comment #1

houmas says ...

Uh...Jeff, you do know that Brolin was previously arrested on suspicion of spousal abuse. Why no open letters then. I'm sure he defintely earned the respect of wife-beaters everywhere then.

He's a fine actor, and I'm happy for his success last year. And everyone deserves second chances. But any sort of drunken violent behavior from Brolin shouldn't be encouraged in the slightest. It may sound funny when he's drunkenly attacking your hated red-state rednecks...but the thing with Lane may suggest the guy may have issues in general.

Considering his past arrest, this "open letter" was a big mistake. It might open up a can of worms the guy would rather not be rehashed.

EXCERPT FROM ZWECKER STORY, INSERTED BY WELLS: "In December 2004, Brolin was arrested in his Los Angeles home on charges of hitting his wife, actress Diane Lane. He was charged with spousal battery, but the charges were later dropped. At the time, a spokeswoman for the couple said they were ''embarrassed the matter went this far.'"

comment #2

Bob Violence says ...

kind of half-satisfying, depending on how many cuts and bruises you get and how you look in the mirror the next morning and how banged-up the other guy is, especially if he was an asshole.

Why does that matter? They were red-staters, of course they deserved it!

comment #3

houmas says ...

Thanks for editing my post, Jeff. Doesn't change the fact that des[ite your newfound, "Nick Nolte" hero-worship of Brolin, the guy has dubious form.

And I'm not surprised the charges were dropped. Lane was the one who called the police in the first place. But she's also his wife and obviously loves him and wanted to work things out without him going to jail. Do you know how often wives who call the police because of spousal abuse regret it, and try to get the charges dropped. A lot. It's a common story. Brolin got off, as men in his situation often do, but lets not act as if Lane calling the police isn't a massive red flag about the guy

comment #4

PerfectTommy says ...

If only more Red State Christians would show up to get whooped in bar fights.

comment #5

BurmaShave says ...

Please, please, please stop saying homies. I'm fine with everyting else.

comment #6

thevisceral says ...

"When it was over, the actors and five crew members had been arrested. A taser had been used on Wright and he and Brolin were hit with pepper spray when they wouldn't quit holding onto each other, police said."

Apparently they're not big on homosexuality in Shreveport either.

comment #7

Indeed says ...

A driver running someone off the road because of a Bush/Cheney bumper sticker on the car. A professor kicking a student wearing a Bush/Cheney shirt at a coffee shop. Now something like this.

I wonder what this Blue State Sensibility really stands for.

And yes, anybody that uses a racial slur deserves to get their ass kicked, but obviously thats not what Jeff is so excited about this time around.

Im thinking I may start punching everybody who doesnt agree with me politically or everybody who I believe isnt as smart as I am.

Jeff, shoot me your address.

comment #8

T. S. Idiot says ...

"I've been in two or three fights." Details?

comment #9

Indeed says ...

T.S. Idiot: "Details?"

Well, if they were Blue Staters he fought, Im guessing that two people with MBA's probably jumped him (on separate occasions), and Jeff probably jumped a high school dropout.

comment #10

nemo says ...

"A driver running someone off the road because of a Bush/Cheney bumper sticker on the car. A professor kicking a student wearing a Bush/Cheney shirt at a coffee shop. Now something like this."

Those sound like some more of those urban myths that make the rounds among the right wingers. Like those stories about hippies spitting on returning Vietnam veterans that everybody has heard, but never happened.

comment #11

lionsfan says ...

So-called "one-punch fights," which usually occur in bars and cause death, are a prosecutorial staple in, for example, New York. And they usually lead to an indcitment for manslaughter and a costly trial. Hardly something for you, Jeff, to get so gleeful about.

I also think the results would have quite different if, say, Brolin and his pals had gotten into a hassle with, say, a few stray Angels or Bandidos. (Then my comment might have been, where is Sean Penn when we really need him to get his nose re-arranged.)

comment #12

JHRussell says ...

Brolin clearly has issues, including a drinking problem (he was drunk onstage at one of the awards shows this year - SAG?). Nothing to be proud of here...

