‘Full Metal Jacket’ drill instructor apologizes for calling on Americans to ‘rise up’ against Obama

[meegbear]

Source: RawStory.com

The foul-mouthed, hard-nosed drill instructor made famous by Stanley Kubrick's classic war film "Full Metal Jacket" ruffled some feathers early last month for commenting at a charity event that President Barack Obama wants "to bring this country to its knees" and institute "socialism." His proposed solution: "Rise up" and "stop this administration" from "destroying this country."

Now, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman -- the character which has carried the career of R. Lee Ermey -- is doing the unthinkable: apologizing.

"I regret that I delivered a monologue that was inappropriately critical of the President," he wrote on a special message posted to his official website. "I was trying to be entertaining and simply went too far in this instance."

Ermey, who was in recent years a spokesman for the Geico insurance company, made his initial remarks on Dec. 10 at a special appearance on "Roe & Roeper's Miracle on Indianapolis Blvd. Holiday Extravaganza," promoting "Toys 4 Tots" in Chicago.

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/01/full-metal-jacket-drill-instructor-apologizes-calling-americans-rise-up-obama/

---

"Oorah! Can anybody hear me out there?" he began. "I would like to salute the United States Marine Corps. Since 1775 they have been defending this country and doing quite a nice job of it, I might add. We celebrated our 235th birthday last month... 235 years of protecting this nation and we're gonna continue to do it forever."

Ermey continued: "I gotta tell you folks, we're having a big problem this year. The economy really sucks. Now I hate to point fingers at anybody, but the present administration probably had a lot to do with that. And the way I see it, they're not gonna quit doing it until they bring their country to its knees -- so I think we should all rise up and we should stop this administration from what they're doing because they're destroying this country.

"They're driving us into bankruptcy so they can impose socialism on us, and that's exactly what they're doing. I'm sick-and-damn-tired of it and I know you are too. But I know the Marine Corps is gonna be here forever. This administration won't. Semper fi. God bless you all."

As Ermey walked off stage, one of the event's hosts laughed and commented, "I'm so glad he has an opinion about things."

<snip>

[emulatorloo]

1. "I was trying to be entertaining" !?!?!?

What is "entertaining" about that rant about "Obama's secret plan to destroy America and implement Socialism"?

[The Backlash Cometh]

22. Just a silly good ole boy.

And they keep getting away with it.

[Ruperto31]

32. I don't mind if he criticizes Obama. But calling him a socialist...

...is an insult to socialism. That, I mind.

[The Backlash Cometh]

34. He's getting the benefit of saying horrible things that make him look right-wing loonie,

and then backs off, "I was just kidding." That's what I mean.

I respect Satire, because it makes a point, most of the time. But what he did was disingenuous.

[roguevalley]

31. odd. when obama was getting his ass handed to him about

being commander in chief, he defended obama. this is the first time I heard him not defend obama.

[pocoloco]

35. What the fuck did he get wrong?

Socialism for banks, wall street, tax cuts for the ultra rich??

[Ian David]

2. Geico needs to dump Ermey, and we need to dump Geico

Turning Politics into Green for Favored 'Blue' Insurers

By Andrew G. Simpson
April 28, 2005

A San Francisco-based nonprofit group that wants more consumers to support businesses that back liberal and "blue" state politics has added Progressive Insurance Co. to its preferred providers list.

The group, www.buyblue.org, is selling the notion that citizens who favor blue candidates and causes need to do more than show up at the ballot box at every election, they also need vote with their wallets by buying from blue companies when they shop.

Buyblue.org's researchers pore over documents from the Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Election Commission, political action committee and news reports, and other documents to develop ratings for companies. The closer a company's politics match those of the organization, the higher and darker is the company's blue rating.

Companies with opposite politics are rated in varying shades of red.

<snip>

But Progressive is the first and only insurance company to get the organization's 100 percent dark blue rating.

<snip>

Aside from Progressive, it has only rated two other insurance companies and neither fared well: State Farm has been given a pinkish 35 percent rating, while GEICO has been rated bright red at only 5 percent.

More:
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2005/04/28/54348.htm

DUMP GEICO: Switch to Progressive Insurance- http://www.progressive.com

[leveymg]

5. What a Jackwagon.

[Roland99]

14. Dumped GEICO 2 years ago.

[FreakinDJ]

15. BINGO - We have a Winner Folks

[Bonhomme Richard]

3. This guy is all about the money. The coward is backing down.....

only because it will hit his pocketbook.

[Joanne98]

4. Fuck him! He's NOT forgiven!

[skip fox]

6. I agree on Geico. He should be dropped like a soggy blank (I'm trying to be nice). BUT

(although I do not believe he meant it this way) I can see how he might have been going for the entertainment value, jumping into arch-conservative, gunny sergeant character and running it down. (After all, that's the character in the movie and the ads, that's the character he's known by).

So it COULD have been for entertainment. I don't believe it, but it's plausible.

[Lasher]

9. Nope.

The character in the movie never got political. He went out of his way to criticize the president. Looks like he wants a new career of competing with Sarah for speaking fees and reality shows. I say cut him loose to pursue it.

[skip fox]

40. In character in front of an audience there are a limited number of

things you can be shoot at which everyone immediately shares: the current political narrative. Yes, he could have talked about namby-pamby make-up men and sissy producers, but the target is not as obvious.

If he was to do this intelligently, however, he would have attacked the namby-politicians in Washington who want(and then list things that both parties are known for wanting: higher taxes, lower taxes, corporate welfare, mandatory helmets and seat belts, etc.)

So . . . IF he was trying to be entertaining by staying in character (which I doubt) he still deserves to be canned because he did so stupidly, un-artfully, in a flat and boorish manner. Who wants a dry drunk associated with their corporation?

