putting this dimwit on a presidential ticket just because she had the XX chromosome.
PunkyMomma, I was SO freakin’ insulted by that move.
she’s got the right lady parts, women will vote for her!
they knew they could capitalize on the disgruntled Hillary supporters after Obama got the nom, and they totally blew it by picking a pretty place holder over a woman of substance. and it’s not like there are no smart, accomplished women in the GOP.
doofus, that bothered me so much too, as if people who supported Hillary would blindly support Palin simply because she is also a woman. Never mind that they are light years apart on politics and pretty much everything! Never mind that someone who supported Hillary on the issues who probably sooner eat dirt than vote for Palin, and vice versa! It was so damn dismissive, it really pissed me off.
Holy f*ck, America! This is truly frightening.
I’ll say it again….America dodged a bullet, no pun intended.
That old saying that ignorance is bliss doesn’t apply here. She could’ve been our vice president and sadly there are people out there who do listen to her. She’s crazy.
Agree a thousand times over.
+1 to all these comments, Celebitchy is so comforting sometimes, sanity in a sea of crazy inter webs…sorry, word salad is apparently contagious.
amen. she is pretty uneducated, ignorant, and well, dumb.
I am conservative and I find her horrifying. I also do understand completely what people are saying about American Sniper and what it promotes. I do not agree with the blanket label of “savages” to describe the people living in the country we are invading.
As much as I disagree with the Republicans, I am not sure how much longer I can identify as one. The problem I have is I find the Democrats the same if not worse.
I actually thought that the header pic was of someone else pretending to be Palin. That hair looks like such a knockoff of what someone would have that it’s almost like a caricature of herself.
This woman…I have a very hard time with her. I remember during her presidential debates she would drop so many g’s in her effort to be the hick next store (looking over Russia) I was practically sweeping them off the floor.
She has yet to put out One cohesive thought ever.
“…drop so many g’s in her effort to be the hick next store (looking over Russia) I was practically sweeping them off the floor.”
No kidding. Thanks for the laugh!
I will never forget my ‘Palin moment.’ She winked at the camera and spouted some trite folksy garbage, and I was seriously offended that this woman was attempting to WINK her way into the VP office. Really, that’s your strategy, batting your eyelashes and talking down to the American people?
I was a fence sitter before that, but the wink started the slide to the blue team.
Mine too! Between her winks and her relentless disrespect and mockery of the opposition (and I’m not even getting into her mindblowing ignorance), I consider her first speech as McCain’s running mate the EXACT moment our partisan divide widened beyond repair.
I lost any tiny shred of respect I might otherwise have had for her when, during one of the debates, she actually shimmied. My god.
I was watching this travesty all the way from Africa and every time she opened her mouth, I’d just be nonplussed at the whole business. I get what you’re saying though, it’s like they weren’t thinking or care…just throw a vagina wielding human…any will do and all the rest of the vagina wielders will just fall into place….we are that stupid.
True, LD, except I believe that in this context that should be “I was practically SWEEPIN’ them off the floor.”
Wow. This person really IS as stupid as I thought.
And the funny thing is if she were invited to any of those Hollywood liberul awards, she and her Wasilla-hillbilly clan would gladly jump in their Hummer limo, grin it up on the red carpet and fill up the car with all the gift swag possible.
yup, a lot of what she says is jealousy. she wants to be in the limelight and the fact that she was laughed out of the election process KILLS her.
Exactly – she spews hate about Hollywood liberals, but she’s been clawing at the show business door ever since she came onto the national stage. Even her kids have tried to have multiple TV shows.
She also once DID go to an Oscars gifting suite. You know, the ones connected to the little plastic statues she’s whining about? And reportedly she showed up with a big group and they took everything that wasn’t nailed down. She’s an unintelligent hypocrite, through and through.
Amen. She makes my blood boil.
ROTFLMAO, the imagery is spectacular and spot on!
I think it’s funny and also sad that Sarah thinks that because BCoop is in the movie, then of course he believes the same things the character does.
I imagine Jon Lovitz triumphantly holding his arm in the air and shouting “ACTING!”
I wonder if Anthony Hopkins thinks that eating people is a fun night in?
Chris Hemsworth really can fly just by holding a hammer above his head.
of course he can!
