In the year of our Lord, 2004 (not 1964), James Montgomery paraded around in blackface and an afro wig in front of a bunch of wealthy Pacific Palisades’ residents — all of it emcee’d by two-time Oscar winner, A-lister, and Obama pal Tom Hanks — and his excuse is “I am sick about the false impression“?
Fallout from a 2004 fundraising auction emceed by Tom Hanks continued Wednesday, as James Montgomery, the investment banker caught wearing blackface at the school event, apologized Wednesday. …
The video shows Montgomery wearing African tribal wear and carrying a stuffed gorilla. …
Montgomery, who is CEO of the Santa Monica-based Montgomery & Co., said he did not intend to cause offense.
“While I can understand that some people may have read something other than what was intended into my wearing that costume to a costume party, as anyone who knows me would attest, that is not consistent with my beliefs nor is it with who I am,” Montgomery added. “I am sick about the false impression it gave. All I can do now is to do what I did then and apologize for any offense I may have caused.”
The footage was shot at a 2004 fundraiser for St. Matthew’s Parish School, the Pacific Palisades school where both Hanks and Montgomery had children enrolled at the time.
That statement is almost as absurd as Hanks own comment about being “blindsided.”
How could Hanks claim he was blindsided?
Watch the video again.
You can see Mr. Blackface standing in the back of the room in full view of everyone.
Furthermore, I’m supposed to believe a guy with 25 years in the business of show couldn’t figure out a way to give something he says he found “appalling” the hook?
And here’s another part of Hanks’ excuse that makes no sense: What is usually a night of food and drink for a good cause was, regrettably, marred by an appalling few moments.
Moments?
What exactly constitutes a “moment” in the uber-wealthy, predominantly white, left-wing enclave of the Pacific Palisades? I know my most nauseating “moment” comes at the nine-minute mark when Glenn Frey pauses his Republican-bashing long enough to make a “basketball” joke.
What kind of school is this, anyway?
But like I said earlier today, there will be no fallout or repercussions. This is Tom Hanks. He made “Game Change” and “The Da Vinci Code,” not “The Passion of the Christ.”
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