Iconic Horror Filmmaker Weighs In On Controversial Election
As the 2024 United States presidential election inches toward its conclusion, key public figures and entertainment legends have been weighing in with their own endorsements and lamentations. Stars such as Dave Bautista, Eminem, and Taylor Swift have emphatically expressed their intention to vote for sitting Vice President Kamala Harris, while those such as James Woods, Hulk Hogan, and Zachary Levi have thrown support behind former president and current 34-time convicted felon Donald Trump. According to The Hollywood Reporter, iconic horror filmmaker John Carpenter has strong feelings about the election as well, arguing that Trump is responsible for stoking feelings of racism and hatred within modern culture.
John Carpenter Criticizes Donald Trump
John Carpenter provided his thoughts on the election during a recent appearance on The Hollywood Reporter’s It Happened In Hollywood podcast. The legendary filmmaker, widely regarded as the godfather of 80s horror, is best known for such hits as Escape From New York, The Thing, the original 1978 Halloween, and many other horror classics.
During his podcast appearance, he was recruited to discuss the creation and production of his 1988 sci-fi horror They Live, which offers a thinly veiled political satire of the then-sitting Reagan administration.
With the topic of politics on the table, one of the hosts inquired about how Donald Trump might fit into the world of They Live, which sees a race of evil aliens taking power in government and media positions, with the intention of brainwashing the masses and asserting world domination.
It Happened In Hollywood host Seth Abramovitch raised the point that the John Carpenter classic is even more applicable to the Trump election campaign today than it ever was to the Reagan White House, to which the filmmaker wholeheartedly agreed.
On Racism And Xenophobia
John Carpenter then expanded on his feelings toward the forthcoming election, explaining “There’s so much of what we’ve turned into as a country that just makes me heartsick. This return of racism and xenophobia. Oh, God — that’s awful, awful stuff.” After referencing his own upbringing in the American deep South, where racism ran rampant throughout his childhood, Carpenter specifically argued that racism and xenophobia has “been brought back by Trump, I think. And it’s horrible.”
Under normal circumstances, John Carpenter’s election comments wouldn’t come under much scrutiny since disapproving of racism and xenophobia is generally viewed as a base-level moral argument. Unfortunately, the vitriolic rhetoric of this current election cycle has gotten so out of hand that voters across all sides of the political spectrum are chomping at the bit to take issue with any and all statements regarding their preferred commander-in-chief.
Donald Trump has specifically come under fire numerous times in the last few months for comments made against Mexican and South American communities at the American border, including instances where he referred to migrants as “vermin” or “animals” and argued that they are “poisoning the blood” of the American public.
The Horror Icon Remains Optimistic
John Carpenter didn’t get too into the weeds while discussing the election, though he did offer a hopeful look at the future before moving on. Despite his feelings that things within the U.S. are as bad as they were during the era of Jim Crow laws, Carpenter explained, “It’s horrible now- but… I have hope for mankind. I have hope that things will get better.”
Obviously, the filmmaker isn’t interested in becoming a political pundit, or becoming involved in the election at the level of many of his contemporaries. Still, Carpenter’s words echo a shared sentiment by many Americans that the 2024 election is one of the most important events for our nation’s future.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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