And I hear you wouldn’t like Mark Ruffalo when he’s angry.
That’s right, he turns into a giant green rage monster.
Michael Moore and Sarah Palin cage fight.
Lol. Front row tickets, please.
I think we should get seats a little further back to avoid the salad spillage and cupcake carnage.
No rubber muumuus?
She’s a dirty fighter. There’s a reason she’s nicknamed Sarah Barracuda.
I’ll bake some brownies. Who’s brining the drinks?
i don’t know about drinks, but my flatbreads go well with the artisan hops barley beer, already certified as safe for fake babies.
Special brownies?
My brownies are always special darling ! How else can we survive flying potatoes and the tidal waves of Comet Sophies?
I’m sitting in the balcony with binoculars and a thermos of Comet Sophies.
A-N-N-N-D….I’m there. Not so much for the Comet Sophies, but because I know you would toss down sh_t on our heads.
*mischiefmaker*
Ahem, I am a well-behaved audience member. And my potato gun jammed
Yeah but I fear the Longfellow “options” taking shape and being launched.
Fake baby can ref.
I’d be afraid for MM-SP strikes me as a scrappy, tough little thing. She’d probably want to level the playing field by asking if he could be set loose in the woods and she could just shoot him out of a helicoptor
“Shoot mm from a helicopter” -THIS!! She herself is a sociopathic sniper and so badly wants the glorification of her type of human being. Unfortunately the film gave fake baby human qualities to an ignorant racist soldier.
From Brittany :
“Kyle was NOT a nuanced, tortured guy who cared about the lives he took. It’s downright dangerous to depict him as such, because it’s way more convenient to assume that our soldiers are good men forced to do bad things than it is to acknowledge the fact that we turn human beings into monsters (and weaponize sociopathy).”
This woman could have been a heartbeat away from being President
How did we get so lucky? American voters are usually pretty dense(witness the current Congress).
Cough.
Dan Quayle.
Goodnight folks!
Yes, Miss Melissa. Although I daresay Palin makes Quayle look like a Rhodes scholar.
@Esmom, indeed!
Dan clearly had a few more potatoes in his casserole than this one. She seems to be the most dangerous mix — ignorant AND hate-filled.
Speaking of president, has everyone forgotten Clint Eastwood and the Republican presidential convention? His craptastic chair routine? I wouldn’t see his production of an exhale let alone a film project. He’s forever a moron and I’m surprised b coop and support Obama one on hand and work w this nra freakshow with the other. Ugh. Word salad.
“Freedom fighter” lol
Well, many of you already know how i feel about this movie and its subject matter so i won’t say much more except i hope you won’t spend a dime in glorifying the sociopath that was Chris Kyle any further, if you haven’t already.
Which sociopath?
Chris Kyle*
Well, there were a few mentioned.
Sorry Kiddo, i didn’t mean to come off as angry. I went back and amended my comment after reading yours.
yes, sociopath is correct. see what I posted below.
I’m sure she doesn’t want to talk about how Kyle is a verifiable liar, too.
Jesse Ventura sued him for (defamation) lying about an encounter between the two where Kyle alleged to have “punched out” Ventura. Ventura won the case, won the appeal and will likely get a $1million plus payout from Kyle’s estate. I won’t link it but there’s a story on Slate about it. And Ventura is also suing HarperCollins for not fact-checking the book. He’ll likely win that case, too.
He may have been an effective tool in the military, but he was a scary, lying, violent man. (scary and violent because he claims to have perched himself on top of the Superdome during the aftermath of Katrina and picked off looters with his sniper rifle. Nice, huh? probably a lie…but even if it is a lie, it shows what he pictures himself doing, or what he wants to do.)
I’m not surprised that he was a liar too and even though i’m not surprised by WHAT he lied about (killing looters during Katrina), it still really disturbs me.
Why would you lie about that? That’s what gets me. Killing people is cool and fun now? People ripped into Ventura for going on with the lawsuit after Kyle died. He’s got his issues, but I don’t blame him one bit for continuing. This is the internet age, why would you lie about things that can be so easily fact checked?
TheOnlyDee, there was another (unverifiable) story he put out about how he shot two carjackers at a gas station and when the cops questioned him, he gave them his DoD card and they just let him go.
his stories of “greatness” and “heroism” always seem to involve him killing or punching someone. never SAVING someone.
