By now you know about Helen Thomas’ anti-Semitic flame out. So let me give you my send off to her. Its an apropos bit of dialogue from Clint Eastwood’s movie “White Hunter, Black Heart.” (note, this is the only awesome moment in the movie, but it is awesome.) Clint, some dude and a pretty woman were having dinner together, when she said pretty much Hitler had the right idea about the jews. The dude reveals he is Jewish and she keeps going saying anti-semitic stuff anyway. And then Clint pipes up (you can read it or watch it on video here and jump to the end):
Clint: I would like to tell you a little story, though.
Woman: I love stories.
Clint: You mustn’t interrupt now, because you’re too beautiful to interrupt people.
When l was in London in the early 40’s, I was dining one evening at the Savoy with a rather select group of people and sitting next to me was a very beautiful lady, much like yourself.“
Woman: Now you’re pulling my leg.
Clint: Now, just listen, dear. We were dining and the bombs were falling, we were all talking about Hitler and comparing him with Napoleon, and we were all being really brilliant. And then, suddenly, this beautiful lady, she spoke up and said that was the thing she didn’t mind about Hitler was the way he was treating the Jews.
Well, we all started arguing with her, of course. Though, mind you, no one at the table was Jewish. But she persisted.
Are you listening, honey?
Woman: Mustn’t interrupt Daddy.
Clint: That’s right. You’re way too beautiful for that.
Anyway, she went on to say that that’s how she felt about it, that if she had her way, she would kill them all, burn them in ovens, like Hitler.
Well, we all sat there in silence.
Then finally, l leaned over to her and l said, ‘Madam, l have dined with some of the ugliest goddamn bitches in my time. And l have dined with some of the goddamndest ugly bitches in this world. But you, my dear, are the ugliest bitch of them all.’
Anyway, she got up to leave and she tripped over a chair and fell on the floor. And we all just sat there. No one raised a hand to help her. And finally when she picked herself up, I said to her one more time: ‘You, my dear, are the ugliest goddamn bitch l have ever dined with.’
Well, you know what happened? The very next day, she reported me to the American Embassy. And they brought me in for reprimand. And then when they investigated it they found out that she was a German agent. And they locked her up.
Isn’t that amazing?
Woman: Why did you tell me that story?
Clint: I don’t know. It wasn’t because l thought you were a German agent, honey. But I was tempted tonight to say the very same thing to you.
I didn’t want you to think I had never said it before.
You, madam, are the ugliest…
Well, you know the rest.
To Helen Thomas. You, madam are the ugliest… ah, well you know the rest.
