It's not that actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, who stars in a new movie about the aftermath of 9/11, said too much when she assigned to the United States some responsibility for the deadly terrorist attacks. Au contraire. Actually, she didn't say enough. I mean, what the hell does this mean, anyway? That America is:

..."responsible in some way" for the attacks on the World Trade Center.

Which way responsible, exactly, please?

And about this other thing you said, Maggie:

"Not to have the courage to ask these questions of ourselves is to betray the victims of 9/11. ....I think America has done reprehensible things and is responsible in some way and so I think the delicacy with which it's dealt allows that to sort of creep in."

Yeah, kudos, I'm sure, for your nuanced movie, Mags. But exhortations for "creeping in," Buddhist-style contemplation is not exactly what you want to be peddling in the 24-7 media marketplace, with bloggers ever on the watch for drive-by duncery. Your publicists failed you badly, altho I so respect a celeb or pol who can actually think through things, and articulate cogent arguments on their own. Not that there IS one here, but I'd sure like to hear your best shot. And this SURE wasn't it. Or, God forbid, was it?

Maybe, Maggie, you're reviewing the sacred texts of Michael Moore and Noam Chomsky, and you're gonna get back to us. Somehow I sense not, but if you want to make good on what you started, you'll need to answer this: Exactly HOW and WHY are we responsible for the airplanes piloted by sick-f*** Islamic terrorists which slammed into the Twin Towers, The Pentagon and the PA countryside? Precisely WHAT "reprehensible" things have we done that justified the death of innocents on 9/11? Go on girl. Don't be shy. Speak truth to power.

I never bought that "Shut Up and Sing" shtick of Laura Ingraham's. You know, that celebrities should just perform, and stay out of politics. The tradition of political commentary in stand-up comedy, film, theatre and music goes WAY back. Judge the political speech of celebrities on the actual content, in the marketplace of public discourse and ideas.

That's where Gyllenhaal's limp effort fails, at least for now.

I'm deeply disappointed with you, Maggie. Not mainly because I disagree with your perspective (which I do). But because your approach was so chicken****.

Posted by Matt Rosenberg at April 29, 2005 06:59 PM

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