Yeah the carjacking and Katrina stories were really awful. Saying that you shot 32 Americans to death on US soil without being in immediate danger is really not something to brag about, it is a crime.
I don’t think those events happened because no bodies were ever found…but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something incredibly twisted about wanting to lie about that.
The fact that he even used the word “looters” to describe people gathering supplies post-Katrina speaks volumes, much less the fact that he’d think it heroic to kill them. New Orleans was a disaster area, and many of those people were left with nothing. I don’t blame people for salvaging what they can, even if it wasn’t their own. The government had made it entirely clear they weren’t to be relied on by that point.
We wonder why so many young, white men take their violence out on society, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone when we put so much stock in narratives that promote aggression and anger as part of the inherent character of the traditionally American male.
There is a very interesting blog out there written by a retired military officer, living in Alaska. It’s called Stonekettle Station. He discusses something of these issues you’re circling here in this blog.
Can we review Sarah’s wiglets which are fascinating? She goes long, she goes short and they are totally fake looking. She started wearing a wig when she ran for President and now she wears one full time. Look how awful she looks in the header photo? She needs a wig comb out Stat!
I’m more fascinated with the fact that it appears to have the “Frosting Kit” treatment.
She’s beginning to look like a Muppet. (My apologies to Kermit and the Gang.)
Now she looks like Gemma from SOA, the Suburban Years.
Her frosted lipstick just adds that extra touch of glamor.
“SOA, the Suburban Years”
BRILLIANT! Bravo, Lucy2.
It looks like she just threw it on her head. It isn’t straight.
Maybe there was a family rumble just prior to the shot?
Kiddo, lol, my thoughts exactly.
Palin is a opportunist. I am not surprised at all for her to sneak in and make stupid statements as usual, turn it into her advantage. After all, she can see Russia from her house, right? HeHe…
Chris Kyle was not a perfect man, he said so himself. He did his duty in Iraq as a Sniper which he was trained for and protected other Americans soldiers (of all religions) from blowing up in the hands of enemies (doesn’t matter which country or religion) so that they can come home to their families. If my son was in the Army, I would be grateful to people like Chris Kyle.
I’m sure you would.
He only thought that killing every male Iraqi was the solution to the war. A really nice guy.
Are you serious? You realize people in the military have orders, like shooting people, they’re required and expected to carry out?
Our troops should be supported. I get the gist of Palins message. Moores commentary was totally inane. He would probably eat his sniper rifle out in the field. Anyone who has dealt with firsthand PTSD realizes the value a movie (yes even just one film) has on appreciation and acceptance for our returning troops.
@Itiswhatitis, yes, Moore’s commentary was inane because HE is inane and an attention hog; just like Sarah Palin, whose comments were also inane.
It is what it is, you can support the troops without condoning the actions of a man who bragged about his body count and celebrated killing others. He said it himself – he would have killed every Iraqi if it were up to him (paraphrasing).
People in the military are required to kill other soldiers, not civilians and innocents – of whom most of the casualties are at this point. Barring that, while you might be glad for your son being safe, try remember that plenty of Iraqi families didn’t see their sons come home. For that matter, many fought in the belief that they were protecting their home against a foreign invader – which, if you haven’t recall, we were.
Oh yeah, Bradley Cooper might not win Oscar, most probably Micheal Keaton will win and well deserved too if Keaton does win it for Birdman.
Let’s hope MK wins for Birdman, not just because he so righteously deserves it, but so that it will pretty much end any talk about American Sniper.
My mother had massive heart surgery a few years ago. I was surrounded by relatives and my mom’s friends in the waiting room who just looooooooooooove Sarah and Bill O’Reilly. Their conversations were astounding and actually turned out to be quite comforting because they provided me with great anecdotes to share with my friends. I suppose she’s not completely useless…. I didn’t break down once and had some quality laughs in the hallway calling friends to update them on the stupidity that I was surrounded by.
Keep on being you, Sarah Palin. At least she’s consistent!
‘May the epic “American Sniper” bring nothing but blessings to Taya and the children of this true American hero.
Thank you Bradley Cooper and Clint Eastwood for respecting the United States Military.’