I enjoy his movies, but for chrissakes, he is 40 years old. GROW UP, Josh.

comment #13

SmilingPolitely says ...

^^^
Yeah, thank god we really don't have a child like Brolin as our president. Can you imagine?

And the man was soused at a SAG ceremony? Lordy! He does have a problem.

comment #14

SaveFarris says ...

If Brolin started brawling with folks over differing political opinions, then he committed nothing short of a hate crime. "Bravo" to Jeff for saying the best way to reach across party lines is with a haymaker.

comment #15

gansibele says ...

"Do you know how often wives who call the police because of spousal abuse regret it, and try to get the charges dropped?"

About 85%. Domestic volence disputes, especially if it's the first call, almost always end with some kind of diversion program and charges dropped. And of course two movie stars would be "embarrased".

I wouldn't go around kicking too many redneck asses. They got nothing to lose.

comment #16

gansibele says ...

But Wright I wouldn't mess with, on account of his Peoples Hernandez performance in Shaft. Scary dude.

comment #17

CMAC says ...

I have to say reading this makes me cringe. Jeff you refer to "shit kicker bars"? You attack those folk and make the assumption that they are all (all of them who live in that state) red staters/ republicans and therefore racists...period. Where do you get off? What does that make you? Have you spoken to these people individually? How can you make such a gross overstatement about people you've never met and rant about their politics and your imposed belief system. You assume that the actors were in the right; why, simply because they're actors..and one happened to be African American? How do you know that they didn't start it? Make some inappropriate comment to some local in the bar?
You are as much a bigot by generalizing these "shit kicker" folk, as these so-called shit kickers are.
When does it all end? You are in a position of power because thousands of people read your blog and with that power comes responsibility. How are we supposed to move forward when were spend so much of the time tearing each other down. Please, save it for the critiques of the films; the discussion of the work. Afterall that's why were here...isn't it?

comment #18

SmilingPolitely says ...

"According to a sober source who was in the Stray Cat, a few profanity-laced barbs about Stone, his politics and the reported anti-Bush tone of W led to harsh words from Brolin -- who is known for his own short fuse. Then a few pushes (it's unclear who started the pushing) degenerated into punches being thrown.

"A W crew member reports Wright initially tried to play peacemaker, but that changed 'after a racial slur was yelled' and the actor got 'into it as well.'"

Chicago Sun-Times

This is where Wells got his info from, CMAC. Check a few blog posts down.

comment #19

Rev. Slappy says ...

Indeed, speaking if high school drop outs, I just read in the LA Times yesterday that one in four kids drops out of school in California. That is scary news.

comment #20

Monument says ...

What a bunch of satin fingered pansies. Internet tamed Pillsbury doughboys that love them some comic book violence but can't stomach the real thing. Keep working on that righteous indignation fellas, it really takes you places.

comment #21

CMAC says ...

Thank you SmilingPolitely.
However my point still stands as far as the generalization of people ie: shit kickers and rednecks. I repeat: it is still a form of bigotry anyway ya look at it. I believe one has to be very careful when pointing a finger at something they themselves promote.
Just sayin'....

comment #22

BillRamsey says ...

Is it any shock that Wells would have the lifelong support of a wife beater -- and not just any wife - but the hottest woman on the planet. It's not shocking. Do you ever take a second and think before you write?

comment #23

BillRamsey says ...

Is it any shock that Wells would have the lifelong support of a wife beater -- and not just any wife - but the hottest woman on the planet. It's not shocking. Do you ever take a second and think before you write?

comment #24

BillRamsey says ...

Is it any shock that Wells would have the lifelong support of a wife beater -- and not just any wife - but the hottest woman on the planet. It's not shocking. Do you ever take a second and think before you write?

comment #25

Jim Treacher says ...

Rednecks: The one racial group it's still okay to hate.

comment #26

T. S. Idiot says ...

"Those sound like some more of those urban myths that make the rounds among the right wingers. Like those stories about hippies spitting on returning Vietnam veterans that everybody has heard, but never happened."

