Rings

I was going to tell a humorous and insightful anecdote here this evening but I've forgotten what it was.

On the bus ride home this evening I was listening to a 1966 Jean Shepherd show.  He read a short news item about Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. telling a graduating class of FBI National Academy recruits that "the doctrine of civil disobedience is supported by bigots, fanatics and extremists".  To which Shepherd replied, "Only in America would a guy who plays an FBI man address the graduation group of FBI men.  This will be known as the age when fantasy and showbiz begin to slowly take over from reality."  Shepherd went on to explain his theory of how certain types  of actors are becoming successful in the political world.  He specifically pointed out actors like Ronald Reagan, who always plays the nice guy who never gets the woman or the responsible husband, would be successful politicians.

Not my humorous and insightful anecdote, but humorous and insightful.

Comments

[Merisi]

I was there to hear Arthur Miller talk about the subject of politics and acting, when he held the Jefferson Lecture at the Kennedy Center in 2001. The lecture titled "The Politics and the Art of Acting" has been published in book form, you may read it also on the web:
http://www.neh.gov/whoweare/miller/lecture.html
(I guess this is the lecture in its entirety, a still very vigerous forceful Miller spoke for more than an hour then.)

[tien]

what is that a picture of?

[Joe]

Merisi, thanks, I'll have to read that.

Tien, you'll have to guess where.

[tien]

sigh!!

[Marie]

Very interesting photo.

We used to watch that FBI show every week. I had to read that doctrine of civil disobedience thing several times. I guess Efram went to the J. Edgar Hoover School of Acting.

Aside. My brother, who's in latent finger prints, once gave a talk to a class of forensic somethings at Quantico. The speaker after him was Patricia Cornwell.