Do you think Warner Brothers will use her quote in a Variety ad?
I love Celebitchy readers! I can’t understand why this woman even matters any more. Oh yeah – there are people who want her to run for president in 2016. How is that even possible?
“Sarah Palin’s moronic bigotry and her nasty habit of wrapping her ignorance and hate in the flag…” Thank you! She is a bloodthirsty ignorant bigot, so of course she likes a movie about killing Muslims.
Of course she did not stop to think how we would feel about a movie glorifying “the butcher” (the Muslim sniper). I do feel the take-away message of the movie is that the sniper is a hero. The nuances have gotten lost in the followup People articles talking about how wonderful Kyle was. He was actually a simpleminded redneck serial killer and a scary guy.
I want her to run. Just think of the entertainment value. I’ll even drive up to NH to work on her primary campaign. I want her in those debates with JEB and Mittens.
Most def she should run and choose Ted Nugent as her running mate. Can’t you just see it now: the Quitter and the Shitter.
Chris Kyle, the sociopath racist who lied about half his life, and then got his ass murdered on a gun range. A true American Hero!!!!!!!!!!
You live by the gun, you die by the gun or those who judge will be judged.
It is rare that we get to witness Karma happen, but it certainly seemed to with Kyle’s death, didn’t it?
Sobering.
As an American, I support our troops, but I find the phrase “God bless our troops, especially our snipers” deeply disturbing. I first saw it on a bumper sticker and couldn’t believe someone would proudly display such a thing. Don’t get me wrong, I care about our troops and hope they return home safely. I have great respect for those willing to serve our country. But it reminds me of the “our country is blessed by God, who is on our side in war” mentality that *some* Americans have. Also, by saying “especially our snipers”, isn’t that saying we hope the soldiers whose specific job it is is to take lives do especially well at their job (with God’s blessing)?
I completely agree, it’s appalling.
Why do I get this feeling that these people haven’t seen the movie and are just co-opting their own views to it. Clint may be a crazy empty chaired Republican, still this really isn’t the rah rah yeah American Snipers are good movie. Bradley Cooper is right it is less political, but more in the lines of what its like to be the American Sniper and how you live with the whole mess. I am not saying there isn’t a bit of American good other side bad, but not the crux of the movie at least. It’s like reading the bible and saying its about gays being bad, not really the meaning of the bible. Oops I guess Palin does that too. Still her word salads are at least entertaining in an uneducated way.
I haven’t seen the film, just excerpts, but I whole-heartedly support the fake baby performance.
The fake baby did make me think that Clint is totally losing it. At least do what everyone else does if it is fake cover the baby completely up. I thought it might turn into Chuckie!!!
I understand your point, but the fact is that the movie is portraying a racist, lying psycho as a sympathetic character.
I guess I see it differently, I guess I saw the situation not the character so much. I understand people who read the book said he seemed more sure and less morally ambivalent, but that is not entirely how he is portrayed in the movie. Maybe Kaiser is right that the historical inaccuracies should be taken into account more.
no way, I hear what you’re saying — and I haven’t seen the film — but if TPTB wanted a movie about the ambivalence soldiers feel then maybe they should have made a fictional account rather than base it on someone who didn’t seem ambivalent at all, from what I can gather.
It’s not about the ambivalence, more about we send people there teach them to shoot & kill well and basically put them in a different world. The sniper sees it almost video game like where we are the good guys they are the bad guys, but with real people, and then we bring them back to normal family life. As an audience member you feel the this stinks mentality even if the character doesn’t, and he may be a sympathetic character but not because he is a hero. It is a lot deeper of a movie than Palin and other are making it seem. She is just so myopic as are some that they miss the point. I think they did a pretty good job presenting a side of the story that I can see would and does exist.
Sarah Palin is a Shepard for the Devil.
I think Sarah might be surprised that not all of us so called “liberals” are against the military. I am a lifelong Democrat but my family has a strong military tradition. I understand the sacrifices that are made from an inside point of view. A lot of it is not rosy. But some are called upon to fill those shoes and I’m proud of the fact that my family has defended our country for many generations. All that being said, I am interested to see this film more for the dichotomy of Chris Kyle as family man vs Chris Kyle the lethal sniper and how it affects him as a person. But then again, I’m a Psychology major so I’m always interested in how people’s minds work. And the role of being THE most lethal sniper has to do a number on one’s psyche. But I’m going to keep in mind that the film is a “white washed” version of the true person of course.
