You know, it’s hard to dislike Johnny Depp, who seems affable enough and is actually quite respectful towards his fans. However, when he opens his mouth, Depp is arguably more offensive than even John Mayer. It’s just that Depp’s douchebaggery is masked behind an incredibly enigmatic persona, so the fact that his actions and words do not correlate sort of falls by the wayside.
However, Depp is exceedingly hypocritical. As a multi-millionaire, Depp owns various sprawling estates and even purchased his own damn private island. Yet, he considers himself to be an unabashed communist. This is a guy who describes the United States as “like a dumb puppy” and will inform his children as follows: “I’d like them to see America as a toy, a broken toy.” Yet for all his accusations of the United States’ heavy-handed tactics with its people (mainly in regard to convicted felons), Depp still manages to overlook such qualities when idolizing Che Guevara. When it comes down to the important stuff though, Depp doesn’t seem to mind making lots of money in the evil capitalistic United States.
Depp also has a frightening way of empathizing with convicted felons… if it suits his ill-informed cause. Nevermind that he’s the parent of two young children, for this status has no bearing on Depp’s support of Roman Polanski, who is “not a predator.” Depp also, quite notoriously, argued for the prison release of George Jung, who he portrayed in 2001′s Blow. Jung, of course, is “the notorious drug baron responsible for supplying 85 per cent of the cocaine that reached America’s shores in the Seventies and Eighties.” Depp enthusiastically claims that “George really saw himself as a modern day pirate,” which is a statement laced with more irony than one could imagine. If that isn’t enough to disgust you, consider that Depp will appear this Sunday on CBS’s “40 Hours Mystery” to defend three convicted killers–the West Memphis Three–who Depp and a whole league of ignorant celebrities believe were scapegoated for “murdering three boys in a suspected satanic ritual” merely “because they were devotees of heavy-metal music, Stephen King novels and the occult.” Uh, okay.
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I was with you until the West Memphis Three dig. The case was mishandled at almost every level. One of the three “confessed” after being held without representation and told by police they would let him go if he “confessed”; he is also mentally handicapped and no parent or legal aid was present, his “confession” contradicted the evidence found on scene as well. There were also many other suspects that were never investigated and the three that were zeroed in on were targeted not for any connection to the victim but because they liked heavy metal, wore black and were interested in pagan rituals. Let me repeat: there was no murder weapon, motive, connection or physical evidence in the case against them, just hysteria over “satan worshipers” and circumstantial evidence. My point is, your disgust is misplaced in this case and a cursory look at the facts of the case would tell you that. Just because a celebrity is involved doesn’t mean the cause is unjust. Your disgust is better reserved for Polanski than for these three young men who were unfairly railroaded by a broken system.
He’s right about some of these things and he has the right to say them. Freedom of Speech exists because all citizens should have the right to criticize their own country without being criminalized. America is FAR from perfect and ignoring this fact only does more damage. And getting paid for doing your job is not “taking money from America” unless you’re getting tax dollars.
This rant of yours is ridiculous and way more annoying and ignorant than all the things you quote JD as saying.
oops sorry
eva: name a country that doesn’t have anything wrong with it. Take your time, it’s okay, I can wait.
AB: I know nothing about this case, but there WAS, in fact, a bunch of very questionable convictions around that time period based on the idea that all these Satanic covens had sprung up all over the country — an idea that was without any kind of factual basis at all. If these guys really were railroaded, then good for Depp for calling attention to it. I was not aware of his previous efforts to free drug dealers, etc, however.
As for Polanski… we have discussed this before and are in agreement.
I’m surprised that a fan of Che would come to the aid of convicts. Surely Che’s execute them today, we can try them tomorrow approach to justice should be applied?
The Memphis 3; John Mark Byers step father to one of the poor little boys that was murdered, should be in jail, along with the other person that helped him do what he did. The boy (I think it was Christopher) was molested by this man on a regular basis and the school councellor already reported this, prior to the murders. This will come out. The 3 children knew and trusted the murderer, this has been established. Those 3 boys (Memphis 3) have been in jail for something they did not do, for 6 years. Thank god Johnny is using his fame to bring attention to injustices. This heinous wrong must be fixed. The parents of the murdered victims, don
jvon: Norway?
I don’t usually comment, but the comment right above irritated me enough to demand action.
@tanya: If you’re right, and the CIA are secretly fronting the war in Afghanistan, it wouldn’t be for cocaine. Coca leaf, the natural base of cocaine, is primarily grown in South America, hence the drug cartels in Columbia and Mexico.
However, looking for convoluted explanations for the US forays on foreign territory is just complicating an already complicated and stupid situation. The US and other Western nations for that matter have been messing with the Middle East since the mid-19th century and the imminent collapse of the Ottoman Empire. If we are to find a monetary incentive for the invasion of Afghanistan, its as a base to pressure potentially hostile Middle Eastern nations to be a little more generous with their oil.
I tend to believe its due to a stupid man desperately trying to emulate his father and his militaristic politics.
Ps, how does flooding the US market with cocaine and heroin help the CIA or the government it serves in any way? Hard drugs mean more crime, property damage, and loss of a potential (young) workforce. Furthermore, a drug addict spends his money on more drugs; he can’t put it back into the economy or pay taxes, two things that the guys on the top really do love.
Sorry about the rant, but the whole ‘government done flood the market with crack’ argument gets my goat.
Norway, indeed.
* Tanya, you’re misinformed. Where the hell does Afghanistan play into this story? Get your crap straight before you start tossing out b.s. that:
1. Isn’t related to the story at hand.
2. makes you look like an idiot.
3. automatically disqualifies you from having any merit to anything you say in the future.
agreed with “shut up and look pretty, Johnny!” thing and also ” you need a shower,Johnny!”
It would appear that you are the ignorant one, Tanya. Another one of these “JMB Dunnit” nutjobs, are you? Could you offer up a timeline on how, when and where he could have done it?
How about you educate YOURSELF and actually study the case, rather than wasting your time posting ill informed comments on web blogs?
Just a thought.
The ban against the legalization of drugs has a real effect in countries like Colombia. Because here we have a war that it’s in great part fed by the illegality of drugs; and the United States make big profits selling armament to us. Although, drugs do a lot of harm to many sectors of any society so it is a spiky subject. I still think is very naive of Depp of supporting someone like George Jung that did nothing to help in this situation. It seems like he doesn’t get the facts straight before speaking out.
I highly recommend “Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills,” a critically acclaimed documentary about the Memphis 3. It’s difficult to watch, but absolutely worth it.
they are guilty ….learn the truth….
http://wm3hoax.downonthefarm.org/board/index.php
Guilt should be determined by evidence, not the personal likes of someone. Heavy metal, Stephen King, and the occult are interests of plenty of people who’ve never committed a crime, including this middle-aged wife and mom.