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I Also Ain't Got Time to Bleed
When can
I stop blogging about human cartoon characters who finagle their
ways into major Libertarian Party nominations?
Not today, apparently. The Louisville Courier-Journal
profiles ex-actor Sonny Landham, the LP's candidate in the
(surprisingly close) Kentucky Senate race.
The bid includes some campaign baggage that seems scripted for Hollywood, instead of socially conservative Kentucky. Early in his acting career in the 1970s, Landham bared it all in adult films.
Asked whether that could hurt him politically, Landham replied, "What can I do? That was a part of my life you cannot call back."
But he does express regrets.
"If I was going to do it now — knowing that I'm going to have four children, knowing that I was going to run for office — no, I wouldn't make that choice," he said. "But at the time I made the choice of getting a paycheck, staying alive for your big break."
Landham also served more than 2½ years in federal prison after being convicted of making threatening and obscene phone calls to his ex-wife.
The conviction was thrown out by a federal appeals court that found he committed no crime.
Actually... I don't have a problem with either of those things. Thirty months for "obscene phone calls"?
Via Wonkette, who goes with the angle that Senator Landham would be the third actor from Predator to serve in public office, after Jesse Ventura (I-MN) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA). (Carl Weathers never got as close as some of us would have liked.)
UPDATE: From the comments:
Guy Montag|6.25.08 @ 3:53PM|#
Has anybody done an analysis, or at least made a list, of all of
the people in Predator who ran for office? Were elected to
office?
Wondering what offices the off-screen crew runs for too.
Thanks in advance!
the innominate one|6.25.08 @ 3:55PM|#
Carl Weathers' best role was playing a cheapskate parody of himself in Arrested Development.
robc|6.25.08 @ 3:55PM|#
David,
1. Via wonkette instead of via fark? Okay, but that says something
about you.
2. surprisingly close? Lunsford with his money in a democrat
controlled state (not like when I first registered to vote here 21
years ago, but the GOP is still the minor party), how could it not
be close? It wasnt going to stay this close once McConnell got to
remind voters of the Lunsford/Vencor connection. McConnell is too
good at the game not to play hard (and dirty) against Lunsford.
But, it doesnt shock me at all that the race is close right
now.
|6.25.08 @ 3:58PM|#
Now if we can only get the little weasely guy who was crushed by the tree trunk we'll have a quorum!
Naga Sadow|6.25.08 @ 3:58PM|#
Wasn't Landham the guy who during the filming of "Predator" had to be escorted around by a bodyguard? Allegedly the bodyguard's role was to keep Landham from hurting people.
Guy Montag|6.25.08 @ 3:59PM|#
Thirty months for "obscene phone calls"?
Didn't Kevin Mitnick stay locked up, without a trial, for a lot
longer than that, partly for making crank calls to a NYT reporter?
BTW, John Markoff(sp?) was not autographing "Free Kevin" stickers
last I heard.
|6.25.08 @ 3:59PM|#
More good stuff about Sonny. According to the "Trivia" page for Predator at the Internet Movie Data Base, during the shoot "the insurance company insisted on a round-the-clock bodyguard for Landham, not to protect the actor, but to protect everyone else from the actor (who was prone to bar fights, etc.)." Now that sounds like Kentucky! Maybe he will win after all!
Episiarch|6.25.08 @ 4:00PM|#
Arnold is a Montana Republican, Dave? Wouldn't (R-PREY) be more
accurate anyway?
Don't forget Bill Duke and Shane Black, either.
kinnath|6.25.08 @ 4:08PM|#
Early in his acting career in the 1970s, Landham bared it
all in adult films.
I foresee matched campaign advertisements ala the Simpsons.
Opposition Ad -- A vote for Landham is a vote for
pornography.
Landham Ad (including snippets of prior work) -- A vote for Landham
is a vote for pornography.
