[[He went an awfully long way towards committing to this, knowing full well what the subject matter was.]]
The ONLY thing i can say in his defense, and it’s a weak argument, but a possible one- is that he just didn’t realize how serious the disease is- having a ‘comedy mind’ might have contributed to thinking it’s just a disease where you forget things sometimes- which comediennes have always used forgetfulness as a comedy routine-
Many people don’t realize how devastating alzheimer’s really is- and do joke about it- not out of mean-ness- but out of ignorance- I even made the mistake of making a ‘memory oriented joke’ once to a person who’s parent had alzheimer’s and waas rightly berated for it- I just didn’t understand how serious and devastating the disease really is to the people and their families- it’s absolutely horrible- but if you don’t have first hand knowledge, you can see how someone might not realize that it isn’t funny to joke about htis awful condition—
I’m not sure though I’m willing ot excuse him with this explanation- but it’s possible I guess-
I'd buy that argument 20 years ago (for the rationale you stated), but a person would have to be living in a cave for those 20 years not to realize the devastation of this disease and the toll it takes on the person and their family.
And planning to make a movie is different than making a brief quip (e.g., saying that 'this is an Alzheimer's moment', when you forget something).
I know that you acknowledged that this was a weak argument, and you were just tossing it out as a possibility, but I go with the likelihood that he didn't anticipate the criticism (since all his friends, and like minded liberals, hate Reagan) and beat a hasty retreat.