Friday, November 23, 2018

FRIDAY HALL OF FAMER - HENRY KISSINGER


Today is the first Black Friday to occur since I initiated the Friday Hall of Famers.  And since I’m at my cousins for our traditional Dabsgiving, I thought I’d just dash off this quick induction ceremony to celebrate another November Newsmaker entrant into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.

And who better for the Black Friday Hall of Famer than a war criminal?

HENRY KISSINGER

From Wikipedia:
Henry Alfred Kissinger (born Heinz Alfred Kissinger; May 27, 1923) is an American statesman, political scientist, diplomat and geopolitical consultant who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Adviser under the presidential administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. A Jewish refugee who fled Nazi Germany with his family in 1938, he became National Security Advisor in 1969 and U.S. Secretary of State in 1973. For his actions negotiating a ceasefire in Vietnam, Kissinger received the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize under controversial circumstances, with two members of the committee resigning in protest. Kissinger later sought, unsuccessfully, to return the prize after the ceasefire failed.

A practitioner of Realpolitik, Kissinger played a prominent role in United States foreign policy between 1969 and 1977. During this period, he pioneered the policy of détente with the Soviet Union, orchestrated the opening of relations with the People's Republic of China, engaged in what became known as shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East to end the Yom Kippur War, and negotiated the Paris Peace Accords, ending American involvement in the Vietnam War. Kissinger has also been associated with such controversial policies as U.S. involvement in a military coup in Chile, a "green light" to Argentina's military junta for their dirty war, and U.S. support for Pakistan during the Bangladesh War despite a genocide.  After leaving government, he formed Kissinger Associates, an international geopolitical consulting firm. Kissinger has been a prolific author of books on diplomatic historyand international relations with over one dozen books authored.

He remains a controversial figure in American history. Some journalists, political activists and human rights lawyers have condemned Kissinger as a war criminal. Nevertheless, in a 2014 survey, many scholars and foreign policy experts ranked Henry Kissinger as the most effective U.S. Secretary of State since 1965.


Kissinger actually is a good choice this year as the showcase induction for the month was his former boss, Richard M. Nixon.  Like Tricky Dick, Kissinger is a multidimensional of the greater TV Universe, actually portraying himself in Earth Prime-Time.

EARTH PRIME-TIME

 

'DYNASTY'
(AS HIMSELF)
THE TOONIVERSE

 

'THE SIMPSONS'
(VOICED BY HARRY SHEARER)

'FUTURAMA'
(VOICED BY JOHN DIMAGGIO)



'FAMILY GUY'
(VOICED BY JOHN VIENER)


SKITLANDIA




'SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE'
(PLAYED BY JOHN BELUSHI)
WITH DAN AYKROYD AS NIXON
CHEVY CHASE AS GERALD FORD(?)







'SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE'
(PLAYED BY AL FRANKEN)
WITH TONY DANZA,
JOAN CUSACK AS QUEEN ELIZABETH II



(EUGENE LEVY PLAYED KISSINGER
AT LEAST ONCE ON 'SCTV')

DOCU-TOOBWORLD

I thought this might be the best alternate dimension in which to house this mini-series which used the Nixon tapes as its script.




'NIXON'S THE ONE'
(HENRY GOODMAN)
WITH HARRY SHEARER AS NIXON


 As there are plenty of alternate TV dimensions out there, it's best to spread the "love" around with his televersions in TV movies and mini-series.  (Plus it spares me having to come up with splainins as to the recastaway changes.)


MOTW TOOBWORLD I
 
"KISSINGER AND NIXON"
(RON SILVER)
WITH BEAU BRIDGES AS NIXON


So there's our Friday Hall of Famer for Black Friday.  And as Black Friday is the kick-off for Christmas, here's Henry Kissinger - played by the former senator from Minnesota - on 'Saturday Night Live' to usher in the holiday season (with his own shout-out for Hannukah.)

Welcome to the Hall, Dr. K.  At least this reunion with Nixon doesn't include eternal flames......



No comments: