Orson Welles: 'Elia Kazan is a traitor', in conversation pre Césars ceremony - 1982


24 February 1982, Paris, France

Mademoiselle, you have chosen the wrong metteur en scene, because Elia Kazan is a traitor. He is a man who sold to McCarthy all his companions at a time when he could continue to work in New York at high salary. And having sold all of his people to McCarthy, he then made a film called On the Waterfront which was a celebration of the informer.

And therefore, no question which uses him as an example can be answered by me.

I have to add, that he is a very good director.

A turning point in Elia Kazan's career came with his testimony as a witness before the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1952 at the time of the Hollywood blacklist, which brought him strong negative reactions from many friends and colleagues. His testimony helped end the careers of former acting colleagues Morris Carnovsky and Art Smith, along with the work of playwright Clifford Odets. Kazan and Odets had made a pact to name each other in front of the committee. Kazan later justified his act by saying he took "only the more tolerable of two alternatives that were either way painful and wrong." Nearly a half-century later, his anti-Communist testimony continued to cause controversy. When Kazan was awarded an honorary Oscar in 1999, dozens of actors chose not to applaud as 250 demonstrators picketed the event." (Wikipedia)

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/blankies/comments...

Fiona Apple: 'This world is bullshit', MTV Awards - 1997

4 September 1997, USA, Radio City Music Hall, New York, USA

Oh man, I didn't prepare a speech and I'm sorry but I'm glad I didn't because I'm not gonna do this like everybody else does it. 'Cause everybody that I should be thanking - I'm really sorry - but I have to use this time. See, Maya Angelou said that we, as human beings, at our best, can only create opportunities. And I'm gonna use this opportunity the way that I want to use it.

So, what I want to say is - um, everybody out there that's watching, everybody that's watching this world? This world is bullshit. And you shouldn’t model your life — wait a second — you shouldn’t model your life about what you think that we think is cool and what we’re wearing and what we’re saying and everything. Go with yourself. Go with yourself.

And there's just a few people that I want to say something to. I want to say, Mama, I love you I'm so glad that we're becoming friends. Amber, you're my sister, you're my best friend. Andrew Slater - no one else could have produced this album, and no one else did. Um...

And it's just stupid that I'm in this world, but you're all very cool to me so thank you very much. And I'm sorry for all the people that I didn't thank, but man...it's good. Bye.

Pete Davidson: 'But sometimes comedy is really the only way forward through tragedy', Saturday Night Live, Cold Open post Gaza attacks - 2023

14 October 2023, New York City, USA

This week we saw the horrible images and stories from Israel and Gaza. And I know what you’re thinking, who better to comment on it than Pete Davidson?

Well, in a lot of ways I am a good person to talk about it because when I was 7 years old, my dad was killed in a terrorist attack. So, I know something about what’s that like. (Scott Davidson was a New York City firefighter who died on Sept. 11, 2001)

I saw so many terrible pictures this week of children suffering, Israeli children and Palestinian children. It took me back to a really horrible, horrible place. No one in this world deserves to suffer like that, especially not kids.

After my dad died, my mom tried pretty much everything she could do to cheer me up. I remember one day when I was 8, she got me what she thought was a Disney movie, but it was actually the Eddie Murphy stand-up special, Delirious. We played it in the car on the way home, but when she heard the things Eddie Murphy was saying, she tried to take it away, but then she noticed something. For the first time, in a long time, I was laughing again.

I don’t understand it, I really don’t, I never will, but sometimes comedy is really the only way forward through tragedy. My heart is with everyone whose lives have been destroyed this week. But tonight, I’m going to do what I have always done in the face of tragedy, and that’s try to be funny.

Remember, I said try.

And live from New York, it’s Saturday night!

Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-ne...