Just when you think certain celebrities couldn’t get any more obnoxious, we are treated to an interview with last night’s Golden Globe winner, James “I’m the King of the World” Cameron in Entertainment Weekly. On page 35 of the latest edition of the print version, Cameron responds to the following criticism of his latest film “Avatar”:
EW: “Avatar” is the perfect eco-terrorism recruiting tool.”
JC: Good, good. I like that one. I consider that a positive review. I believe in ecoterrorism.”
Apparently, he said this in all seriousness.
For those of you who do not know what eco terrorism is, meet the people of ELF. No, not the blue creatures in “Avatar,” but the people of the Earth Liberation Front. According to Wikipedia, ELF is the collective name for anonymous, autonomous individuals who use “economic sabotage and guerrilla warfare to stop the exploitation and destruction of the environment.” In other words, they burn down buildings and engage in other destructive activities under the cover of darkness because they believe we should all still be living in caves and subsisting on roots and berries.
ELF engages in family-friendly activities like toppling radio towers because “AM radio waves cause adverse health effects;” burning luxury home developments; and firebombing research facilities in order to stop research on genetically-engineered trees and modified potatoes.
ELF has declared war on “greedy capitalist pigs” and “rich scum.” People like … James Cameron.
According to two online sources, our buddy James lives in an 8,272 square foot “cottage” in Malibu with 6 bedrooms and 7 baths, complete with the requisite pool, tennis court and inner courtyard fit for Hollywood royalty.
A mansion with a pool in the desert? As someone who grew up in the arid climes of the American West and having lived in severe drought conditions, I can attest to how delicate the ecological balance is. Still, I don’t believe firebombing is the answer, although I will lecture anyone who dares let the water run while brushing his teeth.
For further reference, let’s go back to October of 2007, when fires raged through Southern California:
The raging Southern California wildfires that intensified over the weekend are threatening the homes of a number of stars who reside in Malibu. Mel Gibson, Jennifer Aniston, Tom Hanks, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, James Cameron, Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn, Rob Reiner, David Geffen, David Duchovny, Mark Hamill, Olivia Newton-John and Bill Murray are among the stars who have been evacuated or whose homes are potentially in jeopardy. …
It turns out the devastating fires were started accidentally because a 10-year-old boy was playing with matches. But perhaps if ELF or a similar organization had started it to destroy the luxury homes of the Hollywoodite set, James might have felt better had his home been among the 655 destroyed. Or forget accidental fires; perhaps he’d actually be fine with ELF targeting his ritzy neighborhood. It’s all in a good cause, you know … the environment. And I’m sure he’s generously insured.
And what about the complaints that chlorinated water from the specially-built tank for Cameron’s blockbuster “Titanic” ruined the livelihoods of nearby fishermen in Baja, California? Fox denied their allegations, so who knows for sure if the fishermen were just looking for a payout? But what if it were true? Would ELF have been justified in destroying the “Titanic” set in order to save the little fishies? Would James have been a big fan of eco terrorism then?
Better yet: According to research done by the University of California, the film and television industry is the largest polluters in the Los Angeles region. Mari-Jo Winkler, executive producer of Away We Go, admitted, “We are probably one of the most wasteful businesses.” Yet so many “stars” lecture the little people on how to live a “greener” lifestyle. What would the likes of James Cameron think if ELF opened up its unique can of whoop ass on Hollywood?
But never mind. Cameron doesn’t see himself as being part of the kind of corporate entity that ELF and its imitators target. He’s an “artiste” who, rather than denouncing dangerous people who blow things up to get their point across, prefers to tell a story about how former Marines who, rather than take advantage of the GI bill and study something genteel like acting or film making, become bloodthirsty savages who can’t wait to gun down the innocent Na’vi while in the employ of an evil, greedy corporation. But Cameron? The first director to have two films earn $1 billion? He’s not greedy.
He’s just a tool. And that’s being kind.
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