We all have those days – or decades, in some cases – where we feel like even our best efforts kinda flop.
So, when horror master Stephen King stumbled upon talks of including one of THE best stories he wrote, he couldn’t help but cast doubt on the iconic status of one of his most enduring creations – the vengeful, demonic industrial laundry machine from his 1978 short story The Mangler.
Here is the truth: King’s The Mangler is not one of his best-known works, nor his most celebrated. It’s been adapted into a movie not once, but three times (albeit with diminishing returns, if we’re being honest). Even the most die-hard King fans would be hard-pressed to defend the cinematic incarnations of this particular tale. The first film, released in 1995 and starring Robert Englund of Freddy Krueger fame, was a critical and commercial flop. And the less said about the two “sequels” that followed, the better.
Despite this, there’s no denying the staying power of The Mangler (that King wrote, not the messy adaptation) and its tropes.
Sure, the movie adaptations may be a bit lacking, but the core concept of “everyday object gone evil” has been a Hollywood staple for ages now. It’s the idea that even the most boring, mundane parts of our lives can be twisted into something straight out of a nightmare. Thus, when you’ve created an evergreen nightmare that continues to be a running trope in films, you can chuckle at your own genius, but never question it, not even in jest.
But King isn’t the only one out there bringing the self-deprecating humor. Conservative commentator Jesse Waters, in a bizarre attempt to praise Donald Trump, somehow dragged Mark Hamill into the mix from a faraway galaxy on Fox News.
“The thing with Trump is, he was the star—you didn’t need to bring in other celebrities to enhance his presence. Mark Hamill? What’s his status now? A B-list, C-list? It’s just not a good look.”
Jesse Waters
Does Jesse seriously consider a good look to be an ill-fitting suit and a smug grin? I mean, when you’re sharing a network with heavy hitters like Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity, it’s easy to feel like a small fish in a big, slimy pond. But that doesn’t give you the right to take cheap shots at Hamill.
Despite being part of a franchise that has grossed billions of dollars worldwide and single-handedly making the name “Luke” cool again (sorry, Bible), Hamill, is content to embrace his “D-list” status because he knows what it actually means when it comes to his star power.
But is Hamill truly a D-list actor? Far from it.
Hamill’s portrayal of the heroic Jedi Knight has inspired generations of fans and revolutionized the sci-fi genre. The man has also lent his voice to some of the most iconic characters in animation history, including the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series. He’s also had a successful stage career, starring in productions of Amadeus and The Elephant Man. If that’s what qualifies as “D-list,” then sign me up for the “E-list” immediately.