The Hit & Run regulars may appreciate this moment in a 2014 profile of Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who is now running for the Republican presidential nomination. One day in 1997, the reporter recounts, the then-congressman
Working Title Films
ducked into his local Blockbuster back home in Columbus in search of a movie for him and Karen to watch. He settled on "Fargo," the Oscar-winning dark comedy by the Coen brothers, and—spoiler alert—was disturbed when he got the part where a dead man's body is being fed through a wood-chipper.
"It was billed as a comedy," Kasich wrote in his 2006 book, "but it wasn't funny."
Kasich launched a one-man campaign to force Blockbuster to remove "Fargo" from its shelves.
Vox has more on Kasich's crusade here, and Reason has more on woodchippers here.
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I am special, I'm a millennial. Everyone has told I am special my entire life. I have dozens of participation ribbons and "Great Job" stickers to prove it.
Exactly. How can anyone not think that scene is funny. The way he can't hear Francis McDormand over the roar of the woodchipper and she points to her badge.
I'm more offended by Kasich's lack of any sense of humor than I am with his nanny crusade. I'm also micro-offended that he used to rent from Blockbuster.
I bet he didn't like the scene where the kidnappers bang the prostitutes and then watch tv, either, which would strongly imply that he doesn't have a soul.
Next morning, I got on the phone to Blockbuster and demanded that they take the movie off their shelves.
Do we really want a president like this? A president who is unwilling to pick up the phone in a fit of anger and make that 3AM call to his Blockbuster manager? Waiting to the next morning like that in the White House could mean a nuclear Iran.
We're sure he doesn't have some sad tale of woe about woodchippers, right? Maybe he lost his favorite sled to a woodchipper.
The little details could make all the difference. I mean, once you learn that 'Rosebud' is a euphemism for Marion Davies' clitoris, Citizen Kane is actually pretty comedic too.
"There was a great inrush of those, bur?rum, those evileyed - blackhanded - bowlegged - flinthearted - clawfingered - foulbellied - bloodthirsty, morimaite - sincahonda, hoom, well, since you are hasty folk and their full name is as long as years of torment, those vermin of orcs."
In 1995, I was visiting a couple of high school friends whose college was a couple of hours away from mine. We watched Pulp Fiction on the ol' VCR. Their door was open, and some kid walked by. He heard the movie and stuck his head in to lecture us about how there's nothing funny about people getting killed. That hilarious little moment has always stayed with me.
William H Macy's character trying to hold it together even as things spin further and further out of his control is funny, too.
And Francis McDormand's character laying on a bed with her husband at the end, pontificating on the virtues of tedious boredom? Imagining Kasich sitting on the couch with his wife, watching that, and thinking to themselves that at least she got it right--that makes the film even funnier for me than it used to be.
Please nobody tell Kasich about A Modest Proposal or Eric Idle singing about looking on the bright side of death in The Life of Brian--even as he's dying for being unjustly crucified. How could that be funny?
I bet Kasich doesn't think that's funny, either. But you know what else is funny? John Kasich making choices for the rest of us regarding what we should be able to see based on his sense of humor.
I know some will consider it sacrilege, but I kinda agree. I didn't find Fargo funny. I don't give a shit if you want to watch it. I just never got what the appeal was. Kind of like Napoleon Dynamite.
Policy-wise, whether or not he's a good choice, I couldn't vote for the guy based on his dislike of Fargo. What kind of an asshole doesn't like Fargo? It's like not liking Haagen Dazs, pinot noir, or rib eyes - barbarian.
Haagen Dazs is the tits and not because of its name. Its great because they use full fat cream and very little sugar. ITS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH. Eat more.
Don't worry, he's not very good on policy either. And is pretty much universally described as an arrogant, condescending asshole even by the people who like him.
I'm a huge, huge Coen Brothers fan but I always thought Fargo was overrated. For me it's definitely behind Miller's Crossing, No Country for Old Men, Raising Arizona, Barton Fink and The Big Lebowski.
