May 29, 2010
— Ace Strange and compelling man.
And a conservative, too, as weird it is to imagine him as such.
But Hopper is still part of the counterculture -- only in liberal, Democratic Los Angeles, that means being a registered Republican."I've always been political," Hopper says, "but I haven't always been a Republican. I was with Martin Luther King [and] at the Free Speech Movement in Berkeley. I was a hippie. I was probably as Left as you could get without being a Communist."
Asked what happened, Hopper says, "I read too much Thomas Jefferson and decided that every 25 years you needed to have a change if you're really going to have a republic, and the Democrats had been in power too long."
This was about the time that Ronald Reagan was campaigning for the 1980 presidential election.
"I never cared for Reagan, very honestly," Hopper says. "I thought he was a bad actor. I never thought he was a great communicator, didn't think he was a great speaker.
"But the idea of changing the Congress, changing the Senate, getting the Democrats out, getting the Republicans in, also the idea of having less government -- which didn't seem to work out."
What began as a philosophy of political change turned into a change of political philosophy.
"The idea of less government," Hopper says, "more individual freedom, is something that I liked. I started believing it. So I started voting. I voted that time for Reagan, and I've voted on the straight Republican ticket ever since. I don't go to meetings, I don't go to things. I just go to the polls and do it."
He adds, "I think I just made the natural curve. You've got to start one place and go all the way around."
Hopper has discovered that, while many in Los Angeles pride themselves on their tolerance, some things still ruffle their feathers.
"The controversy about me," Hopper says, "I don't think it's going to stop me. However, a lot of people treat me differently, and they do bring it up. I'll be at a dinner party, and somebody will say, 'Well, you couldn't be thinking that ...' And then you realize that everybody at the table is looking at you, and they're like, 'You're kidding! You're not really for Bush.' And it goes around the table."
Greatest Stand-Off and F-You Ever: Content warning -- Hopper goes there in attempting to insult his Sicilian executioner.
"No -- I'm quotin', it's history, it's written."
When I wrote this post, I wanted to add that I get a strange, unconfirmed vibe that Walken swings conservative too -- and I couldn't remember why when I thought of Hopper I immediately thought of Walken, too.
Now I see, thanks to a commenter, why I made that connection. These two are linked forever by this scene.
Posted by: Ace at
12:38 PM
| Comments (104)
Post contains 490 words, total size 3 kb.
Posted by: The War Between the Undead States at May 29, 2010 12:42 PM (AFMat)
Posted by: rawmuse at May 29, 2010 12:45 PM (pjZ+1)
I wanted to write something, shit, how do you capture this guy? Easy Rider. Apocalypse Now. Blue Velvet?
I had just about honed in on Hoosiers lacy. Just to make it personal, that might have been my favorite performance of his.
Next to greeting the boar upriver, but that one was personal and shit. When I spoofed with Anctartica Now, he was all up in my head.
RIP Dennis.
Posted by: Dave in Texas at May 29, 2010 12:46 PM (Wh0W+)
Posted by: real joe at May 29, 2010 12:46 PM (WjerO)
Posted by: Frank G at May 29, 2010 12:46 PM (4X0aT)
Posted by: Joanie (Oven Gloves) at May 29, 2010 12:48 PM (wd0Iq)
Posted by: real joe at May 29, 2010 12:48 PM (WjerO)
Posted by: gomm at May 29, 2010 12:49 PM (73jUp)
Posted by: pep at May 29, 2010 12:51 PM (0K3p3)
Incidentally, Hopper reveals that he and a group of men had breakfast recently with Arizona Sen. John McCain, a former Vietnam POW whose name is often mentioned as a Republican candidate for president in 2008.
"We felt he could get some liberal help, some Democrats," Hopper says. "He said, 'I'm doing a lot of important things in the Senate right now. I'm not going to think about it until after the elections [in 2006].' He said also, 'I don't really think you can get that Democratic support to help me when they know that I'm pro-life.'
"He's so straightforward, so honest. That's the kind of guy I'd like to be president."I wonder if he changed his mind later. It is hard to imagine a small gov conservative supporting McCain.
Posted by: Vic at May 29, 2010 12:52 PM (6taRI)
Posted by: gomm at May 29, 2010 12:55 PM (7JES6)
They aren't. They know damn well what they're doing; they're just so arrogant that they think it's justified. A few years ago Peter Bart (Variety editor and communist) wrote an article addressing the "reverse-McCarthyism" charge leveled at Hollywood, and basically admitted that not only was it real, but it was totally right and proper for Hollywood conservatives to suffer for decades to come in order to counter the supposed injustices done to the Reds who worked in the industry in the '40s and '50s.
