Kevin Sorbo’s taking his obsession with “owning libs” to the silver screen, but perhaps he should have done his homework a bit more. Sorbo has appeared in a movie about Bernie Sanders called Free Lunch Express, in which he plays the ghost of George Washington. The movie frames Sanders as a Stalinist hypocrite and beleaguers the concept of socialism. Sorbo called it “Airplane! meets Jojo Rabbit.” So, it’s satire.
To be fair (and according to the film’s lead actor and producer, Sam Brittan), Sorbo only makes a three-minute cameo in the movie and didn’t even watch the movie before starting press. And based on an interview with the Daily Beast, it doesn’t seem like he actually knows much about Bernie Sanders. The journalist giving the interview, Marlow Stern, points out some inaccuracies in the film during the interview. Pretty basic things, like when Sanders first moved to Vermont. But very basic facts about his life and his political beliefs are clearly drowned in misinformation and right-wing gossip:
How do you feel about Bernie Sanders? Because the film does paint him as a Stalinist.
He did have his honeymoon in Russia. And from what I know about the guy, he certainly is a believer in the communist and socialist system.
He visited the Soviet Union after he married Jane in the late ’80s, but that was as part of his duties as mayor to promote a sister-city program. It wasn’t a honeymoon.
Oh, it wasn’t a honeymoon?
Nah, it wasn’t. And you know, a lot is made in the film of his lake house. But it’s a home that Sanders purchased for half a million dollars in Vermont, yet in the film it’s this giant palatial mansion.
Oh, really? OK. I don’t know. I only read what I can read about the guy. I mean, he admits to being a socialist. I don’t know where socialism has ever worked, to be honest with you.
Sorbo appears to blow off the critiques, saying “I only read what I can read about the guy,” but it’s clear that Sorbo is getting bad information. He deferred to the filmmakers when it came to any problems or falsehoods in a movie that reportedly seems to struggle with understanding the difference between socialism and the German Nazi party.
It’s a pretty wild interview all around: Sorbo addresses some sexual inappropriateness that was alleged against him, revealed that apparently his son is running his lib-owning Twitter account, and talked a lot about baseless allegations of voter fraud. As the headline rightfully framed, it was extremely weird to see the guy who used to be Hercules peddling in baseless right-wing internet falsehoods. But in a year like this, well, it’s best not to be surprised by anything anymore.
[via Daily Beast]