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UPDATED: Ronald Reagan’s Daughter Responds to Plans to Portray Him in Alzheimer’s “Comedy”

UPDATED: Ronald Reagan’s Daughter Responds to Plans to Portray Him in Alzheimer’s “Comedy”

“Alzheimer’s doesn’t care if you are President of the United States or a dockworker”

Will Ferrell is slated to play President Ronald Reagan in an upcoming “comedy.”

According to The Wrap:

Set at the start of the ex-president’s second term when he was suffering from Alzheimer’s, “Reagan” follows the commander-in-chief as he succumbs to dementia and is convinced by an ambitious intern that he’s actually an actor playing the president in a movie.

As PJ Media’s Stephen Kruiser points out, Reagan wasn’t diagnosed with Alzheimer’s until 1994, six years after he left the White House.

Reagan wasn’t diagnosed with Alzheimer’s until 1994, almost a decade after the start of his second term. Liberals and Bill O’Reilly (same thing?) do like to speculate that it was an issue at the time but there is simply no evidence of it. In classic media bias fashion, the false premise is reported as fact here.

In my decades in stand-up, I’ve not had any sacred cows when it comes to subject matter so I have no problem with someone trying to put a comedic twist on anything. I do, however, have a problem with creative laziness, which this project reeks of. Admittedly, I haven’t read the script, but I have watched this dance for all of the aforementioned decades. Whenever a biased media-driven misconception about a Republican is the basis for comedy, bet the house that it will be given a bare minimum effort, largely because the joke has already been written.

Patti Davis, daughter of President Reagan and Nancy Reagan wrote an open-letter to actor Will Ferrell:

Perhaps you have managed to retain some ignorance about Alzheimer’s and other versions of dementia. Perhaps if you knew more, you would not find the subject humorous.

Alzheimer’s doesn’t care if you are President of the United States or a dockworker. It steals what is most precious to a human being — memories, connections, the familiar landmarks of a lifetime that we all come to rely on to hold our place secure in this world and keep us linked to those we have come to know and love. I watched as fear invaded my father’s eyes — this man who was never afraid of anything. I heard his voice tremble as he stood in the living room and said, “I don’t know where I am.” I watched helplessly as he reached for memories, for words, that were suddenly out of reach and moving farther away. For ten long years he drifted — past the memories that marked his life, past all that was familiar…and mercifully, finally past the fear.

There was laughter in those years, but there was never humor.

Alzheimer’s is the ultimate pirate, pillaging a person’s life and leaving an empty landscape behind. It sweeps up entire families, forcing everyone to claw their way through overwhelming grief, confusion, helplessness, and anger. Perhaps for your comedy you would like to visit some dementia facilities. I have — I didn’t find anything comedic there, and my hope would be that if you’re a decent human being, you wouldn’t either.

Twice a week I run a support group called Beyond Alzheimer’s for caregivers and family members of those with Alzheimer’s and dementia. I look into haunted eyes that remind me of my own when my father was ill. I listen to stories of helplessness and loss and am continually moved by the bravery of those who wake up every morning not knowing who their loved one will be that day, or what will be lost. The only certainty with Alzheimer’s is that more will be lost and the disease will always win in the end.

Perhaps you would like to explain to them how this disease is suitable material for a comedy.

Some of the best comedy is irreverent and offensive, but I’m hard-pressed to find anything humorous about Alzheimer’s and Dementia. They’re horrible diseases that destroy the dignity of those afflicted.

I always object to the overly-politicized, outrage ALL the things life, but in this case, I’m going with “poor taste.”

Update (04/29): Ferrell out

Follow Kemberlee on Twitter @kemberleekaye

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Comments

I can only imagine this will be a tasteless hit piece created by leftists to make fun of RR. Ferrell seems to like roles that make fun of Republicans. Remember his inane role playing GWB? I can also imagine this film will be a commercial failure, just like all other leftist hit pieces. Although critics will praise it.