You calling Rambo a liar?

comment #27

T. S. Idiot says ...

Cops claim audiovisual evidence:

http://www.movies.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=323131>1=28101

comment #28

gruver1 says ...

Wells to Dissers, Finger-Waggers, caressers of Redneck Culture, etc.: The bare-bone facts seem to be, according to recent accounts, is that the locals took issue with the Hollywood boys, possibly/apparently due to the gun-totin' locals' dislike of Hollywood liberals making a Bush-bashing movie in their backyard. In short, they started it. And it's always a good thing when the provocateur has to deal with the consequences of his own actions. Slap that bitch.

But mainly I was hailing the IDEA (the concept, the image....as I wasn't there and don't know who threw what punch) of lefties whomping down on rednecks as a metaphor for the forces of curiosity and intrigue and creativity standing up to the forces of ignorance and ruralism and redneck-ism in all its ugly and pathetic permutations.

Have any of you ever been to a serious redneck bar? I have, and I remember the vibe well. Some of these guys live to bleed on weekends, I'm telling you. It's part of the culture and the tradition they've been raised on. The ones I've run into have been okay when things are okay, but when they get into that fightin' mood they turn into rage monsters. Not everyone down there is like this, of course. I'm probably talking about...what, 2% or 3% of the blue-collar population, if that? But rednecks who like to fight is a reality whether you like that or not. Go to any rural southern tavern and you will find them, trust me. They are there and rarin' to go every damn weekend.

I mainly wrote the Brolin letter because I loved -- love -- the idea of taking a relatively crude, primal and semi-embarassing incident and making art out of it. Every artist, after all, has a sworn duty to take, assimilate and make anew. Compress, prune, transform, illuminate. Light a candle rather than curse the darkness Put your heart and soul on the line.

I saw Brolin's short film X at last February's Santa Barbara Film Festival, and I know he's got the chops and the eye and the drive. This just seemed like a natural (and easy) subject for another short film.

As to an alcohol issue, if Brolin decides at some point that this is a concern (and I have no way of knowing if it is, nor am I suggesting anything one way or the other) he should obviously deal with this by going into the program or doing a Pete Hamill cold turkey. I did the latter in the mid '90s after realizing I had a vodka-and-lemonade problem.

comment #29

Adonis says ...

Sigh. As per usual Wells likes to live vicariously through others.... and then talk about how tough/bad ass he once was in his younger days.

I will agree with him on this: If someone calls your good friend a "nigger" or a "faggot" then your instinct is to knock that person around and feel good about it later.

I will also say this: I worked as a bouncer at bar with gay nights... so we would often have people drive by/walk by and through slurs our way. Let me say that never gave my carte blanche to assault anybody. The law is pretty clear: if there's an avenue to walk away, i.e. the insults and taunts might be bad but you're under no real physical danger, and you throw the first punches... well, you're guilty of assault. Regardless of how much an asshole the other guy was.

So, maybe we'll get more details, and maybe Brolin & Wright were entirely justified... but bar fights are illegal for a reason: all it takes is one knife or a gun, and things get life-threatening quickly.

comment #30

Cadavra says ...

Hey, if I had Streisand as a stepmother, I'd probably have a drinking problem, too!

comment #31

broadstreetbully says ...

So, Jeff Wells is condoning and celebrating violent thoughts, and indeed even violent actions, against people you don't like, disagree with, or are of a lower class than you.

Doesn't that make him a.....redneck? Granted, only 2 to 3 % of the general population loves violence, but it takes one to know one.

comment #32

gruver1 says ...

Wells to broadstreetbully: I say again because certain parties on this thread clearly (a) have reading comprehension issues or (b) prefer to read and discern only what they want to read/hear...so listen this time and try and let some of what I clearly said into your concrete-encased head: (a) if a brute starts a fight, he deserves to get hit right back -- simple; (b) "I was mainly hailing the IDEA (the concept, the image....as I wasn't there and don't know who threw what punch) of lefties whomping down on rednecks as a metaphor for the forces of curiosity and intrigue and creativity standing up to the forces of ignorance and ruralism and redneck-ism in all its ugly and pathetic permutations." What is about these words that you can't understand or digest? Are you impaired on some level? Jesus.

comment #33

Sean E says ...

