Washington strikes back at Hollywood.

In a scathing ad placed in the entertainment industry magazine Variety and in a series of TV commercials, a group calling itself Citizens Against Schlock -- made up of high-level military, government and intelligence officials -- asked Hollywood to stop bombarding American citizens with crummy movies designed only to make its actors and producers rich.
"Before you unleash another stinker like 'Crossroads,' with Britney Spears, upon an unwary public," says Secretary of State Colin Powell in one commercial, "I have only one question to ask: Why? What did we ever do to you?"
In another commercial, a teary-eyed Donald Rumsfeld, secretary of defense, looks straight into the camera and pleads, "For the love of God, can't someone stop Adam Sandler before he makes another movie? The suicide crisis hot lines were flooded after the release of 'Mr. Deeds' by people who simply can't take Mr. Sandler anymore."

The sad thing about satire is that so often you wish it weren't a joke.

posted by James Russell | 5:29 PM