Very good point about liberals/military.
I think by “liberals” she means “Satan’s minions.”
Ginger… Wow! Was like reading my thoughts & my life. Right down to the major & service. As for Palin… She is sheer trouble. Woman is hateful & spiteful.
Chris Kyle appeared to me as a simple minded man who loved to kill and considered his enemies, all brown people, savages, of no value. I did not read all of the book, it is too much gloryfing killings and shows no respect for humans different from him..
Go see it, because it is interesting how it is portrayed, and maybe not entirely accurate on Chris. Still I agree I can’t imagine what psychologically it must do to take a person who by all accounts pre-war is law abiding maybe young and a bit stupid, and make them the best sharp shooter killing people, and then back to barbecues, shopping and family life. How do you switch that off?
I don’t know any liberals against the military. I don’t know any Democrats who stay away from war movies because they are anti-military. Democrats go to war movies all the time.
Some of my girlfriends just don’t like war movies or thrillers with violence, but that’s personal preference and are both Rep and Dem.
I’m exhausted by this narrative.
Right on, Ginger. I’m a liberal Independent, I had military in my family back to the Civil War, have several friends who have served in the past, and a few old high school friends who are still serving. I’m aware of and grateful for the sacrifices that so many make, overseas and at home. My town was hit badly by Hurricane Sandy, and I saw first hand how the National Guard jumped in to help. I have great appreciation for people who choose to serve, and think it’s important to support them, especially those who are injured, and their families.
Which makes me wonder, what exactly does Palin do to support the troops? She talks a big game, but it’s hard to find details of programs or fundraisers or anything else.
You know who does do a lot? Michelle Obama, who has been very active in supporting military families and trying to make improvements for them. Stephen Colbert, who long used his show and viewers to help the Yellow Ribbon Fund. Not to mention all the Hollywood celebrities who do USO tours and visit troops.
Surprised? No, I think Sarah would just give you a blank stare, then go on with whatever nonsense she was saying, nothing to do with you.
SP’s a histrionic narcissist, meaning she’s not a *deep* thinker and hears what she wants to hear. Any attention, good or bad, is just more PR, why I long for the day when everyone just ignores her. (And all the children of the world join hands in the spirit of peace and love…)
By the way, that’s not to dismiss your liberalism and family tradition as it’s somewhat similar to mine. And I, too, get frustrated that some people don’t understand the difference.
Could someone please clear something up for me?
Why are so many people ANGRY/somewhat annoyed that reports are coming out that Chris fabricated or embellished parts of his story? I was looking at the comments that were left for NY Mag when it posted its report on Facebook, and most of the comments said, “How dare you?! He was a hero! He’s not here to defend him! Who cares what he did or didn’t do?”
Umm..shouldn’t we all care what he did or didn’t do, otherwise why are we taking the time to praise someone who might not be worthy of it??
Because sacred cow and sacrilege.
This is the best comment ever about the Chris, the man, American Sniper the Persona via Eastwood & the book. Thank you Kiddo! As a wife, sister, daughter of Vets who saw combat & were forever changed for the good or bad (hubby dislikes anything violent after having lived thru Vietnam.. While it seemed w/ me growing up it was the exact opposite for my dad who also served there). I agree w/ those & hubby, that believe to take joy in killing as Chris seemed to have, with his disregard for life if it were not the right color… That type of person already has that kind of mindset before going in. The situations don’t cause the beliefs, they do however fuel them heavily. We live in a very Combat Gong Ho Community near a military base, in one of the Reddest states there is.. Sadly the majority of the demographic here are full of heroe worship, when it came out how Chris took joy in killing -the higher the heroism rose around here. Then again, this isn’t Alaska, but they sure love Palin’s here too. I really need to move…
This.
I’m Chilean, and during the ’70s the military tortured people opposed to Pinochet’s dictatorsip in the most gruesome ways you can imagine. That’s why I have so much trouble painting anyone willing to join the military as heroes. Ok, maybe there are a lot of guys who just want to serve their country and are forced to do awful things. But the people who actually enjoy that? They are sociopaths. They are insane, and glorifying them like that is incredibly dangerous.
