ShareThisBy ROBERT DENERSTEIN
Friday, November 03, 2006
Few performers have evoked as much criticism as Tim Robbins and his wife, actress Susan Sarandon, who often speak out for liberal causes. So what's it like to be scorned by people who have never met you?
"It's all pretty abstract," said Robbins.
"When I'm in a room with someone and there's direct contact, that's real. When I came out against the war in Iraq _ before the war began _ there was a huge furor. My wife and I were called traitors. Saddam lovers, the typical propaganda the right uses against anyone who disagrees.
"If I lived in a rural area, I probably wouldn't have left my house or my car. One could assume from the amount of coverage we got that it would be difficult to walk down the street. But because I live in New York, I had to. I had to take the kids to school. I had to do errands.
"Four months after that happened, I had nothing but positive things said to me. People were all saying, 'Keep saying what you're saying.' 'God bless you.' 'We don't have a forum. You do.'
"Then in the next four months, two negative things, both by guys in SUVs, both with the window down, who drove away after they said what they had to say."
And, no, Robbins doesn't think Hollywood should be blamed for the country's ills.
"Again, it's abstract. The government lies about weapons of mass destruction and somehow we think it's the actors' fault that the country is losing its footing. It's a clever distraction ... pretty good propaganda. It plays to the crowd. But it's entirely untrue."
