The Presidential Privilege
Haha. I love it when I’m right. You may recall in last week’s show Russell ridiculed me for recounting the story about President Reagan turning to Steven Spielberg during a screening of ‘E.T.’ at the White House and saying “only a few people know how close to reality this movie is”. Well, Russell gleefully launched into a tirade about how daft I was because the movie in question was ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ and not 'E.T.' Well, I googled it and I am right. Ah, sweet victory.
Still, it's a weird fact. Old Ronnie Raygun apparently had a couple of sightings of UFOs in his life and when he got into the White House he asked the CIA to fill him in on the truth about our alien visitors. Spooky huh?
But maybe he wasn’t even talking about UFOs and aliens when he turned to Spielberg. Maybe the US military were working on a little brown gnome who’d befriend Russian children so he could spy on their parents and then ‘phone home’ to his pals at the Pentagon? Or maybe the Yanks were just working on a slightly camp flying-bike? Or a little flashlight that goes inside ladies’ fingers and helps them find things in their handbag?
Or maybe Ron just always said things like that at screenings? Perhaps when watching Mary Poppins he turned round to the director and said “Psst. See those magic bags with all that room inside? We’ve actually got one mate!”. I like the idea of him playing this game; he probably did it to alleviate the pressures of the Cold War. I can just see him whispering to the director of ‘Teen-Wolf’: “You know too much about ‘Project: Basketball-playing Lycanthrope’, we now have to kill you”.
And why does the President get private screenings of kids’ films at the White House anyway? Is George Bush Jr. sat in the Oval Office as we speak, desperately trying to understand the plot of ‘Garfield 2: A Tale of Two Kitties’? The answer is probably yes. Oh God, things are worse than I thought.
Hey Matt,
I find it's always good when you're vindicated by the googles. Oh course, I'm always impressed by the veritable mines of information that yourself and Russell seem to have access to; true or not, it's always presented with such authority that you get the feeling that you both know what you're talking about, and we should bend our will, forever more, to whatever your point of view was on the topic in point.
Of course, the line "only a few people know how close to reality this movie is" is a bit open ended. Was he thinking "Magic garden pixies that bring flowers backto life and hold degrees in quantum physics" really exist. or was he thinking "yeah, it's about 14 million miles away from reality! Ho! Ho! Ronnie you old scamp, still got the magic touch!" Alas, now we will never know. But remember this is a guy that terrified the Russians into abandoning all that cold war malarky with his talk of "Star Wars technology" - the poor blighters were expecting wookies and ewoks parading up and down red square while dustbin's whistled incoherantly throughout Moscow!
Of course, they had covertly been watching 3-2-1 and had seen the magestic Dusty Bin and the silver-tongued trickery of Ted Rodgers who seemed to have an unique understanding of the secret messages in simple prose. They knew they had no-chance against our "so called" superiour interlect...
But still, it makes you wonder what goes on behind those closed doors; If Ronnie was all aliens, and Bush JR is all kiddy; then does that mean the only president in recent times to view adult material at the whitehouse was Clinton?
I wonder what Tony watches.
M
Hello,
Well done for blogging again, Matt. I really do admire you tenacity. As I said on your last blog, it must feel like rather a strain knowing you have to think of interesting tales to tell everytime. Good work!
I, for one, am sitting here tonight struggling with an assignment, and I have got a bad case of writer's block. Any hints on how to alleviate?
I remember reading that Ronald Reagan was quite convinced that an alien force was living amongst us and that he even discussed this with various world leaders at the time, which seems like an incredibly daring thing to do without running the risk of coming across a bit peculiar. It does make one wonder whether these spontaneous and impromtu remarks, coming from such a famously candid man, held any truth? Perhaps this topic would have been more suited to your show on conspiracies?
I did like Reagan though. I always thought he was just bumbling awkwardly through his life, but then again, so am I.
lmv and M, well done for nipping that in the bud.
Glad it didn't turn into a slanging match or, even worse, a chance to kiss each others ar*** in that "cute" way people tend to on these blog things.
Jo x
Jo - I echo your grateful sentiments that Matt continues to add interesting tales to the blog; it is easy to take such things for granted and forget to applaud the effort that goes into making the whole place a vibrant and interesting place.
As to your writer's block I hope that it's resolved itself by now. Any kind of creative block can be a hard thing to shift. I find that taking a 15 minute break, stretching legs and getting air can help. Although if the block is down to external stimuli then taking time to eradicate those distractions can also reap rewards.
... and you're saying I missed a chance to have someone purse their lips and plant them upon my posterior whilst I reciprocated ? Dang! Where are all the sycophantic people when you need them !!?? (And why sycophant... why not sycopotamus or syconoceros? )... in all seriousness though, I know what you mean - it can grate when comments turn from coherant arguements to one big "love in" ...
M.
"maybe the Yanks were just working on a slightly camp flying-bike? " - a fine chuckleworthy line if ever there was one Matt.
Hahaha! A very enjoyable blog again Matt, you can tell you're a writer! And a comedy one too!
I'm glad with your success on google, it always nice to know when you're right and can prove someone is wrong...even if it is Russell Brand!
I think a talent you posess is that on the radio you carry your tales with such conviction. You could have said about George Bush and Garfield and i'd believe you! However a word that describes me is gullable, so maybe this isn't the most convincing of compliments!
Anyway, thats for another great read..can't wait for the next, or Saturday, Whichever is first!
Victoria xx
Hello,
Haven't read the blog but just wanted to see my comment on the website.
Thanks, Ed
Mr Brand - where the heck are you? It's your blog, no Matt's - let's have some direct wit and wisdom from the Brand Brain!
x x x
I think this blog is brilliant! Yes it is under the title of 'Russell's blog' but it is a nice place to hear tales from the talented Mr Morgan, with the occassional contribution from Trevor!
I love reading Matt's imput, i can actually imagine him saying it and it happening so it makes me chuckle, hehe!
Looking forward to tomorrow!
Hello, I like to read comments.