Monzel apologizes for TV ad

A Cincinnati councilman had to apologize publicly Tuesday to Rip Torn for using the actor's mug shot last year in a campaign ad about fighting sexual predators.

The ad ran in late October and early November, when Councilman Chris Monzel was seeking re-election.

In the ad, Monzel had a black bar put over Torn's eyes before using the picture. The goal, he said, was to show a generic criminal.

But someone still was able to identify the actor. Monzel said he pulled the ad from local television and cable as soon as he was told Torn had been identified.

Still, the actor got word of it - it's not clear how - and while he didn't file a lawsuit, he demanded an apology.

The resulting apology ad, on page A4 of Tuesday's Enquirer, describes the actor as award-winning and honorably discharged from the Army. The wording was negotiated over months, Monzel said, with lawyers for Torn.

"It was briefly put out there," he said of the photo in the campaign ad. "We had used a mug-shot image and altered it so you couldn't really tell who it was."

The councilman said he thought using the picture was OK because it had been taken from a database of mug shots found on the Internet. The mug shot was taken after the 77-year-old actor's 2006 drunken-driving arrest in New York. It is quickly accessible at www.tmz.com and www. thesmokinggun.com.

"That's what this is about," Monzel said of the apology ad. "And I apologize for it. I want to take full responsibility. I do apologize."

Efforts to reach Torn, through the Screen Actors Guild, were unsuccessful. His most recent TV role was on NBC's "30 Rock," where he guest-starred in 2007 and this year as Don Geiss, the retiring head of General Electric, who lapsed into a diabetic coma.

NBC is owned by General Electric and Monzel works for General Electric, as an engineer at GE Aircraft Engines in Evendale.

He said there was no corporate involvement in the apology.

For the record, here's the picture for those who haven't seen it:



Dennis
As much as I love Rip Torn, I can see how they made the mistake.

quote:

Originally posted by Dencyguy:
For the record, here's the picture for those who haven't seen it:

Awesome. I've definitely had a couple of mornings where I felt like that.

I'm laughing at about three different things right now. The rakish smile is hilarious. Still suave after all those drinks.

The notion of using a celebrity's picture in a TV ad about child molesters is, in its way, just as hilarious.

Finally, I imagined Leg as a fine looking guy who has too many, wakes up in the morning... and looks in the mirror at that.

Funny. And feel free to clip "I imagined Leg as a fine looking guy" and have at it. I would.

Oh... now I see the picture with the slug: "Yes, somebody HAS had a worse hangover."

quote:

Finally, I imagined Leg as a fine looking guy

shep, we often disagree over on this board, but when you're right, you're right...

But that was back when I was awesome. Can't feel like that anymore with toddlers wanting to wake you up by jumping on your head.

There's a very funny article (Esquire?) written maybe five years ago about how it's virtually impossible to be cool as a dad... and kind of worse when you try.

Wearing two t-shirts, one long and one short, top one with something rock or skate? Really bad.

Ha! I think I remember seeing that somewhere (or maybe something like it).

However, my wife always called me out for wearing "Dad jeans" (normal, new levis) long before I was a dad.

quote:

Originally posted by shepwrite:
There's a very funny article (Esquire?) written maybe five years ago about how it's virtually impossible to be cool as a dad... and kind of worse when you try.

Wearing two t-shirts, one long and one short, top one with something rock or skate? Really bad.

Are you telling me that my rendition of Bombs over Baghdad wasn't the most uber cool thing you've ever seen?


I'm shocked and appalled....

quote:

Are you telling me that my rendition of Bombs over Baghdad wasn't the most uber cool thing you've ever seen?

Were you wearing two t-shirts? 'Cuz that would've iced it.