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R Lee Ermey claims he was fired by Geico for his vocal opposition to the Obama Administration
R Lee Ermey, who played the iconic drill sergeant in ‘Full Metal Jacket,’ claims he was fired by Geico for his vocal opposition to the Obama Administration.
‘Gunny,’ a retired US Marine, starred in a single commercial for the insurance company in 2010 in which he hilariously demonstrated why a former drill instructor makes a terrible psychiatrist.
Not long after the ad debuted, he was forced to apologize after saying President Barack Obama was bringing America to it’s knees and ‘imposing socialism’ during a Toys 4 Tots fundraiser that was broadcast live in the Chicago area.
‘Yeah, I got fired… Geico fired me because I wasn’t too kind about speaking about the present administration,’ Ermey told TMZ.
He said it’s part of a bigger problem in Hollywood.
‘If you’re a conservative in this town, you better watch out,’ he warned.
Ermey, who was a Marine drill instructor and served in the Vietnam War, has made an acting career out of playing hardened, angry military commanders.
His best-known role, though, is Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, the brutal Marine trainer, in the 1987 film ‘Full Metal Jacket.’
Roadmaster
August 27th, 2012
A-holes! Before I renew my MC insurance, they’ve got some esplainin’ to do.
Brooke
August 27th, 2012
Gee, any surprise to this story?
Dissent will not be tolerated…
BTW, I love some Gunny! Especially his military/weapons shows.
eternal cracker p
August 27th, 2012
Bullshit. It looks to me like the best part of you ran down the crack of your mama’s ass and ended up as a brown stain on the mattress.
Now we know where Obama’s other black half went.
Boobie the Rocket Dog
August 27th, 2012
So, cracker… You don’t care for Ermey?
***********
I don’t watch TV and don’t generally care for the stuff he winds up in. But I very much liked SWITCHBACK where he played opposite Dennis Quaid and (as the bad guy, naturally) Danny Glover.
Best Ermey line: “Once you’ve heard the truth, the rest is just cheap whiskey.”
The scenery shots andf railroad footage in that movie are spectacular.
eternal cracker p
August 27th, 2012
Boobie, I like him. I was going to use the same quote to compare what he could have said around the kids at the toys for tots, but then I got caught up with the halfrican.
beachmom
August 27th, 2012
When I was a kid, my father was an air traffic controller.
We had a GEICO sticker on the car window.
Under GEICO it said, Government Employees Insurance Company.
Just a little fyi.
persecutor
August 27th, 2012
GEICO is owned by that Medal of Freedom winner Warren Buffett and his Berkshire Hathaway company. Coincidence? Nah, nothing to see here; just move along.
reddecaesari
August 27th, 2012
@boobie
switchback was a great film.
the beginning with the at the door was the scariest scene every.
AvgDude
August 27th, 2012
The Gieco management are nothing but grabasstic pieces of amphibian shit!… They are not even human fucking beings!!!
Jarhead Cracka
August 27th, 2012
I bet what the Gunny would really like to say to Obama is something like “What is your major malfunction numbnuts !!” Or maybe he would just let the pencil-necked geek choke himself on the Gunny’s hand.
Bob M.
August 27th, 2012
Step ON the Gecko! >:-(
grayjohn
August 27th, 2012
R. Lee wasn’t a drill instructor. And as for playing a “Brutal” drill instructor, my Marine buddies tell me he was way to “Nice” for a real D.I.
Carlos The Jackal
August 27th, 2012
Alas, Ermey seems to have become a hollywood attention whore.
Team America
August 27th, 2012
He’s been sent to “Mamby Pamby Land.” (if any of you have seen the commercial). Only the strong survive and he is and will continue.
Team TEA
August 27th, 2012
Dammit now I have to change insurance companies.
LadyGun12
August 27th, 2012
I imagine Mr. Ermey will land on his feet. He has more fans than detractors.
Doc
August 27th, 2012
Ermey left the Corps as a Staff Sgt. on a medical due to old war wounds. The Commandant of the Marine Corps gave him a post-service promotion to Gunnery Sgt. because he had done so much to promote the Corps in his acting career. And yes, he did serve time as a D.I. in both training centers (Hollywood and the Swamp).
Nutjob
August 27th, 2012
Another great hero standing up for what he believes in.
I hope GEICO stock takes a dump when people start dumping it the way the current admin takes a dump on americans and the constitution.
Jarhead Cracka
August 27th, 2012
@ Team TEA. If you’re an eligible vet, I recommend switching to USAA.
Jarhead Cracka
August 27th, 2012
@ Doc. Thanks for clarifying R.Lee’s career. I saw him give a speech in Klamath Falls, he’s funnier than hell.
Political Clown Parade
August 27th, 2012
I chose that now famous “teleprompter obstruction” photo from Reuters to Photoshop™ Ermey into it doing what we all wish he could have actually done, asking the question, “What’s your major malfunction, numbnuts?”
http://politicalclownparade.blogspot.com/2012/08/full-metal-jacket-star-says-insurance.html
serfer62
August 27th, 2012
As a Drill Instructer (NOT DI) he was a pussy.
Death_By_Farts
August 27th, 2012
Would someone please explain why Hollywood is so liberal, when those idiots wouldn’t be rich today if it weren’t for (drum roll) CAPITOLISIM!
Someone please explain?
Senator Blutarsky
August 27th, 2012
Given the specific features of the auto insurance market, R. Lee Ermey’s claim that GEICO fired him for anti-Obama comments raise a legitimate question about whether GEICO’s ultimate boss, Warren Buffett, is putting his political preferences ahead of his fiduciary duties to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders:
http://senatorjohnblutarsky.blogspot.com/2012/08/is-warren-buffett-putting-politics.html
Roscoe P. Soultrane
August 27th, 2012
Makes sense that GEICO might do that. They’re in the insurance business, not the political business. Having a guy who potentially pisses off 40%+ of your customer base isn’t really a good idea.
Granted, I don’t think every Dem who has GEICO insurance would suddenly cancel it because of what Ermey said, but at the corporate level, it does make sense to not use him again.
*shrug*
Much ado about nothing, I suppose.
Absolute muddjuice
August 27th, 2012
Obama is such a jack wagon….
Trixie Bluebell
August 28th, 2012
I’ll never buy insurance from Geico. Hated the “cavemen” and I hate that damn lizard even more! Liked the R Lee Ermey ad. Off topic — my brother bought me an R Lee Ermey “action figure” a few years ago. Have never taken it out of its box.