1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: I hate self inflicted wounds and this story is maybe 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:08,600 Speaker 1: the granddaddy of self inflicted wounds. Tony Katz, Tony Katz Today, 3 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:11,080 Speaker 1: good to be with you. Find everything over at tonycats 4 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:15,760 Speaker 1: dot com. Here is the headline, Trump celebrates West Point 5 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: Alumni group canceling awards ceremony to honor Tom Hanks. Oh 6 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: my gosh, there's a lot in that headline. Most people 7 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: are going to focus on Trump saying that that Tom 8 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 1: Hanks is destructive and woke. 9 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:35,240 Speaker 2: Important move he put on. 10 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: Truth social We don't need destructive, woke recipients getting our 11 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 1: cherished American awards. 12 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 2: Hopefully the Academy Awards and other. 13 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 1: Fake award shows will review their standards and practices in 14 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 1: the name of fairness and justice. Okay, what in the 15 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 1: world's happened the West Point? 16 00:00:56,840 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 2: It was this the alumni. 17 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 1: Association, they decided that they were going to give an 18 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: award to Tom Hanks. It's called the Sylvanis Thayer Award. 19 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: It's named for an early superintendent of West Point known 20 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,759 Speaker 1: as the Father of West Point. Been given out every 21 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: year since nineteen fifty eight, and it goes to quote 22 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: an outstanding citizen of the United States whose service and 23 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:30,680 Speaker 1: accomplishments in the national interest, exemplify personal devotion to the 24 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: ideals expressed in the west Point motto, Duty, Honor Country. 25 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: That's according to the West Point Association of Graduates. And 26 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: you had the association board chairman saying in a press 27 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: release back in June, tom Hanks has done more for 28 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: the positive portrayal of the American service member, more for 29 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: the caring of the American veteran, their caregivers and their family, 30 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 1: and more than more for the American Space program and 31 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: all branches of government than many other Americans. Now, there 32 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 1: is undoubtedly truth to this, a lot of truth. Maybe 33 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: the only guy you could point to more is Garysonese. 34 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: Garysonese just nuts And of course they came together in 35 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: Forrest comp But if you take a look at the 36 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 1: career of Tom Hanks, if you take a look at 37 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:32,639 Speaker 1: what he has done just as a producer, I mean, 38 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: and it starts and it ends. I mean, You've got, 39 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 1: of course, the mini series The Pacific, which I know 40 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: a lot of people do not discuss, but you go 41 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: to Band of Brothers two thousand and one. Band of 42 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: Brothers is unbelievable television. It is a must see mini series. 43 00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: It was spectacularly done, Absolutely positively spectacular. That's a Tom 44 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 1: Hanks production. It's fantastic work. You look at Saving Private Ryan, 45 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: there is a filmography. You take a look at Apollo. 46 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: We talk about the space program he has, He's created 47 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: the stuff, and he's created some very good stuff, and 48 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 1: he has been supportive the fact that he is. If 49 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 1: I was asked what do I think of Tom Hanks, 50 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: to the extent that I ever think of the actor 51 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: Tom Hanks, I'll say, based on clips I've seen of 52 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: him and little interviews of him, I think he's an 53 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: egomaniacal freak jerk. He's an egomaniacal jerk. I believe this 54 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: without question based on the little bits I have seen 55 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: of him. I don't care if he's telling the real, 56 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: accurate story of Americans, members of those who went to 57 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: space in pursuit of the better America. My gosh, No, 58 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 1: he's telling stories of heroism, of resolve, of standing strong 59 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: in the face of danger, the horror, and yet the skill. 60 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 2: Of these Americans in overcoming. Sorry, those are great things. 61 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 2: You want to honor. That fine by me. 62 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 1: Is he a guy who supports progressives? Absolutely? Could he 63 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: have gone and gone about going after Donald Trump and 64 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 1: ruined himself. 