Matt Damon: Bill Kristol "An Idiot," Bond A "Misogynist Sociopath"

Matt Damon gave an interview to his local Miami Herald speaking out against, among other things, Bill Kristol, torture and James Bond. Damon has done his research, having played Jason Bourne in the "Bourne" trilogy and starring in two CIA movies, "The Good Shepherd" and "Syriana."

On Kristol and torture:

"The small talk -- if that's the right phrase -- ranged from which New York Times columnist is the worst (conservative William Kristol, according to Damon: ''He's an idiot -- he wrote that we should be grateful to George Bush because he won the Iraq war. We! Won! The! War!'') to the proper place of torture in American foreign policy.

''Look, the best line about torture I've heard came from [retired CIA officer turned war-on-terrorism critic] Milt Beardon,'' Damon says. ``He said, `If a guy knows where a dirty bomb is hidden that's going to go off in a Marriott, put me in a room with him and I'll find out. But don't codify that. Just let me break the law.'

He also said what he thinks of James Bond:

''They could never make a James Bond movie like any of the Bourne films,'' Damon says scornfully. "Because Bond is an imperialist, misogynist sociopath who goes around bedding women and swilling martinis and killing people. He's repulsive."

And he explained why he missed Obama's inauguration after campaigning on his behalf:

''Luciana and I decided we wanted to go,'' he admits. 'But when I called my contacts from the campaign, they just started laughing: `We worked on the campaign for 2 ½ years, and we're not going. Forget it.' But then they called me back the next day and said, 'Hey, we've got two tickets for you, in the bleachers, and you'll actually be able to see Obama take the oath. Just $25,000 apiece.' So I'm going to watch. From my couch.''

Not only did Damon campaign and fundraise for Obama, he was one of the most outspoken celebrities against Sarah Palin, calling her "like a really bad Disney movie" and "a really terrifying possibility."

Read the whole interview

Comments

[NotYourAvg]

I LOVE YOU MATT DAMON...for having cajones!!!

[TimmySlagle]

Having them on his chin?

[unfettered]

I thought that was a Butt.

[BlueStarMom]

Well, he's definitely got an opinion and not afraid to share it. Nice to have someone calling them as he sees them.

[therealtruthteller]

Keep speaking out, Matt, love you.

[djk20042]

duh, MAAAATT DAAHMON...........Bond would kick jason bournes a$$!

[TimmySlagle]

And Kristol would whoop Damon in a debate.

Which is why he's pretending that he didn't hear the challenge.

[carlgt1]

did ANYBODY hear the challenge from that non-entity closed-gay Kristol? I mean what the hell was the peak of Kristol's lame career, running an unsuccessful Senate campaign for right-wing nutjob Alan Keyes? wow, what a real deep thinker!

[cariintexas]

Timmy, timmy, timmy, are you Billys PR guy?

[KrystynM]

NEVAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! I love me some Jason Bourne!

[AContrario]

Nah Bond got MI6 to back him up with all these silly gadgets to kick ass whereas Jbourne
just need himself ...

[barneysmith]

As opposed to Jason Bourne, a genetically modified 'superior' human.

[Brainspore]

I must have missed that part of the character's background in the movies. Is that from the books or something?

[AContrario]

That;s what I thought

[TwentyCharactersLong]

In the movies I'm pretty sure he was just specially trained.

[hwebb5454]

I use to like Matt Damon, until i heard his real thoughts. LOL People say I look like him. I just hope they don't start saying I sound like him too. He's too whinny.

[Aesthete]

My nephew also resembles Matt Damon, only in a different color.

[sf girl]

What kind of thoughts would you prefer he have?

[fabhell]

Whinny? As in what a horse does? Or whiney, as in a peevish wail? Just curious.

[cshlafer]

Whiney? As in how people misspell whiny? Just curious.

[courageunderfire]

I respect Matt Damon a whole hell of a lot, and I always enjoy hearing what he has to say.
He is thoughtful and intelligent and down to earth. I love his movies as well, especially the Bourne series as well as The Departed, Syriana, and The Good Shepherd, stellar actor, and a special human being!
He's right on about Bill Kristol and Bond too.

[arvay]

He's absolutely correct about Bond. His "creator" Ian Fleming was of the old british Empire school of history and the character reflects his world view. Vicious Asians, dumb Africans etc, the whole revolting package. . .

The episode where Bond "converts" a lesbian to heterosexuality with his amazing lovemaking is straight out of the same kind of adolescent male fantasy that fuels the imaginations of gullible young men who go off to war to kill, mutilate and die in the service of the privileged chickenhawks at home.

At least Rudyard Kipling had some respect for the colonized people, plus a lot more creative and writing talent.