Macy is fantastic as Jerry Lundgaard, but none of the rest of it was particularly noteworthy. Maybe I just can't stand Minnesota accents.
But, do you dislike it? Because then you're an asshole.
I'm from MN originally, so I like the whole MN aspect of it. No Country for Old Men is an incredible movie (based on an incredible book) and stands alone.
Nope, don't dislike it at all. Just don't particularly like it either. It's OK. I remember seeing it in the theaters and being mildly confused as to why it was such a critical darling.
Oddly enough, I actually watched it last night for the first time in many years. Was browsing through Netflix and thought I'd give it another look. Maybe with the passage of time and growing into adulthood, I'd have a different appreciation for it. Nope, felt pretty much the same way, although I had forgotten just how brilliant Macy was in the role.
I really enjoyed Fargo, the tv show, and I am excited for the upcoming second season. There was violence and comedic moments, so I am sure Kasich would not approve.
I have a question on the ending of the first season: How did Colin Hank's character explain his shooting of Malvo to the cops? Hard to argue that it was self-defense and he wasn't a cop anymore.
I can't recall, but I think he was sorta ready to be taken in, but his cop buddies looked the other way? I think it was "understood" that it was self-defense, and nobody took it too far. It's all up to the DA anyway, isn't it?
Because nothing says "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" like a campaign to ban videos you don't like.
The fact that I, in a metaphorical sense, making use of my right as a U.S. citizen to engage in political satire, fair comment and free speech, want to shove so many of our current crop of candidates through a woodchipper (face or feet first, don't really care), well, it makes me just want to shove a Presidential candidate through a woodchipper, metaphorically and rhetorically speaking.
Hmm. I'm positive there's some kind of circular logic going on there. Kind of like the grinders in a woodchipper spin in a circle.
I'm not a Kasich fan, but was he threatening fines/prison/subpoenas, or did he simply speak up in his capacity as a customer/potential boycott organizer?
I mean, if you're just boycotting, not invoking govt power, then how is that any worse than organizing *in favor* of a movie you *like*?
For that matter, how is asking Blockbuster to pull Fargo different from giving it a bad review?
"God DAMN, Jimmy! This is some gourmet shit! Me and Vincent woulda been satisfied with some....freeze-dried Taster's Choice, and he springs this GOURMET shit on us...."
I actually used to quote that line a lot to my wife. She didn't get it until a couple years after we were married when I got her to watch the movie with me.
" I'ma call a coupla hard, pipe-hittin' niggers, who'll go to work on the homes here with a pair of pliers and a blow torch. You hear me talkin', hillbilly boy? I ain't through with you by a damn sight. I'ma get medieval on your ass. "
*You need a rest, Harold. A long trip to someplace quiet. Another name, another country.
***I can't start my life over again now.
*You don't have much choice, Harold. They're gonna try to make you tell where the money is. You know what kind of people they are. They're gonna strip you naked and go to work on you with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch.
It had more impact when Dean Wormer used the line. Woodrow Parfrey blows his own brains out (after trying to get the stain out of his white jacket-or was that selling a hot dog to Dirty Harry?)...
Been a busy month. Accepted a new job, so I spent a couple weeks transitioning at my old job. Then went salmon fishing with my boys and my old Swiss neighbors, now I'm running a uber like car service for my uncle so he can visit my aunt in the hospital (big surgery for her, bad eyes for him).
"It was billed as a comedy," Kasich wrote in his 2006 book, "but it wasn't funny."
"And don't even get me started about No Country for Old Men. I mean, what kind of ending was that?"
Damn, you, there were no comments.
Why, why, why would you do that to me?
You think you're special? I DO THIS TO EVERYONE.
I am special, I'm a millennial. Everyone has told I am special my entire life. I have dozens of participation ribbons and "Great Job" stickers to prove it.
