Ted Cruz is a Republican senator from Texas who could absolutely be characterized as a high-volume poster on Twitter. Sometimes he finds success in his attempts to call out liberals or dunk on sports websites, but among many he’s perhaps best known for getting dunked on himself.
Perhaps the most infamous example of this is when he blamed a “staffing issue” when someone liked a pornographic video through his account. The list of times Cruz gets ratio’d for posts is pretty long, but it’s rare that a criticism backfires as spectacularly as it did over Labor Day weekend when The Princess Bride was put between his Tweeting crosshairs. Cruz criticized The Princess Bride and got mocked in response by several people associated with the film, which Cruz called a “perfect movie” he didn’t want ruined by “Hollywood politics.”
“Do you hear that Fezzik? That is the sound of ultimate suffering. My heart made that sound when the six-fingered man killed my father. Every Princess Bride fan who wants to see that perfect movie preserved from Hollywood politics makes it now.” pic.twitter.com/mbUs4y6Ro0
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 5, 2020
Cruz was apparently upset that the movie’s cast would reunite as part of a Democratic fundraiser, irking the Republican enough that he had to tweet about it. CNN has more details on the event that made Cruz so upset in the first place.
Donors to the Wisconsin Democrats will receive invitations to a livestream on September 13 at 7 pm ET for a script read of William Goldman’s 1987 cult classic. The star-studded cast, including Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Carol Kane, Chris Sarandon, Mandy Patinkin, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal and director Rob Reiner have agreed to join the virtual table read. A cast Q&A will be moderated by Patton Oswalt after the performance.
“Anything you donate will be used to ensure that Trump loses Wisconsin, and thereby the White House,” the donation page says.
That tweet saw some considerable traction on Saturday, to the point that a number of people involved with the movie quote tweeted it and got personal. Starting with screenwriter Ed Solomon, who made it clear that his now-deceased friend William Goldman, who wrote The Princess Bride, was not a fan of Cruz, anyway.
For what it’s worth, Ted, William Goldman, who wrote those lines, couldn’t stand you. https://t.co/2jzer0mWOf
— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) September 6, 2020
Considering the other films that Goldman wrote, like the Academy Award-nominated screenplay for All The President’s Men, it seems strange that Cruz didn’t know the politics of many people involved with The Princess Bride. Even the movie’s star couldn’t help but dunk on Cruz.
.@tedcruz if you only left the fire swamp you could join us. #dumptrumperdinck https://t.co/TelBc2QT9G
— Cary Elwes (@Cary_Elwes) September 5, 2020
Cruz has used quotes from the 1987 movie in the past, but it’s not the first time he’s received criticism from actors involved with the film. Mandy Patinkin criticized him in 2015 over comments he made about ISIS and, according to CNN, Reiner once listed Cruz among “the fans I don’t need.”
It’s a tough break for anyone to have one of your favorite movies tarnished by the knowledge that several people involved in its creation don’t like you. But for Ted Cruz, it’s just another weekend online.