Tim Cavanaugh|6.25.08 @ 4:10PM|#
Carl Weathers is our most patriotic actor. Has anybody ever played more Sergeants, Colonels, Captains, Chiefs and Generals in one career? And that's not even counting the bicentennial trunks.
Guy Montag|6.25.08 @ 4:13PM|#
Tim Cavanaugh,
Idunno. He may have the title by volume, but I think Fred Thompson
has the greater rank average. CIA Director, NASCAR President,
Admiral, other stuff, and stuff. Well, ATC guy may be a negative
rank score.
|6.25.08 @ 4:13PM|#
Actually... I don't have a problem with either of those
things. Thirty months for "obscene phone calls"?
You forgot the "threatening" part. Repeated, unwanted phone calls
of any type would constitute trespass at the least, I would
think.
That said, I sure don't know if it even happened, and I don't know
that it would disqualify him from office if it did.
Guy Montag|6.25.08 @ 4:16PM|#
That said, I sure don't know if it even happened, and I
don't know that it would disqualify him from office if it
did.
Things can disqualify candidates from office in the Commonwealth of
Kentucky?
|6.25.08 @ 4:18PM|#
Things can disqualify candidates from office in the
Commonwealth of Kentucky?
Sure. Like being born in NY.
|6.25.08 @ 4:21PM|#
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QArocEUp7xE
Vote Carl Weathers, he was the black guy in Predator.
|6.25.08 @ 4:29PM|#
GOD... I... HATE... WONKETTE!!!111!1
Seriously, I look at the comments there and wonder what fucked-up
part of our population makes up their fanbase. Is the entire blog
some kind of in-joke that I just don't get, or is it something
else?
|6.25.08 @ 4:29PM|#
Actually... I don't have a problem with either of those
things. Thirty months for "obscene phone calls"?
Actually, I think it was the "threatening" part that got him in
trouble. Obscene phone calls with a consenting partner -- phone sex
-- aren't going to be reported to the authorities.
Or so I've heard.
|6.25.08 @ 4:30PM|#
That Carl Weathers SNL skit was terrible. Poor Carl, getting stuck with such worthless SNL writers.
Guy Montag|6.25.08 @ 4:35PM|#
Vote Carl Weathers, he was the black guy in
Predator.
And he played two roles at the same time in the same movie! His SOF
character seemed to hate his CIA character so much. It is amazing
that an actor can do that.
Nigel Watt|6.25.08 @ 4:36PM|#
Seriously, I look at the comments there and wonder what fucked-up part of our population makes up their fanbase. Is the entire blog some kind of in-joke that I just don't get, or is it something else?
It's what happens when a bunch of self-righteous asshats decide
they're "common people".
Guy Montag|6.25.08 @ 4:41PM|#
Car Weathers was awsome when he stole a Cadillac from that annoying SCTV guy in Commando.
|6.25.08 @ 4:46PM|#
Ok, I see his Wikipedia has been cleaned up. There used to be links to his racist rants and COCC stuff. Porno is alright though. LP should stop supporting racists and nutjobs, however.
Guy Montag|6.25.08 @ 4:48PM|#
JCJ,
So, your only "evidence" that it existed is that it is not there
any more?
Highway|6.25.08 @ 5:01PM|#
Guy and Tim,
I think Louis Gossett Jr. is in the running for that
competition...
toxicroach@gmail.com|6.25.08 @ 5:09PM|#
I'd like to toss R. Lee Ermey in the ring. Homicide dick (Seven) and a drill sarge about 100000 times.
Sgt. Mac|6.25.08 @ 5:26PM|#
We're gonna have us some fun!
*dryshaves head*
We're gonna have us some fun!
|6.25.08 @ 5:29PM|#
I believe an America run entirely by the cast, crew, production company, and distributor of Predator would be a better America. Not, mind you, people associated with Predator II. Danny Glover, for instance, is untenable. Except maybe as Castro's successor.
miche|6.25.08 @ 5:33PM|#
Seems like a whole bunch of ya'll missed this part:
The conviction was thrown out by a federal appeals court that found he committed no crime.
