SONY’S MISTAKE, ACCORDING TO OBAMA:
Michael Lynton was the CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment when it greenlit Seth Rogen’s film The Interview. You’ve most likely never seen it because it displeased the Supreme (Communist) Leader of North Korea and led to North Korea’s hack of the company’s emails, confidential scripts, and his family’s personal information. Sony limited distribution of the film in order to mitigate the damage.
The Wall Street Journal published an excerpt of Lynton’s memoir in its February 21 Review section. In the excerpt Lynton blames the malformation of his character for what he deems a monumental corporate mistake. I was disgusted to read President Obama’s concurrence in Lynton’s assessment:
Eight months later, after it became clear that the North Koreans had hacked Sony, and after the studio had lost its relationships with many of its most important stars—including Will Smith, Adam Sandler and Angelina Jolie—I spoke to President Obama about the whole incident. Unsurprisingly, he asked the right question: “What were you thinking when you made killing the leader of a hostile foreign nation a plot point? Of course that was a mistake.”
I read the excerpt that Saturday. My first thought was I am so glad Obama isn’t president. My second thought, as to both the memoir and Obama’s contribution, was sometimes it’s better to keep your mouth shut. My third thought was I blame Obama — the Supreme (Communist) Leader sized him up for a chump. I was surprised the Journal published the excerpt without some reflection on its contents. It is pitiful.
Back in 2007 and 2008, then-Senator Obama was frequently compared to JFK. But the real JFK had no problem had no problem with Frank Sinatra and John Frankenheimer making a movie which depicted the assassination of an American presidential candidate at Madison Square Garden:
In an interview [Angela Lansbury] said many people asked her what it was like to work with Frank Sinatra and she always tells them she doesn’t know because they didn’t have any scenes together other than a quick one where they were getting their coats on.
It wasn’t until later she learned that Frank Sinatra was an integral part of making sure the movie was made.
“I know that Frank wasn’t the easiest person for John to work with,” she said. “But they seemed to have an alliance. I think Frank understood what a tremendous opportunity it was for him to play this role. He knew that his friend (President) John Kennedy adored the book. Frank talked to JFK about the role and one of his questions oddly enough was ‘who’s playing the mother?’”
I’ve heard that tale told before with Kennedy asking Sinatra, “Who’s playing the Red Queen?” In any case, as Lloyd Benson would say, Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy.
