Look Who’s a Military Historian
Ah, what a guy.
GYLLENHAAL OFFENDS GULF WAR VETERANS
Movie star JAKE GYLLENHAAL has shocked American Gulf War veterans by joking they did nothing but “[ahem]” during their time in the desert in 1991. The cheeky 25-year-old stars in JARHEAD, a movie exposing the US soldiers’ lack of combat in the Middle Eastern conflict. He said, “The US soldiers were sent to the desert for 122 days and they sat in the same tent and did nothing, except a little too much [aheming].”
You know, it’s a proven fact that acting in a movie about a subject that anyone familiar with that subject pans as ridiculous and full of inaccuracies makes you an expert on that subject.
April 29th, 2006 at 9:21 pm
The old Rolf Harris song:
It’s Jake the Peg diddle diddle diddle dum with the extra leg diddle diddle diddle dum
takes on a whole new meaning.
April 30th, 2006 at 5:20 pm
My brother was actually there, and I can report what they did. Chemical weapons drills. Clean sand out of engines and weapons. Drink water. Repeat. Then when they actually went into Iraq (his unit was w/n 50 miles of Bagdad), they collected surrendering Iraqi soldiers and ate M&Ms. No aheming in his unit at least.
April 30th, 2006 at 10:27 pm
Just an FYI that the comment is about a character Gyllenhaal played in a movie. A character based on the real-life memoir of an actual Gulf War vet. The quote is taken out of context and altered. The actual quote:
Jake Gyllenhaal on Boredom as an Enemy: “I think a soldier’s mind is as great of an enemy in the field as bombs or bullets. I think that’s probably what I feel like the movie is about. That when you use these techniques and you teach someone and you harness a pure time or an instinct in them, and then they’re not allowed to express that, I think the mind is confused by that. And yeah, the boredom then, when the boredom sets in, when you realize we’ve been here for 122 days and we’ve been sitting in the same tent and I’ve done a little too much masturbating, because it’s like you know, I mean it’s true. Sad, but true.
The interview, which also details how Gyllenhall gained new respect for the military from reading the book and making the movie, can be found here.
April 30th, 2006 at 10:33 pm
That’s what they say about combat: 99% boredom, 1% pure terror. Not the right profession for this little black duck. I can’t stand boredom, and I’m not too crazy about sheer terror, either.
April 30th, 2006 at 11:03 pm
Hmph.
Err, anyway, no, I can’t imagine you would be. But you intrigue me: little black duck? What is this delightful new turn of phrase?
May 1st, 2006 at 1:45 am
Do tell.
May 1st, 2006 at 2:39 am
You must know this little black duck.
May 1st, 2006 at 3:03 am
“Despite his failures, Daffy, like the Greek hero Sisyphus, is a victim of injustice who continuously protests. And it’s his refusal to surrender his will to the whims of the conspiring universe that makes him heroic.”
That’s rather wonderful, though I’m not sure about “conspiring”.
99% boredom, 1% terror reminds me of a school I attended, only it wasn’t so much terror as discomfort.
May 1st, 2006 at 3:25 am
I’m not sure about “conspiring”.
That’s because your not paranoid. Enough.
May 1st, 2006 at 4:43 am
LOL!
May 1st, 2006 at 9:33 am
Now I’m going to have to read all your comments with a lithp, Brett.