Breaking: No One Gives a Fuck What Kris Kristofferson Thinks

(pic via) 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  HEAVEN'S GATE STAR ENDORSES CANDIDATE, PROMOTES SELF, UNDERMINES MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY FATHER

One of the unfortunate hassles of having this here web page - soon, I promise myself, soon - is the incessant deluge of PR e-mail.  I know, it's part of the game, it's hardly a tragedy, quit yr whining.  I mostly mark-as-read and move on.

I'm baby potatoes!  I totally pity the larger potatoes!

But it's an offshoot of the splintered new media world that all grassroots support leaves a tangy DDT aftertaste. Instead of buying direct-hit broadcast missiles, marketing flacks are carpet-bombing the interblog to artificially enhance product recognition.  Consensus isn't formed, it's prefabricated.  Every time my next-door neighbor Mabel mentions a band whose name has previously appeared on a subject heading in my inbox, I reach across the backyard fence and throttle her:  "Who are you working for?  Who sent you?"  There's no "of," anymore, just words and mouths.

This should be totally unrelated:  One of my father's pet peeves - once a Goldwater Republican he's drifted towards the center, which means less heated political debate and more left-field crankery - is Celebrity Political Endorsements.  There's no reason he should be subjected to what x actor or y singer thinks about the world.  To the extent that his argument goes against the culture of celebrity, sure, yes.  And I'm certainly not going to get all "We need to hear what Sean Penn or Bruce Willis thinks about the current situation in Pakistan."  But these are people that find themselves in front of cameras a lot of the time, and it's sort of nice to hear them talk about something other than their latest project.  All public discourse has boiled down to advertising, so they might as well advertise Habitat for Humanity, or whatever.  Also:  No one really acts according to what Sean Penn or Bruce Willis says just because Penn or Willis said it.  (Or if they do, they're already mad and are as liable to vote how the Martians in their dental fillings want them to.)

(For the record, my dad totally approves of Angelina Jolie, because "she's doing her thing.")

Most of the PR-spam I ignore is - because of the rut I fell into long ago - music-oriented, though there's the odd movie or book or charity event.  So imagine my joy when the opportunity arose to ignore an e-mail headed, "Kris Kristofferson Endorses Barack Obama."

Timed to influence next week's Texas primary (and sent to me because I'm all about Texas, and obvs gab endlessly about Kristofferson), the press release fondly compares Obama to the Kennedys, a wealthy political dynasty whose members have either been assassinated (one of them in Texas, hint hint!) or have fallen from bridges wagons grace.  The first paragraph briefly mentions the endorsement, the second talks about "the hope that Obama inspires."

The next seven paragraphs are devoted to Kristofferson's bio - yes, Rubber Duckie, it mentions Convoy - and, whaddaya know, upcoming projects.  Including the forthcoming flick He's Just Not That Into You.  It's a shame the lede isn't "Kris Kristofferson - He's Just Not That Into You... But He's Really Into Barack Obama!"

(The release also misspells co-star Ben Affleck's name.  Double classy!)

So, Dad, you've completely missed the point:  Celebrities aren't using their star status to affect elections.  They're sucking politicians' star status to promote themselves.

Below is the full press release.  Because I'm all about cutting and pasting press releases.  Please, send me more!

________________________

Texas Native Kris Kristofferson Endorses Barack Obama

Legendary Singer Songwriter Inspired by Presidential Candidate

For immediate Release

February 28, 2008

Legendary Texas singer, songwriter, actor and social justice activist Kris Kristofferson has endorsed Barack Obama in his bid for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.  The Texas primary election is Tuesday, March 4th.

"I believe in Barack Obama like I believed in the Kennedys," Kristofferson said. "In the months before his death, John Kennedy pointed out that while we could not agree on their choice of government, there was much in the history of Russian people we could admire in terms of personal courage in the World War and artistic and scientific achievement.  It's this spirit of finding common ground and working things out through dialogue and diplomacy that the world needs so desperately today at this critical point in our history. This is the hope that Obama inspires."

Born in Texas and raised in a military family, Kristofferson was a Golden Gloves boxer who studied creative writing at Pomona College in California. The Phi Beta Kappa graduate earned a Rhodes scholarship to study literature at Oxford, where he boxed, played rugby and continued to write songs. After graduating from Oxford, Kristofferson served in the army as an Airborne Ranger helicopter pilot and achieved the rank of Captain.

In 1965, Kristofferson turned down an assignment to teach at West Point and, inspired by songwriters like Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash, moved to Nashville to pursue his music.  After struggling in Music City for several years, Kristofferson achieved remarkable success as a country songwriter at the start of the 1970s. His songs "Me and Bobby McGee," "Help Me Make It Through the Night," "Sunday Morning Coming Down," and "For the Good Times," all chart-topping hits, helped redefine country songwriting.

By 1987, it was estimated that more than 450 artists had recorded Kristofferson's compositions. His renown as a songwriter triggered Kristofferson's successful career as a performer and that, in turn, brought him to the attention of Hollywood, leading to his flourishing career as a film actor.

Kristofferson has acted in more than 90 films. He'll appear in the upcoming feature films "Powder Blue" with Forest Whitaker and "He's Just Not That Into You" starring Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Afflect, Jennifer Connelly and Drew Barrymore. Other recent films include "Fast Food Nation," "Dreamer: Inspired By A True Story," "The Wendell Baker Story," "The Jacket," and "Silver City."

In 1977 Kristofferson won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in "A Star Is Born."  He's starred in cult favorites including the "Blade" trilogy, "Lone Star," "A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries," "Convoy," "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," "Blume In Love," "Cisco Pike," and "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid."

Heralded as an artist's artist, the three-time GRAMMY winner has recorded 26 albums, including three with pals Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings as part of the Highwaymen. Kristofferson has spent three decades performing concerts all over the world, in most recent years in a solo acoustic setting.

Kristofferson has reached living legend status. In addition to many other awards, Kristofferson is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, winner of the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award from the Songwriter Hall of Fame, and was honored with the American Veteran's Association's "Veteran of the Year Award" in 2002.  In 2007, Kristofferson was honored with the Johnny Cash Visionary Award from Country Music Television.

tags: obamarama  

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