Not snark: I didn’t read his book nor see the film, (however I will when it streams because fake baby), but was there any indication that his racist-murderous ideations existed before being in the military, or was this element of his personality a direct byproduct of experience and training?
@Kiddo,
I read the book to some extent. My impression was that he had general hateful personality towards other, poorer people and countries. I thought that he had a real mafia personality and the military gave him his opportunity.
@Kiddo, I watched it for free (streamed through a European website) and was glad I didn’t contribute any money. There wasn’t a lot of story pre-war. He was a good old boy who liked to get drunk, work on a ranch, and torture animals (Rodeo). He caught his girlfriend in bed with another man but he just laughed and told her to get out. He saw the news coverage of the 1998 United States embassy bombings in Africa (I think, it wasn’t very clear), and was inspired by overwhelming patriotism to join up.
He wasn’t the worst American in the film. When he had to kill a little boy carrying a bomb, the Marine protecting him cheered, and Chris told him to get the f*ck away from him. In the film he was never happy or charged up by killing Iraqis. They portrayed him as very intense and determined to protect all of his comrades. Still it bothered me. They showed him leading a unit that kicked in the door of a house, screaming in English (of course) to get the f*ck on the floor, and what were they doing in a war zone, etc.
CB has been a non-negotiable part of my morning routine for the past two years. I’ve made a few comments here and there during that time, but my strength lies in lurking. Not creepy old guy with goggles in the pool doing a slow crawl kind of lurking, but rather a deference for those with quicker and more articulate wit/wisdom kind of lurking. I’d fangirl some regular commenters here – cough @Kiddo, @Mimif cough -, but then I’d have to get out my Speedo and goggles, plus my back hair hasn’t grown back yet.
The paragraph above is why I don’t comment often, I get easily sidetracked and start rambling. I came to say two things:
1. “…in the midst of a Rush Limbaugh fever dream.” I just might be in love with this.
2. Sarah Palin is willfully, criminally ignorant. My mind, it boggles.
Thanks marmaduke45, we prefer beige booty shorts in lieu of speedos, but whatever floats your boat. Being sidetracked and rambling is the hallmark of a CB commenter, so you fit right in!
Sarah Palin is a kook. She craves attention ,let’s all stop giving it to her.
I have a dumb question: Has there really been that much outrage and backlash from Democrats over this movie? I feel like I’m hearing the Palins of the world gripe about it more than I’m seeing some great wave of criticism. This smells of ginned-up right wing outrage to me.
No. Seth Rogen said something. Michael Moore said something. That’s it. And neither of them speaks for me or any Democrat I know.
If Palin is so pro-military, then why don’t her kids join and get deployed? She is a hypocrite and a complete idiot. I am so glad she did not become VP. What a disaster that would have become.
Actually, her son was in the Army and I think he deployed to Iraq. Doesn’t make her suck any less, of course.
Yes her son enlisted – after tampering with a school bus and given the option of jail versus the military.
I’m not sure why this site continues to cover Sarah Palin. She is not a Hollywood star nor is she even a politician.
She’s a reality TV star.
She’s an actress. I loved her in Game Change. Oh, wait. That was Julianne Moore. LOL
Not to be too much of a conspiracy nut…
But I find it kind of odd that this movie is being advertised and talked about on Fox News 24/7 (they suggest it is patriotic to go see the film), and it is from Warner Bros., which is a part of Time Warner. Time Warner was the target of a “friendly buyout” attempt from Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. mid-2014, but he recently ended the attempt. This might be a way for Murdoch to show that Time Warner would have benefited from having merged with News Corp.
What about Comcast? They are trying to buy the cable portion.
Sarah Palin is such an idiot. I’m a Liberal and a Marine wife. People like me must not exist in her fantasy world.
IKR?! I’m a Democrat, and also a very proud (ex)wife/mother/daughter/granddaughter/niece/cousin/sister-in-law of current or veteran military. I am proud to be an American, but that doesn’t mean that I believe that war is always good or patriotic, or the people fighting them are. My family has been military every generation since my great-great grandfather emigrated and fought for the Union Army in the Civil War, and also pretty Democratic for the most part (there’s a few Republican’s in there, but they’re just confused, lol!)