But have you been polled by Emily Ekins?
If ya know what I'm sayin'.....
All shall worship FOE and despair.
Fuck Kasich. That is all.
HA HA, I have struck again, regulars.
meh
Looks like...
*dons sunglasses*
you just got Fisted.
You're a chicken and
[dons gunglasses]
I'm a chickenhawk.
Greetings, fellow irregular.
May I recommend Metamucil?
^
smashes ur foghorn.
Poor woodchipper procedure was followed in the movie though. It's feet first, not feet last.
You have to admit it was a lot funnier feet last.
Exactly. How can anyone not think that scene is funny. The way he can't hear Francis McDormand over the roar of the woodchipper and she points to her badge.
I'm more offended by Kasich's lack of any sense of humor than I am with his nanny crusade. I'm also micro-offended that he used to rent from Blockbuster.
People who take themselves too seriously like to lecture people on comedy.
I'm also micro-offended that he used to rent from Blockbuster.
Meh, it was 1997. Netflix didn't exist yet, so where else was he gonna rent from? Hastings? Hollywood Video? It was the dark ages back then.
I don't think you fully understand the concept of microagressions. We need to send you back for re-programming.
I bet he didn't like the scene where the kidnappers bang the prostitutes and then watch tv, either, which would strongly imply that he doesn't have a soul.
"It was billed as a comedy," Kasich wrote in his 2006 book, "but it wasn't funny."
One could almost say the same for his presidential bid.
Nice.
I'd just like to say....
...damn you.
One could say it of the vast majority of "comedy" films ever made. And everybody would have a different list.
Do we really want a president like this? A president who is unwilling to pick up the phone in a fit of anger and make that 3AM call to his Blockbuster manager? Waiting to the next morning like that in the White House could mean a nuclear Iran.
Nixon leaned on Warner Brothers to remove a song from 1776.
Narcissistic fucker thought "Cool Considerate Men" was a personal attack.
Guess it didn't uplift him.
John Kasich: Humorless Curmudgeon
And kinda funny lookin'.
Could you be more specific?
I'm hearin' bells.
Bells? Given that tard I'd expect to hear banjos.
Soon we can say "John Kasich: Where are ya now?"
We're sure he doesn't have some sad tale of woe about woodchippers, right? Maybe he lost his favorite sled to a woodchipper.
The little details could make all the difference. I mean, once you learn that 'Rosebud' is a euphemism for Marion Davies' clitoris, Citizen Kane is actually pretty comedic too.
It's his sled. It was his sled from when he was a kid. There, I just saved you two long, boobless hours
If the rule you follow brought you to this, of what use was the rule?
Do you have any idea how crazy you are?
You know who else was disgusted by the use of woodchippers...
Those walking/talking trees in the Lord of the Rings trilogy?
Just seems appropriate-
"There was a great inrush of those, bur?rum, those evileyed - blackhanded - bowlegged - flinthearted - clawfingered - foulbellied - bloodthirsty, morimaite - sincahonda, hoom, well, since you are hasty folk and their full name is as long as years of torment, those vermin of orcs."
Bush?
Judge Forrest and associated Federal prosecutors?
The dudes at Popehat?
Be kind, please rewind.
I'm guessing he wouldn't find Pulp Fiction to be funny either.
In 1995, I was visiting a couple of high school friends whose college was a couple of hours away from mine. We watched Pulp Fiction on the ol' VCR. Their door was open, and some kid walked by. He heard the movie and stuck his head in to lecture us about how there's nothing funny about people getting killed. That hilarious little moment has always stayed with me.
Speaking of comedies.
It is funny, though.
William H Macy's character trying to hold it together even as things spin further and further out of his control is funny, too.
And Francis McDormand's character laying on a bed with her husband at the end, pontificating on the virtues of tedious boredom? Imagining Kasich sitting on the couch with his wife, watching that, and thinking to themselves that at least she got it right--that makes the film even funnier for me than it used to be.
