'Full Metal Jacket' Star Says He Was Fired By GEICO for Bashing Obama

Newsbusters ^ | August 26, 2012

[SMGFan]

R. Lee Ermey, the actor best known for his role as the drill sergeant in Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket," claims he was fired by GEICO for bashing President Obama.

During an impromptu interview with TMZ, Ermey also said, "If you’re a conservative in this town, you better watch out" (videos follow with transcribed highlights and commentary):

Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2012/08/26/full-metal-jacket-star-says-he-was-fired-geico-bashing-obama#ixzz24fTLZE4g

[real saxophonist]

I think Cunningham knows the difference.

[celtic gal]

Yeah and this ins outfit constantly sends flyers to military personnel to select them...I toss it along with anything from Progressive.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

“Stress card.”
Is that anything like a T. S. Ticket ?

[celtic gal]

Lee, in real life is the real deal...he was a DI, USMC...he is more than “ just an actor”
Another former Marine you see in the flicks and is an adviser is Capt Dale Dye USMC (ret).

[celtic gal]

well defined! : )

[oh8eleven]

We watched it on Parris Island in 1989.
Movies? On Parris Island? For recruits? Say it ain't so.

[real saxophonist]

We saw ‘The D.I.’, and ‘Sands of Iwo Jima’. Instructional material.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Little known fact, Jack Webb was required to wear a girdle during the filming of The DI.

Never met a Marine DI who wore a girdle.

[Svartalfiar]

I went through BCT/AIT at Ft. Benning as a Cav Scout about a year ago. We didn’t have any stress cards or anything like that.

[oh8eleven]

Lee, in real life is the real deal.
I'm former Marine who went through PI about the same time Ermey was there.
When people ask if boot camp was as bad as he portrayed it, I always answer - No ........ it was a LOT worse.
His style of calling cadence was exactly the same as my DI's (and most others), and can be defined as almost "sing-song" like.
From what I see on TV the last few years, DIs sound like barking dogs with sore throats.

[rabidralph]

You spelled Forward wrong.

[JimRed]

So, GEICO is Progressive too?

[JimRed]

...I'll wager that neither of them could even *spell* the word "mentor".

Oh, they could have spelled it- they just couldn't have DEFINED it!

[AnAmericanMother]

Webb wasn't really a D.I. - he was an actor.

But he portrayed one well - which is an actor's job. And a support garment is faster than 10 years worth of situps when it comes to portraying that stiff-backed demeanor.

Ermey has the advantage of having been there, done that. But Webb, in my opinion, studying the type rather than drawing only on his personal experience, got closer to the archetypical D.I. than Ermey's more idiosyncratic performance.

I like them both, and Ermey is a hoot - they're just different.

[don-o]

Another former Marine you see in the flicks and is an adviser is Capt Dale Dye USMC (ret).

My understanding is that "former" is not used when referring to a Marine. I have heard of "dishonored" or "disgraced" being applied to a few - but not "former"

[FrankR]

Feel free to edit it if you like.

[oh8eleven]

Instructional material.
Are you $hittin' me Prive? LOL ...
On the other hand, at least you were still on the island (I hope!). I was watching a San Diego Padres baseball game last weekend and it was Military Appreciation Day.
In the bleachers were a couple of platoons of MC boots and their DIs. Upholding Hollywood Marine tradition I assumed.
In comparison, when we gave blood at PI, the Red Cross offered a half glass of Coke to help with any post event lightheadedness.
Our DI had warned us in no uncertain terms that pogey bait was verboten! But some drank anyway, were caught and paid a dear price whence back in the barn.
Semper Fi ...

[real saxophonist]

Yeah, it was definitely worse.
When I was in, a lot of the senior officers and enlisted were Vietnam veterans.
We had a couple of DIs who could do the 'sing-song' cadence, and a couple who, as you say, sounded like 'barking dogs with sore throats'.

[itsahoot]

I wonder how does Adam S. Baldwin get work?

How often do you see him on anything? I remember once in the last few years. He played a killer in the first Jessie Stone TV Movie. I don't recall seeing him lately. Of course I watch very few shows and even less movies.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Fantasy Island where women become Marines.