Posted by: The War Between the Undead States at May 29, 2010 12:57 PM (AFMat)
Posted by: gomm at May 29, 2010 12:57 PM (7JES6)
The political is the aesthetic for you fuckheads: that's why Sex In the City II will be the greatest knucklehead film of the year.
Posted by: B. Traven at May 29, 2010 12:59 PM (6UdAc)
Before Easy Rider made him famous, he used to play psycho cowboys on shows like Bonanza and Big Valley; Bruce Dern did too.
When he was asked about his role of Frank Booth in Blue Velvet, he said he'd never played a role that was so close to how he really was.
Posted by: Captain Hate at May 29, 2010 12:59 PM (G9PIC)
Posted by: Joanie (Oven Gloves) at May 29, 2010 01:01 PM (wd0Iq)
Not calling him a fascist mind you, but if you connect the dots...
Hit the tip jar
Posted by: Charles Comic Bookstore Johnson at May 29, 2010 01:04 PM (sYxEE)
Posted by: gomm at May 29, 2010 01:06 PM (EA+Co)
Awwwe, somebody's pissed the communists in the 50s didn't succeed.
Come on, everybody, let's comfort our friend.
We were totally wrong to prevent them from advancing a dictatorship and command economy that would have left us poor and bereft of freedom. I'm sure a bunch of these people were "friends" of Ronald Reagan too; he was known for keeping company like that.
Posted by: AD at May 29, 2010 01:07 PM (RrUhN)
"I've always been political," Hopper says, "but I haven't always been a Republican. I was with Martin Luther King [and] at the Free Speech Movement in Berkeley.
However, MLK was a registered Republican,so even if Dennis wasn't always a Republican, he kept company with them. MLK knew most of the racists belonged to the Democratic party.
Posted by: Blazer at May 29, 2010 01:10 PM (t72+4)
Contrary to popular opinion...most people wanted/built the "Billy Bike" form Easy Riders. For every chopper w/a long front end, dozens of people have short, tight bobbers like Hoppers' bike. That's what I build.
BTW....many people also say that Mr Hopper was a superb motorcyclist. Great rider and mechanic.
Fonda? Peshaw. Fonda...wrong on motorcyle choices.
Wrong on politics!
Posted by: hutch1200 at May 29, 2010 01:12 PM (wAR5i)
Posted by: gomm at May 29, 2010 01:13 PM (EA+Co)
Well I guess he was a "Republican" and not a conservative.
Posted by: Vic at May 29, 2010 01:15 PM (6taRI)
Oh, and if anyone remembers...In Easy Rider, the boys are on dirt bikes, and score a bunch of coke in Mexico. Sell it some dude behind the landing strip at LAX.
The guy the sell it to?
Phil Spector.
Then they can afford the cool bikes.
Posted by: HH at May 29, 2010 01:20 PM (6oDXl)
RIP, Dennis, I hope you're in a better place now.
Posted by: Peaches at May 29, 2010 01:26 PM (fwW9R)
BTW....many people also say that Mr Hopper was a superb motorcyclist. Great rider and mechanic.
Fonda? Peshaw. Fonda...wrong on motorcyle choices.
I'd race both of them for their Pink Slips.
Posted by: Steve McQueen at May 29, 2010 01:27 PM (a9bKy)
Posted by: The Great Satan's Ghost at May 29, 2010 01:31 PM (/Oqxb)
I know exactly who paid you to fuck Dennis Hopper's corpse and I'm going to blow the whole thing open any time now.
Posted by: Erick Erickson at May 29, 2010 01:31 PM (AFMat)
Posted by: Aaron at May 29, 2010 01:31 PM (XUIJ5)
Posted by: billygoat at May 29, 2010 01:32 PM (5qJM5)
The guy the sell it to?
Phil Spector
They wanted to borrow Spectors' Rolls-Royce. Spector said OK, if he could be the buyer!
Posted by: hutch1200 at May 29, 2010 01:34 PM (wAR5i)
Posted by: gomm at May 29, 2010 01:35 PM (73jUp)
Posted by: Waterhouse at May 29, 2010 01:36 PM (4ucwG)
Posted by: Albus at May 29, 2010 01:37 PM (sZNYc)
Posted by: SantaRosaStan at May 29, 2010 01:38 PM (JrRME)
Posted by: gomm at May 29, 2010 01:38 PM (73jUp)
Posted by: joejm65 at May 29, 2010 01:40 PM (/HwV2)
Posted by: gomm at May 29, 2010 01:43 PM (7JES6)
Posted by: parisparamuss at May 29, 2010 01:45 PM (GY/cy)
Posted by: gomm at May 29, 2010 01:45 PM (EA+Co)
Posted by: NJConservative at May 29, 2010 01:48 PM (LH6ir)
Posted by: gomm at May 29, 2010 01:51 PM (73jUp)
Posted by: gomm at May 29, 2010 01:55 PM (EA+Co)
Posted by: gomm at May 29, 2010 01:58 PM (EA+Co)
Posted by: parisparamuss at May 29, 2010 02:05 PM (GY/cy)
Kinda quirky, but you could tell he always gave a 110% to every role he took on.