65 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:45,480 Speaker 2: That way absolutely possible. But he's done the thing, man, 66 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 2: don't deny it. 67 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: People are going to take a look at what Trump 68 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,040 Speaker 1: said said, Yeah, he just woke, forget him. 69 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 2: Can I tell you that Trump did the pylon here? 70 00:04:56,160 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 2: And I don't think he should have important move. We 71 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 2: don't need destructive recipients getting our cherished awards. He did 72 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 2: good stuff. It's been helpful. It's not a deniable thing there. 73 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: I wish Tom Hanks wasn't so woke, but he has 74 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 1: made some great projects supporting the American soldier. He should 75 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 1: continue to do so and stop being so woke, like 76 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 1: that's the answer. 77 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 2: Now Trump doesn't do it that way. We know this. 78 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 2: It's and yeah, of course I think it's wrong. There's 79 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 2: not even a. 80 00:05:31,279 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: Question about that. Of course I think that's wrong ten 81 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 1: percent that I do. I don't think it's helpful. I 82 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: don't think's valuable. 83 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 2: I don't think it's good. But you know, Trump's not. 84 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: The story here, right, Why in the world did West 85 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: Point cancel the event? Now that part is not getting discussed. 86 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 1: Trump is celebrating it, our great West Point getting greater. 87 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: All the time A Smart canceled the awards ceremony for 88 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:04,160 Speaker 1: actor Tom Hanks. 89 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:09,960 Speaker 2: That was the part of the post. Why cancel the event? 90 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 2: You had? 91 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 1: Retired Colonel Mark Bieger b I E G. E. R. 92 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,840 Speaker 1: Said the cancelation would allow the institution quote to continue 93 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 1: its focus on its core mission of preparing cadets to lead, 94 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:26,240 Speaker 1: fight and win as officers in the world's most lethal force, 95 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:33,159 Speaker 1: the United States Army. How are those things connected? The 96 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: argument here, the story here has got to be what 97 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,840 Speaker 1: happened in the dead of night. 98 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:43,560 Speaker 2: What happened. 99 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 1: That allowed for West Point to say, oh, we got 100 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: to stop this from happening. 101 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 2: Who called whom? Who said what? Who said? 102 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 1: What? You're not going to get me to disagree about 103 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 1: I wanted to lead a snob. I think Tom Hanks 104 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 1: is the award ceremony is not the worst thing in 105 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:07,719 Speaker 1: the world. And if it had happened, it really would 106 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 1: have gone by without much fanfare. And the Brothers the 107 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 1: Pacific even you know, uh, the portrayal of Lieutenant Dan 108 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: and him coming back afarrest company and serving his country, 109 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 1: all these things like it would have just come and gone. 110 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 1: Now someone would have said, you couldn't honor somebody better, 111 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 1: but he's not a bad choice. I don't know if 112 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,679 Speaker 1: they've already honored Gary Sinise as I brought him up earlier. 113 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: I don't have the answer to that, but why cancel it? 114 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 1: Canceling it brings attention to it. So did someone call? 115 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 1: So let's now say that, what if that happened? Someone called? 116 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:51,120 Speaker 1: You say no, you say we're going through with this. 117 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: Just from a pr standpoint, It's worse the other way, 118 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 1: because I gotta believe over there at West Point there 119 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:02,720 Speaker 1: is a headache going on, the likes of which they 120 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: didn't ask for, they didn't want all because they just 121 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: couldn't figure out how to just eat some rubber chicken. 122 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 1: Let this guy speak for fifteen minutes and then move on. 123 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 1: This is a self inflicted wound. 124 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 2: That has no value. 125 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 1: And so now it looks like Trump or one a 126 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: member of his team made a middle of the night 127 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 1: phone call. I don't want Donald Trump worrying about who 128 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 1: gets awards, although I do want us to focus on 129 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: giving out different awards. See don't confuse the issue. The 130 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 1: issue is not West Point giving Tom Hanks this award. 