Jim Carrey received a great deal of news coverage last week, following a posting of what was supposed to be a comedic video on the Funny or Die website.
The video in which Carrey stars is titled “Cold Dead Hand” and features content that ridicules those who hold the Constitution in the highest regard and is dismissive of the Second Amendment. All of this is conveyed while simultaneously attempting to tarnish the reputation of the late great Hollywood film legend Charlton Heston.
The Funny or Die website’s name reflects a mutual understanding on the part of stand-up comedians, who commonly characterize a performance that fails to elicit laughs from an audience as “dying” on stage.
Interestingly, Carrey’s Funny or Die performance is emblematic of the latter. However, what may be even worse for the actor is what could potentially flow career-wise from the ill-conceived and terribly malicious video.
Carrey unfortunately aimed his bully-comedy sights on a legendary figure, who to this day is respected, admired, and missed by countless numbers of Americans; an individual who, incidentally, just days after the video made its ugly debut, graced TV sets across the nation with his onscreen appearance as Moses in the Easter season film favorite, “The Ten Commandments.”
Carrey made humorless matters even worse when he promoted the Funny or Die piece by characterizing those who happen to differ with the current liberal gun control proposals as “heartless [expletive] unwilling to bend for the safety of our kids.”
This is not the first time that the Hollywood star has put forth his opinions regarding the Second Amendment. Back in February 2013 Carrey provided some gun-related commentary via his Twitter account. Following the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, he opined that the lives of some of those who own firearms weren’t “worth protecting.”
“Any1 who would run out to buy an assault rifle after the Newtown massacre has very little left in their body or soul worth protecting,” Carrey tweeted.
Like many of his far-left associates in Hollywood, Carrey is wildly out of touch with the concerns of the majority of the citizens of this country who do not have afforded to them the luxury of private security protection and must therefore provide such for themselves and their loved ones.
Carrey made another Twitter faux pas, one that revealed that he himself has an armed security guard. On March 13, 2013, less than a day after Carrey released the video mocking Heston, he posted the following: “Listen up! MY BODYGUARD DOESN'T HAVE A GUN THT SHOOTS A HUNDRED ROUNDS because we're REASONABLE PEOPLE! HATE HEARS WHT IT WANTS 2 HEAR!”
He did not share the “reasonable” number of rounds with which his bodyguard is equipped. Maybe if Carrey had gone to his bodyguard for some elucidation, he may have learned that security professionals routinely carry multiple clips so they can quickly change them out should it become necessary.
It was predictable that Carrey would alienate a segment of his fans, and perhaps he is not all that bothered by the negative fallout. But apparently, he is not yet finished. He has additionally decided to go after the number one cable news network in America, the Fox News Channel.
Evidently displeased with Fox’s coverage of his video, Carrey released a statement claiming that his reputation has been harmed.
“Since I released my Cold Dead Hand video on Funny or Die this week, I have watched Fux News rant, rave, bare its fangs and viciously slander me because of my stand against large magazines and assault rifles. I would take them to task legally if I felt they were worth my time or that anyone with a brain in their head could actually fall for such irresponsible buffoonery,” Carrey’s statement indicated.
Over the decades celebrities have undoubtedly used their fame to, among other things, influence political positions, support electoral candidates, promote public policy, and encourage governmental legislation. No one would argue that Carrey, who was born in Canada, sought to become a U.S. citizen, achieved his goal in 2004, and is now a dual citizen of both countries, has every right to express his views. However, there are plenty of people who will not soon forget Carrey’s latest Internet feature.
The free market has a way of making public sentiment visible. This is especially true when it comes to products of choice. Stars and all of their entertainment-related attendant merchandise are, after all, products, and as such are subject to free market principles.
In addition to obtaining some important instruction on the Constitution and the origin of our rights, Carrey may be about to learn a hard lesson on the power of the free market.
James Hirsen, J.D., M.A., in media psychology, is a New York Times best-selling author, media analyst, and law professor. Visit Newsmax.TV Hollywood. Read more reports from James Hirsen — Click Here Now.