Will Ferrell: Liberal Folk Hero

There is a certain kind of comedian – the best kind, really – who is more  truth-teller than entertainer. We laugh with them because they so perfectly capture with words what the constraints of polite society keep us from saying and sometimes even thinking. A short, incomplete list of these comedians would include Will Rogers,…

Happy Birthday, Charlie Chaplin

On this date in 1889, Charles Chaplin was born. By 1918, he was the biggest star in the world. But Chaplin was more than an entertainer; he was also the first Hollywood activist. His early films, starring Chaplin as the Tramp, were subtle commentaries on class in America. The Tramp was a friend to the…