Sarah Palin has always COMPLETELY missed the point in any of her great Caesar Salad stream-of-consciousness bloviating. She could take a grocery list and by imagining the type of person who buys what’s on that grocery list, become full of frothing righteous indignation against the devil’s spawn Democrats and Liberals and blame them for causing the rest of ‘Murica’ to starve. For example, if said grocery list contained the following items:
– Wild caught sustainable fish
– Organic quinoa
– Perrier
– Chemical and pesticide-free fruit
– Free range, grass-fed beef
– Sweet potato chips
– Pine nuts
– Escarole
– Local micro-brewery beer
– Grey Goose Vodka
– Single malt scotch
I can almost hear her ranting away on Fox about the evils of not buying your groceries from Piggly Wiggly.
I don’t have time to read all these comments, so I’m probably repeating something that has already been said. I mentioned on the other Sniper thread that my hubby was a soldier and deployed over and over again throughout these wars. I cannot watch this film – and I know my husband can’t – however, many of my friends have. What’s coming through from my military sisters is that this isn’t just a story about Chris Kyle. This is a story about what war does to any soldier. It’s resonating with all of them.
Do you know what it’s like to be on the phone with your husband when he comes under fire? And not know if he’s ok until hours or days later? Do you know what it’s like to turn on the TV one morning and find your husband’s base blowing up – and not know if he’s alright until he gets the all clear to come out of the bunker and make a call? Do you know what it’s like to watch battles your husband is involved in play out live on CNN, like it’s some sort of Hollywood entertainment, thanks to reporters embedded in their unit – and NOT KNOW if your husband made it out of that alive? Do you know what it’s like to keep your blinds drawn, and to be terrified of a knock on the door while these battles are going on because that means your husband is coming home in a body bag? Did you know that’s actually an unwritten, unspoken code during those times? You don’t knock on a door without calling first to say you’re coming. Do you know what it’s like to not be able to breathe until they finally come home again? And when they finally get there, they aren’t the same person that left you?
I don’t think most people get that because how could they? For God’s sake – there was just a video about civilians eating MREs and being completely fascinated by it. They had no clue what soldiers ate. This is a story that gives everyman a peek into what it’s really like for us. So, who gives a shit if it’s not accurate? Yes, this is the Chris Kyle story – but this is also the story of Any Soldier. And the family of Any Soldier. Stop freakin arguing over it and realize that like it or not – this happened. This is the story of any of us. This is what we’ve lived through. This is what we *LIVE* through. You don’t like it? Fine. Neither do I. Doesn’t mean that it hasn’t happened.
I didn’t mean for that to come out ranty – even though it did. Obviously, this is an issue close to my heart. My point was – stop making this political. See it for what it is – This is a story about what war does to us – the soldier and the family. Pro War, Anti War – it doesn’t change the fact that this happened, in some form, to so many of us.
Also, for clarification, Sarah Palin does not speak for me.
I have always thought that the quote “They also serve who stand and wait” was very true. We all owe a debt to our service men and women, and to their families who undergo separation, stress, and heartache. Thank you for the reminder that courage comes in many forms.
Palin has a right to her opinion and I have a right to mine. I don’t go to movies that glorify war. Don’t support the American war complex and won’t support a film that glorifies the concept. It’s not a liberal/conservative or Democrat/Republican thing for me. If I’m anything I’m a realist. America has been at war in one capacity or another since its inception.
A friend of mine who used to live in Wasilla swears she had a fender-bender with Sarah Palin back in 1989, and that Todd Palin tried to sue her for, among other things, “loss of spousal services”. As in, my wife can’t bone because of the accident, so you owe me money. The suit was thrown out before the ink was even dry, my friend’s insurance covered the damage, and that was that- she put the incident out of her mind and left Wasilla soon after. This was almost 20 years before the ’08 election, and my friend didn’t even remember the couple’s names until she saw Palin on TV. Interestingly, the libraries and systems that might have been able to back up her story were mysteriously “down” for several years. I wonder if they ever “came back up”, and someone in Wasilla could corroborate this story, or if the records are just gone. There may never have been an official record of the suit, given how the judge wouldn’t even consider it. It would certainly seem within the realm of possibility- heck, it would be Palin par for the course!