"I did the latter in the mid '90s after realizing I had a vodka-and-lemonade problem."

You mean you were a girl drink drunk?

Back to the matter at hand, the article makes it sound like the fight started after Brolin took offense to some drunken catcalls, aimed mostly at Stone and the movie. The racial stuff didn't come into it until after it had already turned physical. Other than Wright's attempt to play peacemaker, nobody came out of this looking very good.

comment #34

Clark Perry says ...

I'd love to see this incident lensed as a stop-motion animated short using that ridiculous George W. Bush "Mission Accomplished" doll as Josh Brolin.

comment #35

broadstreetbully says ...

"I was mainly hailing the IDEA (the concept, the image....as I wasn't there and don't know who threw what punch) of lefties whomping down on rednecks as a metaphor for the forces of curiosity and intrigue and creativity standing up to the forces of ignorance and ruralism and redneck-ism in all its ugly and pathetic permutations"

The forces of curiosity, intrigue, creativity, and......possibly unprovoked violence? That's my point. You're advocating violence.

Also, what is the "force of ruralism"? Is that a facile catch-all phrase for people you don't like, i.e. conservative, right-wing, rural people? Because it seems to me you're saying there's something wrong with simply being rural. Of course, there may be a word "ruralism" I'm not aware of, but it's more likely to be sloppy writing, or worse, the type of generalized thinking that leads to hatred.

And no one doubts that Wells is full of hatred. He's singularly adept at being filled with vitriol for the people society allows to be hated at the time. He would have been a fantastic racist in the 19th century.

comment #36

Indeed says ...

nemo: "Those sound like some more of those urban myths that make the rounds among the right wingers. Like those stories about hippies spitting on returning Vietnam veterans that everybody has heard, but never happened."

I know that, in typical far left close-minded fashion, anything that may damage your credibility in the slightest is (by default) the result of some neo-con attack job.

Or...here in the real world at least...it could be called facts.

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/03/10/Hillsborough/Bumper_sticker_evokes.shtml

Same goes with the blind faith in man made global warming, but thats been done to death.

But I see what youre saying. Even though Ive never voted for a Republican in my life, Im sure a neo-con for the reasons stated above.

comment #37

supertaster says ...

Wells, I'm leaning in your direction on this one, but I think you get such a hard time from your readers because you speak so passionately about your ideals and then shit all over them on a regular basis. Your rationalized violence is just the latest example.

You wax poetically about enlightenment and karma and good vibrations, and yet you are filled with contempt for 3/4 of society. You embrace art and spiritual harmony and enlightenment but harbor and foster these unwavering, dug-in generalizations that show a complete lack of perspective and self-reflection. There's nothing enlightened about your attitudes. You live without empathy in a world of absolutes; the way you see it is the way "it is". At the very least, you fail to let on that you are capable of periodically reflecting upon and auditing your opinions and emotions...and in that sense you are no different than the ignorant rubes and rednecks you so despise.

Look, most of us--as mere mortal, human beings--live with varying degrees of compromise, self-delusion, and hypocrisy. But do yourself and the rest of us a favor, and and try not to be so sanctimonious all the time. Of course I could do myself a favor by spending my time elsewhere (beat you to it), but you're actually a great intellectual antagonist from whom I just can't seem to pry myself away.

I'm sure I'll get flamed regardless for asking you to "change" for the better. You're a genuine, if not conflicted, guy, a seemingly good father ("good father? fuck you, go home and play with your kids" ... sorry, had to say it) and definitely one of the most dedicated bloggers around ... but like i said, a little less sanctimony and just a tiny bit of reflection will go a long way towards giving you some inner peace while making your relationship with your readers much more nourishing.

comment #38

Bob Violence says ...

Of course, there may be a word "ruralism" I'm not aware of

That's what I thought when I read that. Apparently it's some sort of new creeping ruralism that extends all the way to famously bucolic Shreveport. I wonder if Bossier is okay.

comment #39

Josh says ...

Lefty's are now beer guzzling fighters??

HAHA