My mother had Alzheimers. My dad provided 100% of her care the last few years of her life. Boy, talk about a laugh riot! My dad was doubled over with laughter, constantly. Such a fun time for him. Yeah, right.

Will Ferrell is a no-talent, ignorant little lefty prick. This is just what I would expect from him.

I like Will and I’m a fan of some of the most vile humor imaginable. Like Kemberlee I dislike politicizing entertainment and getting all huffy about a movie.

This is a huge mistake for Will. It’s politicized by definition since it’s transparently about Reagan. And it’s just horrible taste. Will is a mass appeal type of guy, he’s going to wreck his image.

Guess it’s popcorn time, he’s gonna burn for this one.

    inspectorudy in reply to Zachary. | April 29, 2016 at 12:21 am

    “Wreck his image”? What image? He is a talentless hack like most of the Hollywood zombies whose sense of humor is about the third-grade level. Think of the material they have on obama! They will never do a comedy about him and his pet.

Huma Abedin told staff to keep on Hillary “because she’s often confused”. That would be my choice for the comedy.

Maybe Will Ferrel can make a comedy about having HIV infection. His preferred audience ought to be able to relate to that.

I’ve held him at this level of esteem for quite some time; a classless douchebag to the core.

I will not watch that movie.
Not at the theater.
Not on Blue Ray.
Not on DVD.
Not on Netflix.
I will not watch it.

They will not get a penny from me.
I only hope they never recover the cost of making that POS movie.

Another Voice | April 29, 2016 at 12:18 am

Ferrel should burn at the box office for his decision to portray Pres. Reagan, or anyone in this light who lives out their life with Alzheimers/Dementia. Add to that, the cesspool of everyone else connected to the film starting with the writers, to treat the disease so callously. They all should forever have to drag the credits of doing such a film as a testament of their miserable poor judgment.

I have a daily window on this disease with a family member and there is nothing even close to funny or humorous about it.

My paternal Grandmother suffered from it in her later years, from about 88 to her death at 93. My father was beginning to show serious symptoms the last two years of his life before succumbing to other illness at 82.

It’s no joke. Unless you think making fun of the disabled is funny. Trumpkins will love it.

Besides tasteless, this effort will probably include the fiction that Reagan had Alzheimer’s during his second term. He left office in January 1989, was diagnosed in 1992, and died in 2004. No way was he affected by the disease before he left office. This is going to be a pure political hit job on the Reagan presidency and its legacy.

My siblings and I….along with our entire extended families…..watched as Alzheimer’s took down our wonderful Mother….there was NO laughter and NO humor only heartbreak and sadness watching what once was a strong, capable, intelligent, loving woman slowly and painfully ERASED.

For these Hollywood jerkoffs to put together a script, put the money together, cast some zombie actors and actually produce a hateful “movie” like this is beyond SHAMEFUL and HEARTLESS…!! No doubt, their next movie will be about the kicks and giggles involved with cancer or ALS.

One day, these horrible, evil Hollywood people who would think that doing something like this is a good idea, a money maker or an important political statement may have to deal with the REAL disease themselves or with a loved one and then they will see for themselves up close and personal that Alzheimers is NO LAUGHING MATTER….!! SHAME ON THEM…!!

Are you suggesting that it is not politically correct to put out a movie like this? When someone steps over a line we may not like, we are always quick to jump on and vilify. The Free Market will decide whether people want to see this movie, or not. I’ll just have to wait for 2016: Hillary Clinton’s America.

We can imagine these comic geniuses will also portray Obama with his finger in his nose up to his knuckle at press conferences,
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2460243/posts?page=101

and Michelle Obama scratching her crotch at state events,
http://www.michellesmirror.com/2013/04/doin-dallas.html

and Hillary Clinton picking her nose on the senate floor,
https://jtf.org/sorry-media-but-hillary-is-incompetent/

and Eric Holder picking his nose at a press conference.
http://suckersonparade.blogspot.com/2013/05/ifholder-is-telling-truthhes-as.html

Because this is funny stuff.