Please nobody tell Kasich about A Modest Proposal or Eric Idle singing about looking on the bright side of death in The Life of Brian--even as he's dying for being unjustly crucified. How could that be funny?
I bet Kasich doesn't think that's funny, either. But you know what else is funny? John Kasich making choices for the rest of us regarding what we should be able to see based on his sense of humor.
But it isn't funny ha ha.
Vote Kasich '16: Life's a Piece of Shit, When You Look at It.
Not a bad counter-message to all of this "hope" silliness.
So narcissistic he thinks things he doesn't enjoy should be taken away from others
=Perfect fit for government
I know some will consider it sacrilege, but I kinda agree. I didn't find Fargo funny. I don't give a shit if you want to watch it. I just never got what the appeal was. Kind of like Napoleon Dynamite.
...
Grandma called and she said to stop eating all her steak and ruining everyone's lives!
Your mom goes to college.
Just total fucking silence. Two can play at that game, smart guy. We'll just see how you like it.
You're just lacking skills.
The heck do ya mean?
Shut the fuck up, Donny.
Oh, fuck John Kasich. What a tool.
It's like the state of Ohio just BREEDS them....
*runs and hides behind buckeye tree*
[F]uck John Kasich.
Eww. Put him in the woodchipper instead.
Policy-wise, whether or not he's a good choice, I couldn't vote for the guy based on his dislike of Fargo. What kind of an asshole doesn't like Fargo? It's like not liking Haagen Dazs, pinot noir, or rib eyes - barbarian.
Haagen Dazs is a sham. The wife of guy who started the company told him to give a European name because nobody pays top dollar for domestic products.
Ian MacKaye working at H?agen-Dazs
And here he is with his Haagen Dazs co-worker, Henry Garfield aka Rollins
http://pds.exblog.jp/pds/1/201.....921418.jpg
Haagen Dazs is the tits and not because of its name. Its great because they use full fat cream and very little sugar. ITS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH. Eat more.
I prefer Ghirardelli.
Dazs is meh.
Don't worry, he's not very good on policy either. And is pretty much universally described as an arrogant, condescending asshole even by the people who like him.
I'm a huge, huge Coen Brothers fan but I always thought Fargo was overrated. For me it's definitely behind Miller's Crossing, No Country for Old Men, Raising Arizona, Barton Fink and The Big Lebowski.
Macy is fantastic as Jerry Lundgaard, but none of the rest of it was particularly noteworthy. Maybe I just can't stand Minnesota accents.
But, do you dislike it? Because then you're an asshole.
I'm from MN originally, so I like the whole MN aspect of it. No Country for Old Men is an incredible movie (based on an incredible book) and stands alone.
Nope, don't dislike it at all. Just don't particularly like it either. It's OK. I remember seeing it in the theaters and being mildly confused as to why it was such a critical darling.
Oddly enough, I actually watched it last night for the first time in many years. Was browsing through Netflix and thought I'd give it another look. Maybe with the passage of time and growing into adulthood, I'd have a different appreciation for it. Nope, felt pretty much the same way, although I had forgotten just how brilliant Macy was in the role.
Oh, geez, Wade.
GOPHERS!
Shorter John Kasich: If I hate it you can't have it.
Kasich is a little beotch.
Who is this towel?
Wanna get high?
So- Kasich is not planning to leave me alone if he becomes President? I must somehow find a way to express my surprise.
I really enjoyed Fargo, the tv show, and I am excited for the upcoming second season. There was violence and comedic moments, so I am sure Kasich would not approve.
*SPOILERS*
I have a question on the ending of the first season: How did Colin Hank's character explain his shooting of Malvo to the cops? Hard to argue that it was self-defense and he wasn't a cop anymore.
Union magic?
I can't recall, but I think he was sorta ready to be taken in, but his cop buddies looked the other way? I think it was "understood" that it was self-defense, and nobody took it too far. It's all up to the DA anyway, isn't it?
