The Good Actor, Part II

The Good Actor, Part II - A rather highly placed corresonded wrote me today regarding my post yesterday re: Ron Silver's performance on the Blitzer show:

In reference to your post on actor Ron Silver, I saw him the other night on CNN and wasn't too impressed. Personally I don't want to hear from Hollywood on Iraq anymore whether it's from the left or the right.

I basically agree - but we're going to hear from them. And it's somewhat heartening to hear some relative rationality coming from Hollywood - especially given that Silver's not even a conservative.

The writer's point - who cares what Hollywood thinks - is well taken. But since they're talking anyway:

It is a change to see a conservative actor speak out but that doesn't mean that I care what he thinks. If you criticize the Hollywood left for being out of their element when they comment on politics you can hardly praise the Hollywood right when they do the same.

Of course I can!

I criticize actors for being out of their element when they comment on issues they've never paid one iota of dues in studying the issue. On the other hand, when an actor - or any citizen, really - spends some time actually paying his/her dues and really learning about the issue, whether I regard actors as competent commentators in general or not, I think it's worthy of at least muted praise.

And it doesn't get much more muted than my little 300-hit-per-day blog!

Anyway - Silver is just an actor. He's also an actor with the brains to actually learn the issue beyond the soundbites, and the cojones to face down the majority of his colleagues.

I'm not calling for canonization. Just expressing wonder.

Posted by Mitch at March 14, 2003 06:41 PM