Tim Robbins' play Embedded not endorsed by Fox News embedded reporters

Editor&Publisher.com ^ | November 21, 2003 | Editor & Publisher

[Captain93728]

NEW YORK -- Tim Robbins' new play Embedded, centering on U.S. soldiers and reporters in Iraq -- has opened in Hollywood and runs through Dec. 21 at the Actor's Gang Theater.

Robbins interviewed embedded journalist Evan Wright of Rolling Stone as part of his research, along with Anthony Swofford, the Gulf War I veteran who wrote the popular book Jarhead.

Cofounder of the Actors Gang in 1981, Robbins is both writer and director of "Embedded," which depicts soldiers getting ready to leave for war in an oil-rich land called "Gomorrah" to fight against the "butcher of Babylon."

[Captain93728]

A Fox News reporter and one of our soldiers in uniform attended this play and one of the audience members called the soldier "a Nazi".

It's the epitome of irony that Robbins' freedom of speech is being protected by the very people he's mocking in this play.

I wonder if Robbins is one of the "americans" Ann Coulter describes in her book about treason... along with Sarandon, Penn and Garafalo.

[elbucko]

Robbins' should have some object, imbedded some where.

[linn37]

I think he has something embedded,he needs to eat more fiber.

[wizardoz]

Spoiled Leftie Has Brat Attack: "No one should ever disagree with me, ever!"

[anniegetyourgun]

Saw the LaJeunesse (of FoxNews) commentary on this dramatic effort. As he was embedded and knows first-hand of what he speaks, he didn't have much good to say of this trash - written by a guy who doesn't know squat about what he's trying to portray.

However, I can see how Robbins' hatred for the Prez and the U.S. would drive him to such a worthless screed.

[MCRD]

I've got an idea for a play where a former Marine bumps into Tim Robbins on the street and beats the silly shiite within an inch of his worthless life. Now if I can only find a backer.

[Incorrigible]

I saw this report on FoxNews last night.

What a disrespectful buch of trash! That includes Robbins, the actors and even the audience.

Except of course for the Marine officer and FoxNews reporter who attended just to see how off base this "play" is.

[P-Marlowe]

Now if I can only find a backer.

I'd pay good money just to watch the rehersals.

[Commiewatcher]

Here's hoping for a chill wind at the box office.

[Tijeras_Slim]

I'll pitch in so long as Timmy doesn't get a stunt double.

[TheGeezer]

One of the truths Coulter proves clearly is that liberals support socialist dictatorships blindly and vociferously. This is the same: a liberal blindly supports a brutal and monstrous dictator, lying unabashedly, and with the explicit and implicit support of local paper press allies. So typical.

Thank heaven for Fox News, weblogs, the internet...so the truth may be known.

[armymarinemom]

I wonder if Robbins is one of the "americans" Ann Coulter describes in her book about treason... along with Sarandon, Penn and Garafalo?

Robbins and Sarandon have been living together for several years. My guess is that they are covered much like a two for one sale.

[Lee'sGhost]

" wonder if Robbins is one of the "americans" Ann Coulter describes in her book about treason... along with Sarandon, Penn and Garafalo."

Without a doubt.

[mhking]

Please post entire article when not covered by exclusions:

---

NEW YORK -- Tim Robbins' new play Embedded, centering on U.S. soldiers and reporters in Iraq -- has opened in Hollywood and runs through Dec. 21 at the Actor's Gang Theater.

Robbins interviewed embedded journalist Evan Wright of Rolling Stone as part of his research, along with Anthony Swofford, the Gulf War I veteran who wrote the popular book Jarhead.

Cofounder of the Actors Gang in 1981, Robbins is both writer and director of "Embedded," which depicts soldiers getting ready to leave for war in an oil-rich land called "Gomorrah" to fight against the "butcher of Babylon."

Also featured are masked characters in the government's "Office of Special Plans" with names like Rum-Rum, Pearly White, and Woof.

Reporters are pictured caving in to military authority, personified by their "minder," a Colonel Hardchannel, who refers to them as "maggot journalists."

Robbins told the Los Angeles Times' Richard Stayton last week that vicious attacks on him and his family (especially his 13-year-old son) after he and Susan Sarandon came out against the war in the spring motivated him to write the play, which "came really fast." Among other things, Robbins was accused of being a traitor and his appearance at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown to honor Bull Durham was cancelled.

Slayton called Embedded "a surprisingly touching and balanced play."

Asked what he hoped to accomplish with Embedded, Robbins told the Times, "Maybe -- those of us who are against the war -- can find some solace in that other people might have the same questions." He added that he couldn't understand that if conservatives now "have all that power, and if they got it legitimately, then why be so concerned by what a couple of actors say?"

[TomB]

Here's the play we were discussing last nite.

[wizardoz]

He added that he couldn't understand that if conservatives now "have all that power, and if they got it legitimately, then why be so concerned by what a couple of actors say?"

If we lived in the kind of country Robbins likes to pretend we live in, he'd be dead by now in a mysterious accident. I've seen BOB ROBERTS and ARLINGTON ROAD. He's so paranoid it's almost sad. And yet, he, Oliver Stone, Noam Chomsky et al are still alive and well and prancing around in complete safety, like the court jesters they are.

[zook]

I'll chip in for that!