They were probably glad to have Malvo out of the way as he was kind of a jerk.
Because nothing says "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" like a campaign to ban videos you don't like.
The fact that I, in a metaphorical sense, making use of my right as a U.S. citizen to engage in political satire, fair comment and free speech, want to shove so many of our current crop of candidates through a woodchipper (face or feet first, don't really care), well, it makes me just want to shove a Presidential candidate through a woodchipper, metaphorically and rhetorically speaking.
Hmm. I'm positive there's some kind of circular logic going on there. Kind of like the grinders in a woodchipper spin in a circle.
Kasich is trying to appeal to the base.
Of 1847.
What a fucking tool. My uncle raves about how awesome Kasich is. I'm going to show him this article...
90 comments in and not one of you motherfuckers has complimented Walker on how meta this post is?
This is the part where Vince Vaughn gets disgusted.
What, you guys can't say one thing? Even the guy that can't think said something. You guys just stand there? Come on!
I'LL SHOW YOU THE LIFE OF THE MIND.
Maybe that's because I posted this already like a week ago.
There's also the part where seething apathy roils from most of us.
I can't believe all these comments, and not one reference that he should have demanded a trigger warning 😉
Trigger warning?
The only trigger warning he deserves is the racking of my shotgun.
I'm not a Kasich fan, but was he threatening fines/prison/subpoenas, or did he simply speak up in his capacity as a customer/potential boycott organizer?
I mean, if you're just boycotting, not invoking govt power, then how is that any worse than organizing *in favor* of a movie you *like*?
For that matter, how is asking Blockbuster to pull Fargo different from giving it a bad review?
"Did you notice a sign out in front of my house that said "Dead Nigger Storage"? "
Any of you fuckin' pricks move and I'll execute every motherfuckin' last one of you!
"So pretty please, with sugar on top. Clean the fucking car."
I don't remember askin' you a Goddamn thing!
Does he look like a bitch?
"God DAMN, Jimmy! This is some gourmet shit! Me and Vincent woulda been satisfied with some....freeze-dried Taster's Choice, and he springs this GOURMET shit on us...."
"I drive real fucking fast, so keep up. I get my car back any differently than when I gave it, Monster Joe's gonna be disposing of two bodies."
I actually used to quote that line a lot to my wife. She didn't get it until a couple years after we were married when I got her to watch the movie with me.
" I'ma call a coupla hard, pipe-hittin' niggers, who'll go to work on the homes here with a pair of pliers and a blow torch. You hear me talkin', hillbilly boy? I ain't through with you by a damn sight. I'ma get medieval on your ass. "
Marcellus Wallace don't like to be fucked by nobody, except for Mrs. Wallace.
*You need a rest, Harold. A long trip to someplace quiet. Another name, another country.
***I can't start my life over again now.
*You don't have much choice, Harold. They're gonna try to make you tell where the money is. You know what kind of people they are. They're gonna strip you naked and go to work on you with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch.
It had more impact when Dean Wormer used the line. Woodrow Parfrey blows his own brains out (after trying to get the stain out of his white jacket-or was that selling a hot dog to Dirty Harry?)...
Do you think his honor is doing this just to get our goat Tundra?
It was GO BEARS (because they were from White Bear Lake). Uffda, do you guys know anything?
Been a busy month. Accepted a new job, so I spent a couple weeks transitioning at my old job. Then went salmon fishing with my boys and my old Swiss neighbors, now I'm running a uber like car service for my uncle so he can visit my aunt in the hospital (big surgery for her, bad eyes for him).
We went to Algoma, WI to fish salmon on a charter. We didn't do great. We caught 9 fish total. It was a fun trip though and that is what counts.
Also bought some New Glarus Spotted Cow on the way home. Already drank it all. May have to buy some more next time I'm in Prescott, WI.