Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Bruce Willis in full rant is best show in town
CanWest News Service ^ | March 03, 2006 | Jamie Portman

Posted on 03/04/2006 11:46:25 AM PST by La Enchiladita

He hates government, loves cops, but he's no Republican...

NEW YORK -- Bruce Willis is supposed to be giving a press conference on behalf of his new movie this morning.

And yes, he does have a lot to say about the upcoming 16 Blocks, in which he plays a corrupt, burned-out cop who's given the opportunity to redeem himself.

But a Willis press conference -- his preferred way of communicating with a media he often dislikes -- also tends to be a performance. And it's entertainment quotient rises when it becomes a series of rants.

So he's in prime form today as he launches into a tirade against Entertainment Weekly magazine; explains why he hates being labelled a Republican; and, in typical Bruce Willis fashion, both defends and denounces violence and suggests policemen should be paid lots more money. ....

Beneath the brashness there's a committed actor who also thinks long and hard about the society of which he's a part. Willis is also smart enough to know that 16 Blocks offers him his best role in years.

"I'm from Jersey and I have a strong affinity towards working-class people," he declares. That's why he likes cops. "I believe with any job that requires you possibly to get shot at or get shot dead, you should be paid hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"These guys don't get paid anything. Yet they go out there and do it and there's not a lot of them out there and they're the last line between us and the wolves and the chaos that's out in the world.

"All these guys -- cops, EMT workers, men and women, emergency room doctors and nurses, people that every night have to see horrific things -- there should be thousands of films done about these guys. And they should get paid more money. A lot more money."

Moments later, he's off on a tangent when a reporter suggests that Willis is one of the few Hollywood actors who is "proud" to be a Republican.

"Let me stop you right there!" Willis interrupts.

"Everybody write this down because I'm sick of answering this.

"I'm a Republican only as far as I want a smaller government. I want less government intrusion. I want them to stop pissing on my money and your money -- the tax dollars that we give 50 or 40 per cent of every year, and I want them to be fiscally responsible, and I want those goddam lobbyists out of Washington. Do that and I'll say I'm a Republican.

"But other than that, I want the government to take care of people who need help -- like the kids in foster care, the half million kids in orphanages right now.... I want them to take care of the elderly and give them free medicine, give them whatever they need. There's tons, billions and billions of dollars, that are just being wasted. Okay? I hate government. I'm apolitical. Write that down."

... Almost immediately, Willis gets asked a political question anyway: is it ever legitimate to use violence in order to do the right thing?

"Occasionally -- when push comes to shove," replies Willis, who adds that he's not a violent man and doesn't advocate violence. But the United States and other countries in the free world "should do whatever it takes to end terrorism in the world." He's not just talking about the Middle East.

"I'm also talking about going to Columbia and doing whatever it takes to end the cocaine trade. It's killing this country. It's killing all the countries that coke goes into.... It's just a plant that they grow, and these guys are growing it like it's corn or tobacco or any other thing. By the time it gets here, it becomes a billion-dollar industry.

"And I think that's a form of terrorism as well."

... He then springs to the defence of controversial writer James Frey who received a verbal flaying from a furious Oprah Winfrey on her show last month for embellishing parts of his best-selling memoir, A Million Little Pieces.

"That's a great book," Willis says defiantly. He's unhappy that Frey had been "sucker-punched on Oprah, one of the most powerful women on television, just to grind her own axe about it."

"Hey Oprah -- you had President Clinton on your show. And if [he] didn't lie about a couple of things, I'm going to set myself on fire right now."


TOPICS: Canada; Culture/Society; Extended News; Miscellaneous; US: California; US: New Jersey; US: New York
KEYWORDS: brucewillis; diehard; hollywoodright; republican
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-102 next last
Bruce I think qualifies as an iconoclast. He's got a mixed bag of views, sure isn't the typical Hollywood bimbo and just a Joisey boy at heart...
1 posted on 03/04/2006 11:46:28 AM PST by La Enchiladita
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: La Enchiladita
"Hey Oprah -- you had President Clinton on your show. And if [he] didn't lie about a couple of things, I'm going to set myself on fire right now.

Funniest quote of the year, and a keeper.

Bruce willis BUMP!

2 posted on 03/04/2006 11:50:53 AM PST by Publius6961 (Multiculturalism is the white flag of a dying country)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: La Enchiladita

"Hey Oprah -- you had President Clinton on your show. And if [he] didn't lie about a couple of things, I'm going to set myself on fire right now."


Now there's a suggestion!

I love Bruce, don't get me wrong.


3 posted on 03/04/2006 11:50:59 AM PST by jocon307 (The Silent Majority - silent no longer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: La Enchiladita

"Hey Oprah -- you had President Clinton on your show. And if [he] didn't lie about a couple of things, I'm going to set myself on fire right now."


LMAO! BTW, I want the government he wants...


4 posted on 03/04/2006 11:51:47 AM PST by WV Mountain Mama (I don't need to visualize whirled peas. I'm a mom, I've SEEN them.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: La Enchiladita
"I hate government. I'm apolitical. Write that down."

