“Hollywood Square” by Cris D’Annunzio0 comments

“Hollywood Square” by Cris D’Annunzio - http://www.cdannunzio.com/blog/

As a piece of cinematic mastery, Godfather III is certainly not going to make any one’s all-time list.  But who’ll ever be able to forget Pacino’s great line, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!!”

There’s also a great scene where Michael Corleone is meeting with the Cardinal about the Corleone Family’s investment in the Vatican.  The priest tells Michael, “It seems the power to absolve debt is greater than the power of  forgiveness”.  To which Michael replies, “Don’t underestimate the power of forgiveness”.

Apropos that this would come from a movie, as Hollywood seems to be the ultimate sanctuary for all transgressions.

You can get away with almost anything in Hollywood.  You can get all drugged up, break into someone’s house and sleep in their kids’ bed – and they’ll forgive you.  Rob a store at gunpoint and go to prison?  We’ll make you an underwear model, rap singer and movie star.  Beat people up, lose their money, cause vehicular accidents – all forgiven.  Sexual indiscretions?  Are you kidding me?  They’re treated with the same aplomb as a parking ticket, even if she was only thirteen.  History has shown that you can pretty much even commit murder and Hollywood will still give you a pass.

One thing you can not get away with, especially if you are a performer of any kind, is being critical, judgemental or saying anything that may be misconstrued as negative towards a celebrity, sports figure or anyone in the biz.  And don’t complain either.  These things will get you a one way ticket to Siberia.  If you want to be in the ‘Club’ you better be nice or you’ll be a pariah and the next thing you know the only gig you can get is playing dinner theater for senior citizens at the Howard Johnson’s in Kalamazoo.  (Old folks tend to be pretty crumedgeonly, so they’ll identify with you).

Just look at poor Rosanne Barr.  She stands up for the working middle class stiffs against the monolithic corporate titans and now she’s been relegated to radio.  Nobody’s seen or heard from her in years, while her ex, Tom Arnold, is making headlines with his forth marriage.

Troy Duffy, who nortoriously bashed his would-be producers, and the rest of Hollywood, unrepentently so, during the ill-fated production of his first film, The Boondock Saints, had to kiss some major, major ass to get back in the game recently with The Boondock Saints II. I heard an NPR interview with him where he admitted that there is a politics that must be played in Hollywood and that he had to become a changed man, being only pleasant to the powers that be in order to survive.

This is a hard-core, Irish guy from Boston.  Somehow, being pleasant isn’t a word I would ever associate with him.  Nor would I want to.  But that’s what he does to play the game.

So, at the risk of persecuting myself, there’s something I just need to say to Mr. Tiger Woods:

Now here we are, the day after Obama announces that we’re sending 30,000 more of our kids into harms way, and the headlines are plastered with articles about Tiger’s admitted “transgressions”.  Women are coming out of the woodwork to claim they’ve had an affair with him.

And he’s sorry, he knows he’s let his family down, blah, blah, blah.  And you know what, he’ll be forgiven.  Kobe did it.  Fans still made him the MVP.  Still buy tickets to his games.  Clinton did it.  People made him one of the most exhalted presidents in history.  Pay millions to hear him speak.  Even Sarah Palin, who’s suppose to represent the wholesome right wing, is safe.  She has a teen daughter that has a child out of wedlock.  The boyfriend, instead of marrying the girl, decideds to pose nude PlayGirl.  Palin’s book sales went over one million copies this week.

So don’t worry, Tiger, I’m sure people will still come to you golf tournaments.

But I’m not letting you off the hook that easy.  Charles Barkley may have given every athlete and entertainer the ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card when he said, “I am not a role model”, but that’s not flying with me.

When you are in the position of the public eye, you de facto take on certain responsibilities.  People look up to you.  Kids want to be like you.  You should be held to higher standards.

It’s not because you can hit a golf ball.  It’s because you can hit a golf ball that people like you.  And those people have put you in a position to benefit financially because they pay the money to come to the tournaments you play in that are shown on TV where advertisers pay top dollar to broadcasters who in turn pay you when you win.  You know these advertisers, too.  Sometimes they pay you top dollar directly so that you will hawk their products so people will buy them because the people respect, admire and look up to you.  And I know, you’re human.  You make mistakes just like everyone else.  But come on, you’re Tiger fucking Woods!

Now while it may be true that if you were Joe Blow Factory Worker, no one would care about your alleged affairs.  But let’s face it, if you were Joe Blow Factory Worker, you wouldn’t have gotten those girls – especially and including your wife - anyway because you’re not really all that now, are you?  The only reason you got those girls is because you’re Tiger fucking Woods!  You abused the position of priviledge that the people – kids – put you in.

And by the way, Joe Blow Factory Worker?  He is held to standards too.  If he acts in a manner that reflects poorly on his employer, he’ll be fired.  You know who your employer is, Tiger?  THE PEOPLE!  Do you think you’ve acted in a manner that reflects poorly on them?  What should they do to you?

Well, to the people, I say this: before you consider forgiveness and go to another golf tournament or buy another Tiger Woods endorsed product, perhaps, given the current state of the economy, absolving some debt may be a better option.

See you in Kalamazoo.