LT Nixon|6.25.08 @ 5:36PM|#
Early in his acting career in the 1970s, Landham bared it
all in adult films.
Whatever. This was the pre-AIDS 1970s, if you weren't doing porn
you were a nobody.
|6.25.08 @ 6:28PM|#
I said 90%
We do have Bourbon-Barrel Ale, which will sweep the nation once it
stops being a local delicacy. A medium-bodied ale that is
conditioned in used bourbon barrels. Sort of like the boilermaker
of the gods.
(Or is it showing up outside of KY? If it is, please don't judge it
by the bottled form, the draft version is vastly superior.)
drewt333|6.25.08 @ 6:40PM|#
"LP should stop supporting racists and nutjobs, however."
Not supporting racists I can understand, but without nutjobs, who
would run for public office?
robc|6.25.08 @ 6:52PM|#
We do have Bourbon-Barrel Ale, which will sweep the nation
once it stops being a local delicacy. A medium-bodied ale that is
conditioned in used bourbon barrels. Sort of like the boilermaker
of the gods.
Its being made all over. I met some brewers from a Missouri brewery
who were in town (they were staying in Louisville) to visit ummm,
you know, that brewery that just slipped my mind. Anyway, that was
where they get their barrels from.
Personally, I think it sucks. I love beer. I love bourbon. They
should never meet. I judged some bourbon barrel porters at last
year's state fair, and while the best were good, they would have
been better as just a straight porter (and a shot of bourbon on the
side).
robc|6.25.08 @ 6:53PM|#
Buffalo Trace.
My mind is like one of those things, you know with holes in it,
used for draining pasta.
|6.25.08 @ 6:59PM|#
"Carl Weathers never got as close as some of us would have
liked."
No but he did play the sheriff in "Heat of the Night" for maybe a
season or two.
|6.25.08 @ 7:03PM|#
Personally, I think it sucks.
You should have your tongue repossessed. This is what happens when
your local bourbon is Early Times.
|6.25.08 @ 7:52PM|#
Personally, I would like to see the Predator run for office.
Even if he just wrecked his office and hunted down other
politicians, that would be fine with me.
As for actor who holds the most ranks, Gene Hackman might have a
chance. President (2), Senator, Mayor, Captain, Admiral, Brigadier
General, Major General, Colonel, Lt. Colonel, Major, Sergeant,
Secretary of Defense, Sheriff, ...not to mention head coach (2),
Royal, and Lex Luthor.
|6.25.08 @ 8:02PM|#
The Predator was played by a really tall (and also black) guy named Kevin Peter Hall.
|6.25.08 @ 8:09PM|#
My buddy is submitting an article to theonion.com about
this.
If anyone wants to take a look before hand, email me. It is pretty
damned funny.
dpsc|6.25.08 @ 9:08PM|#
Given the large fanboy element of the LP is this Chicken? Egg? Some unholy combination of the two, a la Foghorn Leghorn (my choice for POTUS this year).
Naga Sadow|6.25.08 @ 11:09PM|#
The Winter Soldier,
He was but due to the fact that he is a PUSSY, couldn't hack the
part. Apparently with the suit on, the actor is basically in an
oven.
|6.26.08 @ 12:12AM|#
I was hoping Carl Weathers would run for governor of Louisiana (his birth state) after Hurricane Katrina. Sadly, it was not to be.
Guy Montag|6.26.08 @ 9:45AM|#
Hey, what about Bill Duke? He also was "the black guy" in
"Predator".
They were different Black guys? Oh man!
The Predator was played by a really tall (and also black) guy
named Kevin Peter Hall.
He is now deceased. IIRC from looking at the IMDB page, he also
played a helicopter pilot (Rotary Wing Aviator) in the movie. Since
they were using the UH-1, I could see maybe a 7' 2" guy fitting
okay. I am 6' 3" and that is the smalles US helicopter that I fit
in comfortably at the controls.
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