He will be missed.
RIP, dude.
Say hello to Ronnie for me.
Posted by: CPT. Charles at May 29, 2010 02:05 PM (beW+t)
Posted by: TexasJew at May 29, 2010 02:09 PM (RcU/2)
Dennis Hopper was not only a prolific actor (Rebel Without A Cause, Giant, Red Rock West,and those morons have sited already) but a good director ( The Hot Spot) and a photographer. Poseurs like Leonardo aren't worthy to roll his joints.
Posted by: Atomic Roach at May 29, 2010 02:24 PM (Oxen1)
The man [was] a genius. He enlarged my mind. Once, he said to me, "if you take another photograph of me ... I'll kill you." And he meant it.
Posted by: Steve (aka Ed Snate) at May 29, 2010 02:32 PM (28MmA)
Oh please. There are far worse things.
Posted by: 49-Year-Old Mutant Son of Tab Hunter & Stockard Channing at May 29, 2010 02:34 PM (Nnplv)
BTW, Saxon houscarls (household freeman warriors, literally, sorta, "fellow of the house") were considered some of the toughest warriors in Europe. They always reminded me of the Fremen in Dune, with the Normans standing in as the Sardaukar. That scene in Dune where the Sardaukar first encounter the Fremen in battle and are slaughtered ... afterward, one of the Fremen says, casually, of the Sardaukar: "Oh, yes, they were good fighters."
In September/October 1066 the houscarls and their [rightful] king, Harold Godwinson, really showed their mettle: an extraordinary forced march to Stamford Bridge, fighting and defeat Harald Hardraada and his force, then marching quickly all the way back south to fight the Normans at Hastings, a battle the Saxons damn-near won ... After Hastings, the elite Varangian Guard in Byzantium was stocked with young Saxon warriors who simply could not live under Norman rule. Geez, they were cool guys.
Posted by: Steve (aka Ed Snate) at May 29, 2010 02:59 PM (28MmA)
Posted by: IllTemperedCur at May 29, 2010 03:13 PM (9Lm5R)
Posted by: el mao at May 29, 2010 03:15 PM (Co7bS)
Posted by: ron dorque at May 29, 2010 03:45 PM (Bx3C6)
Posted by: di butler, fan gurl at May 29, 2010 03:49 PM (S3xX1)
Posted by: Gary B at May 29, 2010 03:53 PM (1gWfF)
Posted by: BB at May 29, 2010 04:03 PM (qF8q3)
Posted by: BB at May 29, 2010 04:03 PM (qF8q3)
Posted by: Deanna at May 29, 2010 04:10 PM (hj1MN)
Posted by: CharlieDontSurf at May 29, 2010 04:49 PM (o3PX9)
Posted by: Schwalbe at May 29, 2010 04:53 PM (goMaA)
Posted by: katya at May 29, 2010 04:54 PM (R176e)
Posted by: sTevo at May 29, 2010 05:12 PM (zIUsq)
BTW: Another classic scene in that movie is the one between James Gandolfini and Patricia Arquette. "Stick it into Daddy" indeed.
Posted by: jwpaine at May 29, 2010 05:57 PM (g4J4S)
Posted by: dorkafork at May 29, 2010 06:15 PM (npEqZ)
Posted by: navtechie at May 29, 2010 07:16 PM (5CC0n)
Yep, 52..."Heienken...? F*** that S***...Pabst, the Blue Ribbon..."
Thet Booth character was for me the greatest movie psycho of all time.
I tip one for you, Dennis Hopper. RIP.
Posted by: Andrew at May 29, 2010 09:13 PM (uD4GO)
Posted by: Nosmo at May 30, 2010 06:42 AM (dz5oW)
Posted by: moi at May 30, 2010 03:29 PM (Ez4Ql)
Posted by: CapeMOGuy at May 30, 2010 08:37 PM (Zf+hQ)
Posted by: cackfinger at May 30, 2010 09:03 PM (TUBcJ)
Posted by: Serving Wench Costume at July 27, 2010 06:01 PM (V/Dcm)
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Posted by: gomm at May 29, 2010 12:41 PM (EA+Co)