Clint Eastwood has been very vocal about his political opinions especially since he was a former mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. As a filmmaker, he is undoubtedly one of the most talented and brilliant directors out there. Still, fans would recall how he used his fame and influence to speak about former US President Barack Obama.
The infamous empty chair stunt became the content of news headlines and internet memes, and despite the mixed reactions from the public, Eastwood remained unrepentant.
Clint Eastwood Stirred Controversy By Speaking To An Empty Chair
In 2012, veteran director Clint Eastwood staged a mock conversation with former US President Barack Obama during the Republican National Convention. The controversial event earned him severe criticism, especially from the liberals.
How did a speech turn into a scandalous routine with Eastwood speaking to an empty chair where an invisible Obama was supposed to be sitting? In his interview with the Carmel Pine Cone newspaper via E! Online, he revealed sparking an idea after he saw an empty chair and some guy asked him to sit down on it.
“When I saw the stool sitting there, it gave me the idea” and that would be to talk to an invisible Obama and ask him “why he didn’t keep all of the promises he made to everybody” while he was in position. It was a bizarre scene during the event to witness Eastwood holding a mocking and improvised conversation with an empty chair.
The act garnered the ire of the Democrats and even the Republicans for what they deemed as a gesture of disrespect for the former African-American president. The Unforgiven star admitted not regretting one bit of what he said. “[The crowd] really seemed to be enjoying themselves,” he claimed while arguing that those who didn’t like his stunt were probably “on the left”.
Eastwood was aware that his method was quite unorthodox, but he also explained that even when he was serving as a mayor in California, he never approached his job in a strictly professional sense. He only gave talks, not speeches.
The filmmaker’s argument at the event focused on three aspects: he pointed out that not everyone working in Hollywood is on the left, that Obama failed to fulfill his promises when he took office, and that the public is free to impeach politicians who were not doing their jobs.
Barack Obama Answered Clint Eastwood Via Twitter Post
Obama responded to Eastwood’s 12-minute message via a short but powerful statement on Twitter.
It was indeed a historical event in the world of American politics. The filmmaker said that what he did was just a contrast to the conventional way of addressing issues via scripted speeches. He hoped, at the time, that it helped undecided voters to make their stand.