[AContrario]

Excellent character analysis

[DanBest]

Damn, you took the words right out of my mouth.

[Tyrione]

Critiquing a body of work removed by half a century of social change is asinine. Critiquing a piece during it's day and then projecting your own views as to where the character is flawed is rational and insightful.

[profounddogs]

Right on about Palin. Nice analogy.

[dadw5boys]

Does this make the women who would sleep with Bond just for thier own self interst a misogynistic too??

Are all secrect agents Socoipaths who kill the people they are ordered to by thier government ?

[DonCosenza]

Picking on Kristol is one thing, but leave Bond alone, especially the re-imagined Daniel Craig version.

[dapperd72]

Matt Damon is clearly one of the more intellectually enlightened actors of our generation. He's exactly right about Bill Kristol, who's as much of an ignorant blowhard as Rush Limbaugh & one of the foremost cheerleaders for the abomination of the Iraq War manufactured by Bush, Cheney & their neo-con gang. As for the NY Times hiring Kristol in the first place, this speaks volumes about their famous slogan, "All the news that's fit to print." They lost all credibility with me at least as far back as they started buying everything Bush's gang said at face value & allowing false information about WMD's in Iraq to be taken as Gospel truth in the minds of most Americans. Those who view NY Times as a "liberal" paper obviously haven't been paying attention for the past 8 years, while those who view it as a reputable news source are woefully naive at best. Jason Bourne as portrayed by Damon always struck me as a mature, courageous spy who respected women, but I can't comment much on James Bond. I haven't watched those films in years, so I never analyzed them enough like Damon. Roger Moore was my favorite version, but I thought Pierce Brosnan wasn't half bad, and different actors may not fit Damon's description equally from a feminist standpoint.

[TimmySlagle]

"Matt Damon is clearly one of the more intellectually enlightened actors of our generation"

Then why is he afraid to debate Kristol?

I don't think he's as smart as everyone tells him he is.

(And I think he knows that.)

[JamesR.]

LOLOL Love the avatar Timmeh. That's great. Self deprecation is always very amusing. A funny con, truly rare.

[sidehide]

what dose he know right , anyone can go to Harvard and be on a top 25 paid actors list

[cariintexas]

Because Timmy, he knows the GOP would send joe the whatever in Billys place.

[sf girl]

Did I miss something? Was he invited to debate Kristol at some point?

[traveler501]

"then why is he afraid to debate Kristol?" More of that silly Repug fake logic/namecalling? IMO YOU aren't as smart as you wish people would tell you you are.

[lolcopter]

"Matt Damon is clearly one of the more intellectually enlightened actors of our generation."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[AContrario]

Don't break a sweat dude - NYT was one of the leading media to laugh at
the ideas from an obscure swiss patent office clerk named A.Einstein.
So you do the math(no pun intended) they are just a bunch a guys who
happen to make a living from writing stories,that's all

[NotMcCain]

Bond IS a sociopath and misogynist.

Good to read a GUY saying it!

[TimmySlagle]

I thought Mat Damon said it?

[Hobay]

Can you imagine the sweet starlet love Matt Damon has access to?

[Hobay]

Kristol isn't a sociopath?

[AContrario]

Well to kill regularly at this rate you need to develop some form of sociopathy
but I beg to differ on the misogynist aspect of the character.

Women don't always sleep with men always because they like or love the
guy.

[DontJustFollow]

What ever happened to "don't ask me, I am just an actor" ?

The guy makes a really great living pretending to be someone else and saying things that other people write for this fictional charactor -

I guess we should listen to him only when he is playing a serious educated part. right?

I am holding my breathe for the next Sean "I didn't finish high school" Penn proclimation -

What does Will Farrel have to say? Or Tina Fey? She does the news she must be smart - - -

[OrganOfThought]

angry and hateful much?

heard of free speech? it also includes freedom to ignore. why does it bother you so much? i'm guessing if they said something you agree with you wouldn't have reacted this way.

[Coloradem]

Oh please. Your side gripes about actors who happen to be liberal when they speak up about their opinions, yet your side turns around and elects Ronald Reagan, Arnold Swarzenegger, Sonny Bono, and Gopher from The Love Boat.

Give me a break...

[10swingin]

Why do you LEFTIES hate so much WHY?

[sidehide]

hey lets read an article about Matt Demon's opinion and views and then be angry he has opinions and views..........lol

[drewziGNY]

Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity.....are all college drop-outs, and yet some people hang on their every word.

[BigBagel]

They're educumated.

[cariintexas]

Wrong sean, that would be hannity.

[sidehide]

well he's not wrong...........

[10swingin]

Oh YEA.

[sidehide]

"yea"