131 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:44,599 Speaker 1: The issue is when we take a look at the 132 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:46,200 Speaker 1: OSCARS and this and that and the other, and all 133 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: these awards shows that are decidedly radically left. Let's create 134 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: our own awards. What Fox does with the Fox I 135 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 1: think they call him the Fox Nation awards Smart. I 136 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 1: think Herod Heritage group, which isn't the group I remember 137 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,320 Speaker 1: coming into my own politically, but they do awards. 138 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 2: Smart. We need to do more awards, because. 139 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: You're right, the awards are all ridiculous and they're all 140 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 1: silly and et cetera, except that they matter. And you 141 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 1: want to pad resumes and you're like, Tonya, what are 142 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 1: you talking about? 143 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 2: What do you think these awards are? 144 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:30,679 Speaker 1: If the awards are indeed congratulatory to fellow travelers, then 145 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:33,559 Speaker 1: you have to create opportunities for fellow travelers to have 146 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 1: awards so they could say, oh, he's this and he's that, 147 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 1: and he's won this and he's won that, and therefore 148 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 1: you build him up. 149 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:46,719 Speaker 2: That's what the awards do. That's what they do. You 150 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:48,559 Speaker 2: don't go about asking for it. 151 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:51,679 Speaker 1: But if you're going to, if you're going to have 152 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:54,920 Speaker 1: them utilized against you, well they're award winning this, and 153 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:58,080 Speaker 1: they're top rated this, and they've got this degree after 154 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 1: their name. You got to start giving out a awards. 155 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:07,520 Speaker 1: This is about how you set a story. Is it nonsense? Oh? 156 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 2: Yes, it's nonsense. We're not arguing this. 157 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:16,680 Speaker 1: Do the Nobel Prizes matter? Does the Nobel Peace Prize matter? 158 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: If Yasir Arafat can win one? 159 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:23,079 Speaker 2: The answer is no. But look how many people have 160 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:26,760 Speaker 2: nominated Donald Trump to win a Nobel Peace Prize proving 161 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:31,360 Speaker 2: the point. It is not that you're gonna get rid 162 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 2: of the Oscars. They're not going to change. 163 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:36,200 Speaker 1: The Emmys are not going to change. The Tony Awards 164 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 1: are not going to change. I would be curious, though, 165 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:45,599 Speaker 1: if you had conservatives creating plays, which you should, I 166 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: wonder how they would react to that getting some critical 167 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:52,200 Speaker 1: success or would they attack it. Now I'm not talking 168 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:56,559 Speaker 1: about creating a conservative play. I'm talking about conservatives creating plays. Right. 169 00:10:57,160 --> 00:10:59,320 Speaker 1: If David Mammott put on a new show, I wonder 170 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:01,320 Speaker 1: how it would be re acted to. Not that he's 171 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 1: necessarily a conservative, but certainly he has plenty to say 172 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 1: about the political left and how damaging they are to 173 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: the minds, never mind to society. 174 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:13,959 Speaker 2: But the awards do matter, and I do agree in 175 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 2: creating more of them. 176 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 1: West Point should have just given Tom Hanks the award, 177 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:20,839 Speaker 1: and then there were one hundred ways to play it. 178 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:26,199 Speaker 1: So if indeed there was a late night call, that 179 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:29,280 Speaker 1: would mean that the West Point alumni what. 180 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 2: Gave in coowtout bend to the knee, whatever you want 181 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 2: to call it. 182 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 1: That is not a good look for the most lethal 183 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:42,640 Speaker 1: fighting force. It's not a good look. It's an ugly look. 184 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 2: Did I mention pr disaster? Oh, a guy can be 185 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:56,320 Speaker 2: an absolute jerk, but every now and again, get it right. 186 00:11:56,600 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 2: That's my take on Tom Hanks. Absolutely, absolutely smug and arrogant. 187 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:06,320 Speaker 2: What a career, what a life? 188 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 1: You shouldn't be this smug and arrogant. But he's done 189 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:15,439 Speaker 1: some work that we're all better off for. It's not 190 00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 1: the worst thing in the world to say, hey, thanks 191 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:19,679 Speaker 1: for that. You know, more of that and less of 192 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,079 Speaker 1: your smug crap. Notice you never get any wards or 193 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 1: thanks for your smug crap. You just do that so 194 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 1: these people will keep liking you. We like it when 195 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 1: you tell good stories. Tell more good stories, please. But 196 00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 1: now it's a thing, an unnecessary self inflicted thing, so dumb. 197 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:44,400 Speaker 2: I'm Tony Katz. This is Tony Kats today.