"Why, why do you do it? Why, why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you're fighting for something, for more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is, do you even know? Is it freedom or truth, perhaps peace - could it be for love?"
- Agent Smith, Matrix Revolutions
why we exist
Because we choose to.
"Let's examine a case: a given actor, foreigner, worked for more than 20 years abroad; has worked on TV, theatre, and mostly cinema, going from insane blockbusters to arty, little-known independent films; has stared as lead in genre, generational defining films in both comedy and action; holds two of the most iconic characters in movie history, both of which are as diverging as one can get; has worked with the most important names in the industry; was one of the top earning actors in one of the most competitive show business markets in the world; and in the mean time is known for not exploiting his private life to enhance the career, showing the utmost respect for his colleagues, directors and the entire crew he works with, knowing his and everyone else's lines, being the first person on the set and the last person to leave it, land himself on projects with professionalism and passion, being polite to his fans, and being humble, to the point of being disinterested about the wealth he has accumulated.
However, if you peg a certain name in that description, then suddenly some people seem to go out of their way to disavow it. Then, suddenly, "I don't think his career is that great". Unfortunately, many of these people hold a status as opinion makers about Cinema. And the situation is such that, once you get yourself marked in a certain way, it pretty much goes down the hill in an increasing snow ball sort."
- ckage"I don't read anything any more. I'm too angry. I'm tired of being misrepresented, misquoted, manipulated, being put on a pedestal, being knocked down - it's just all too much trouble."
- Keanu Reeves
Someone once remarked that if Keanu required a website that defended him, it meant that he had to be a bad actor. Putting aside the obvious logic problems in that statement (Okay, I say that you killed seven people and fed them to piranhas. If you say you didn't do it, you're obviously guilty), it still seems that this is a conclusion that too many have reached after being shown here.
So why does Keanu need a defence site if he truly is not as bad as so many claim? The simple reason is because people still see him that way. And so as long as this misconception continues to persist, there will continue be a need to defend him in the name of truth, justice, and the non-American way (with apologies to Steanu of our SWAT Team - he's American. The rest of us are kind of international, though we seem to have a lot of Europeans. I'm from Singapore. Hi.).
Throughout our various expeditions into various parts of the Internet vigorously defending Mr. Reeves, it is apparent the number of untruths that have somehow been spread about him - some of them going so far as to slam him for having negative characteristics completely opposite to those he is known to possess based on the testimonies of friends, family, and other people who know him personally. What is going on online is effectively a form of character assassination, and with people nowadays all too willing to blindly believe everything they read on the Internet, this is something that needs to be stopped.
Yes, the same would also apply to everyone else, not just a celebrity. However, the thing is that 'everyone else' is not constantly put up for mockery on Internet forums and declared to be the worst at their craft, with that accusation then extended into digs at their intelligence, personality and integrity. Our defence is scaled to the offence. If a friend were likewise mistreated in real life, I would also make a point of standing up for him or her and making sure that the truth is known. I would like to think that you would do the same.