Sounds good to me!

5 posted on 03/04/2006 11:54:55 AM PST by montag813
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: La Enchiladita

I always liked Willis. I will be interested to see if his new movie is as good as the original Clint Eastwood version ('The Gauntlet').


6 posted on 03/04/2006 11:55:48 AM PST by Lancey Howard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: montag813

I like the way he keeps saying, "Write that down."

His little way of sticking it to the press. Hehe.


7 posted on 03/04/2006 11:56:00 AM PST by La Enchiladita (Don't get me started!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: La Enchiladita
"I'm a Republican only as far as I want a smaller government. I want less government intrusion. I want them to stop pissing on my money and your money -- the tax dollars that we give 50 or 40 per cent of every year, and I want them to be fiscally responsible, and I want those goddam lobbyists out of Washington. Do that and I'll say I'm a Republican.

I see that he and I have almost the exact same views on the subject.

8 posted on 03/04/2006 11:57:24 AM PST by frankiep
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: La Enchiladita

I'm a Republican only as far as I want a smaller government. I want less government intrusion. I want them to stop pissing on my money and your money -- the tax dollars that we give 50 or 40 per cent of every year, and I want them to be fiscally responsible, and I want those goddam lobbyists out of Washington. Do that and I'll say I'm a Republican.




I am 100,000% with you Bruce. Add toss the f*cking illegals out on their a$$es and we really have a party.


9 posted on 03/04/2006 11:57:26 AM PST by trubluolyguy (Islam, Religion of Peace and they'll kill you to prove it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: La Enchiladita
"I'm a Republican only as far as I want a smaller government. I want less government intrusion. I want them to stop pissing on my money and your money -- the tax dollars that we give 50 or 40 per cent of every year, and I want them to be fiscally responsible"

Well, Bruce, you won't get that from Republicans, and you damn sure won't get it from dems.
10 posted on 03/04/2006 11:58:10 AM PST by mysterio
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: La Enchiladita

Never a dull moment around Willis. Right from the "Moonlighting" days.......


11 posted on 03/04/2006 12:01:27 PM PST by stm (It's possible to fix most things, but you can't fix stupid)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: frankiep
I see that he and I have almost the exact same views on the subject.

Ditto, except for the logical disconnect between these two statements:

I'm a Republican only as far as I want a smaller government.

I want them to take care of the elderly and give them free medicine, give them whatever they need.

12 posted on 03/04/2006 12:01:42 PM PST by Denver Ditdat (Melting solder since 1975)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: mysterio

Well, Bruce, you won't get that from Republicans, and you damn sure won't get it from dems.

Sad but true. I am getting the feeling though that in the next few years we will see a true conservative party emerge that has the ability to challenge the rebublicrats. Maybe just wishful thinking though.

13 posted on 03/04/2006 12:07:33 PM PST by frankiep
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: La Enchiladita; sit-rep; Horatio Gates; Squantos

I certainly don't agree with everything he says (hey, I don't even agree with everything my best friends say), but I can relate to a whole lot of it and wouldn't mind at all having a beer with him sometime.


14 posted on 03/04/2006 12:07:39 PM PST by Larry Lucido
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: La Enchiladita

Willis was also drawing attention to Michael Yon and all our heros in Iraq that Yon wrote about. I hope he makes a movie about them.

http://www.michaelyon-online.com/


15 posted on 03/04/2006 12:07:48 PM PST by Names Ash Housewares
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Denver Ditdat

50% of the budget is already spent on "the elderly" (Social Security, Medicare, prescription drugs, etc.). And I'm sure that figure will only continue to rise.


16 posted on 03/04/2006 12:09:26 PM PST by geopyg (Ever Vigilant, Never Fearful)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Larry Lucido

He doesn't seem beholden to any ideology; has his own take on things. I'm sure the H'wood leftie crowd gets nervous when he's around but they put up with him cuz he's a BIG money-maker!


17 posted on 03/04/2006 12:10:26 PM PST by La Enchiladita (Don't get me started!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Denver Ditdat
I don't think there's that much of a disconnect. "Provide for the general welfare" is, after all, one of government's first responsibilities. I think what Bruce is getting at is what we all want: an end to pork barrel projects, ludicrous multi-million dollar research grants, and the monolithic bureaucracy. THEN we'd have plenty of bucks to do things like helping those who CAN'T help themselves.
18 posted on 03/04/2006 12:11:28 PM PST by JennysCool (Liberals don't care what you do, as long as it's mandatory.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Names Ash Housewares

Thanks for including that. He's a big supporter of our troops from what I hear; don't know exactly how.


19 posted on 03/04/2006 12:11:41 PM PST by La Enchiladita (Don't get me started!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: frankiep

Well, Mr. Willis seems to be in his right mind, at least. A little muddled, perhaps, but light years ahead of his peers. Since when did actors need to discuss politics? I'm just a nobody from the innards of the deep South, and I don't. "Pictures are for entertainment. Western Union is for messages." I forget which director said that.


20 posted on 03/04/2006 12:12:22 PM PST by ashtanga
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-102 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson