How Words Can Really Get Twisted!
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008Wow! Can the media be brutal! Over the holiday break, the Gorilla heard a story about one of his favorite actors that made him- well- mad. Not mad at the actor, but mad at the injustice which occurred involving the actor! The actor is Will Smith, and most would agree that he’s pretty much a good guy, with a good, clean rep and a lot of talent (depending on which angle you see it!). But for the most part, we all love the guy. He’s a good family man, a humanitarian, and a fun guy to watch on the big screen.
Recently the actor was interviewed by a reporter, and while trying to make a point about the fact that he (Will Smith) believes that most people are basically “good” in nature, he made a comment that was completely misconstrued. The comment was about Adolph Hitler ,and as you can imagine, the media took it and ran! Smith was quoted saying: “Even Hitler didn’t wake up going, ‘let me do the most evil thing I can do today.’ I think he woke up in the morning and using a twisted, backwards logic, he set out to do what he thought was ‘good.’ “
Unfortunately for Will, the reporter coupled the quote with this statement: “Remarkably, Will Smith believes that everyone is basically good.” Over the weekend, what followed were a series of comments posted on a celebrity gossip site saying that “Will Smith believes Hitler was ‘good.’” Comments of criticism were flying and the whole thing got way out of hand. The actor is livid over the twisting and turning of the situation and made this statement, via his publicist: “It is an awful and disgusting lie. It speaks to the dangerous power of an ignorant person with a pen. I am incensed and infuriated to have to respond to such ludicrous misinterpretation.” Smith then went on to say, “Adolf Hitler was a vile, heinous vicious killer, responsible for one of the greatest acts of evil committed on this planet.” The Gorilla knows what Will Smith meant by the misquoted comment, (as it is obvious) but the reporter apparently saw an opportunity and took it. What a shame that such a thing can be so blown out of proportion and misconstrued by everyone! It is just silly in the Gorilla’s opinion. Maybe Will Smith will change his opinion about thinking that most people are inherently “good.” Ironically, the reporter who interviewed him sure didn’t seem to be!