[TomB]

It's worth mentioning that Robbins refused to meet with LaJeunesse and the Marine until after they had seen the play. However, afterwards he still refused to meet with them. Also LaJeunesse and the marine did get one of the actors they interviewed to admit the play wasn't close to factual.

[Paul Atreides]

Thanks!

[SquirrelKing]

I guess Vagina Monologues was taken.

[Paul Atreides]

Since it is Tim Robbins Sarandon, it would have to be changed to The P*ssy Whinings.

[WVNan]

Gotta admit he has a point. So let's be sure not to give the farce any publicity. Let it die a natural death, as it surely will unless we give it more credance than it deserves.

[Middle Man]

If "Embedded" is on an artistic par with the Robbins stinkeroo "The Cradle Will Rock", I think I will pass on watching it.

[sauropod]

Precisely.

[Paul Atreides]

Typical liberal jerks: nothing goes like they want it to go, so it must be some conspiracy at work. If flyover country supports the war, it is because they are ill-informed; if we are winning, it is because the military is keeping the real news from getting out; if they can't find enough people to say they hate Bush, and wish that Saddam was back in power, then it must be intimidation by our military; if nobody cares what they have to squawk about, then their dissent is being crushed. Whine, whine, whine, whine.

[sauropod]

prancing is certainly descriptive for these pukes.

[Paul Atreides]

Both Sarandons had another play, a few months ago, along the same vein. It got a little coverage, but I've not heard any more about it.

[SquirrelKing]

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!

[B Knotts]

More of the same from the Hate America First leftist Hollywood traitors.

I have no problem with reasoned criticism, but that's not what this is.

[Incorrigible]

Nicely summed up!

[sauropod]

Test from EastgateBlonde.

she's watching!

[Captain93728]

Absolutely! I thought I saw the emotion in LaJeunesse's face as he was reporting. Robbins really did his homework by interviewing a Rolling Stone reporter and the other candidate for Coulter's book, the writer of Jarhead.

[Ciexyz]

Who provided the financial backing for this play? His wife Susan Sarandon? Tim Robbins himself? Let's hear from the backers--let's hear who you are, putting on this trash while our troops are in harm's way overseas.

[Ciexyz]

Robbins is just pi**ed that he's losing out on those cushion gigs at the Baseball Hall of Fame.

[Chad Fairbanks]

I wonder if Robbins is one of the "americans" Ann Coulter describes in her book about treason...

That would mean that Tim Robbins is relevent in some manner, and I don't really see that, do you? ;0)

[Lil'freeper]

You're tempted. I just know you are!

[skinkinthegrass]

I've got an idea...find a backer.

I agree w/ P-Marlowe

[EastgateBlonde]

I think you guys tricked me.

[mass55th]

According to William LaJuenesse, a former embedded reporter from Fox News, Robbins portrays the soldiers as thieves and killers of women and children. Embedded reporters are portrayed as puppets of the Pentagon. He's just another Michael Moore. While alleging Bush & Cheney are making money off the war, Moore & Robbins are using their anti-war/anti-government stance to line their own pockets. Talk about hypocrites.

[Lil'freeper]

Hi-yah!

[CaptRon]

with names like Rum-Rum, Pearly White, and Woof.

Brilliant! Sheer genius! Astounding in its subtlety! Surely, a Pulitzer is even now being readied!

[Richard Axtell]

Back in the early '80s I remember hearing about a play that played in New York, off Broadway I would assume, about a woman who, after tortuous soul searching, came to the momentous decision that President Reagan was a direct threat to world peace, and that the only solution was to kill him. Needless to say, I never heard another word about this "hit play". The sad irony about these kind of left wing pretensions at theater, is that they are almost always totally wrong headed and factually vacant. Reagan turned out to be the ONLY President to EVER actually reduce the threat of nuclear war, only to have Clinton resurrect the threat with his idiotic leftist policies.

Robbins' play might fit within the quaint genre of the kind of anti-American, pro totalitarian leftist Utopian drivel that came out of various New Deal Era Artist's projects, and Sixties leftist radical chic philosophy. Some of this work might garner some lingering technical or historical interest, but Robbins' play doesn't seem to be even of that caliber. So, it will likely be relegated to the bin of theatrical oblivion, where it belongs.

[Maigrey]

I saw that, and reporter William LeJeneusse(sp?) reported that the Marine in question, replied,

"Well, I enjoyed defending your freedom abroad!" What a reply!

[lilylangtree]

Remember an old phrase from "Welcome Back, Kotter" that directs itself at Timbo: "Up your nose with a rubber hose!"

[At _War_With_Liberals]

Exactly. If they take power here, it's tyranny time.

The UN aspires to be a global socialist dictatorship.

[mystery-ak]

Why do I read these articles when I know they will upset me...??

[BradyLS]

With luck, you could be the Marine's understudy! Wouldn't that be fun?

[Stultis]

Robbins told the Los Angeles Times' Richard Stayton last week that vicious attacks on him and his family (especially his 13-year-old son) after he and Susan Sarandon came out against the war in the spring motivated him to write the play

It's all about ME!

[Bullish]

There's a chill wind blowing through Tim Robbins' empty skull.

[Rummyfan]

..... "Embedded," which depicts soldiers getting ready to leave for war in an oil-rich land called "Gomorrah" to fight against the "butcher of Babylon." .....

Pretty heavy-handed symbolism there Tim.