[aggiesal]

7. Keep your ...

stinking socialistic hands out of our military!!! :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[Solly Mack]

8. He was attacking H. Clinton and other people in the Democratic party

during a show (USO) in Iraq.

Clinton was his primary target and he went on and on about her.

My husband was in Iraq at the time (2003/2004) and heard Ermey's attack cloaked as comedy....I mentioned it at the time on DU.

[Glorfindel]

10. Too little, too late. I don't forgive his sorry ass.

If I had a Geico policy, I would cancel it.

[LiberalFighter]

11. He had a show I think on the History Channel that wasn't much better a few years ago.

Ever since I watch some of those episodes I've been turned off by the guy. He is not funny.

[Botany]

12. What is your major malfunction you fucking jack wagon?

I hope that GEICO drops his ass ASAP.

BTW where the hell was Gunnery Sergeant when W Bush was running the debt through the roof?

[Kolesar]

13. His show on cable TV sucked...eom

[Bigmack]

16. I think that role fucked him up...

He was an actual Drill Instructor in the Corps, but the role was so over the top that he started thinking he is Hartman rather than Ermey.

Fine with me if he acts the asshole... never had anything in common with "lifers" anyway.

[WingDinger]

17. REmember, the geico voice actor was canned, for being not rightwing enough

on answering machine questioning teaparty funders.

[Kolesar]

18. Good catch! ... eom

[Ian David]

19. Geico FIRES D.C. Douglas: Voice Actor Dropped After Insulting FreedomWorks, Tea Partiers

Geico FIRES D.C. Douglas: Voice Actor Dropped After Insulting FreedomWorks, Tea Partiers

Lance Baxter, better known as D.C. Douglas but perhaps best known as the voice of certain Geico commercials (primarily as the tag announcer of a 2007-2008 celebrity ad campaign) has been fired by the insurance company after leaving a voicemail for Tea Party group FreedomWorks.

Douglas asked FreedomWorks in his voicemail what "the percentage of people that are mentally retarded who are working for FreedomWorks and who are following it," or as he has since put it, he "inquired as to their intelligence level."

In the voicemail, Douglas also questions how FreedomWorks will "spin it when one of your members does actually kill somebody, wondering if you've got a PR spinning routine planned for that or are you just gonna take it when it happens."



More:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/21/geico-fires-dc-douglas-vo_n_546038.html

[kenfrequed]

27. yup IOKIYAR

It's OK if your a republican. Apparently.

[Javaman]

20. "administration probably had a lot to do with that"

I guess he kept hitting the snooze button when reveille sounded during g.w. morons* reign of terror.

He's a paid fool.

[Webster Green]

21. I switched to Progressive many years ago.

I'm happy with Progressive, but their radio ads are even worse than Geico's, if that's possible.

Ermey is just a dick-head.

[abelenkpe]

23. LOL!

Ha ha ha...I'm sure that bit of idiocy will be good for his career. :P

[eringer]

24. This Guy is Lap Dog for the Republicans

He used to hang around the Pentagon when old Rummie was running the joint. It still makes me sick to think about those days. Bush's people were quick to go after the career federal employees who they believed were all liberals. He also hated any regulatory actions. Rummie's incompentent croonies thought they new best and ran out the middle managers that actually could have made the insane Iraqi invasion a success.
Looks like we are going to re-live those days again soon.

[Major Hogwash]

25. Hahaha!! He said all that at a fundraiser promoting "Toys for Tots"?

"Well, what have we got here? A fucking comedian?"

I love this guy.
A real Vietnam veteran, a wounded warrior, a "fucking A" Marine!
I loved his acting in "Mississippi Burning", one of the best movies I have ever seen.
And of course "Full Metal Jacket" was great.
But, he is hard headed.

At least he apologized.
Have to give him credit for that.

Tell Ermey we raised 79,000 donations of toys to Toys 4 Tots here in Boise, Idaho for Marine Major Brian Stephenson.
Ooh-rah!

[Kingofalldems]

26. This admin is about as socialist as Donald Trump

But the RW in the USA is so radical that anyone to the left of them would be regarded as socialist.

[DeSwiss]

28. What a jackass. K&R - n/t

[Gregorian]

29. A male Victoria Jackson.

And I thought she was just acting.

[southernyankeebelle]

30. I wrote him an e-mail and let him know how disappointed as was. I told

him that as a soldier you must respect the office of the commander-in-chief.

[michreject]

38. He was never a soldier

He's a Marine. Big difference.

[edbermac]

33. Gee Sarge, how did you feel about George aWol Bush?

I still love you in Full Metal Jacket, you little maggott!

[hatrack]

36. Full Metal Jacket, huh? That was, what, 1988? So, what you been up to lately?

:eyes:

[Crowman1979]

37. Yeah, and Father Coughlin was entertaining as well.

:sarcasm:

[Frisbee]

39. A Ben Stein wannabe.

Though I suspect he could kick Ben's ass.

[trud]

41. what a moron

does his memory extend back beyond 2008.

[Liberal_in_LA]

42. Oh, the GEICO drill sargent n/t

[Mr Generic Other]

43. if it is president obama's plan to socialize america

then i'm all for it.
i'm afraid that won't be the ultimate result though.

[Vinnie From Indy]

44. Again, America can thank Rush Limbaugh and FOX News for this shit

I find it mildly interesting that in threads concerning folks that get press coverage for repeating insanity like Obama is a socialist and TRYING to destroy America that the conversation rarely turns to the SOURCES of the lies.

The facts are clear. Right wing hate radio and FOX News are THE reason guys like Ermey believe and spout this insanity.