Nancy Cassis got all offended by a video that was made about her trying to kill our film incentives, and as of noon is no longer available at YouTube or www.SenatorDCease.com.
Lathrup Village actor-director Billy Whitehouse says State Sen. Nancy Cassis, R-Novi, has demanded he take town a satirical video he posted to YouTube that portrays a group of would-be film workers kidnapping "Senator D'Cease."
"Senator Nancy Cassis has demanded that I immediately take down the political satire video that I wrote poking fun at her. Apparently, the Senator went so far as to complain to law enforcement authorities and alleged that the video is 'threatening.' Nothing could be further from the truth," Whitehouse wrote on his Facebook wall, per Bill Shea of Crain's Detroit.
The video sounds like a laugh riot rather than "threatening". Check out the description:
In the film, an actress portraying "the Governator" Granholm decides against paying a ransom to free Senator D'Cease, saying "I feel like the whole state of Michigan, and the film industry, are being held hostage as she rants on. Let's give her a taste of her own medicine."
...
Senator D'Cease's kidnappers eventually release her, explaining that, "She's painted herself into a corner. She's term limited. And she'll never work in this state again."
And from Crain's:
OK, Mr. Whitehouse e-mailed me a copy of the video with working sound this morning. Um, how to put it best ... think of low-grade political ribbing delivered with the same theatrical chops as a high school ensemble doing a PSA and you have it nailed. The "Governor G" character doesn't, in fact, think the senator is worth anything, and the film guys let her go because she's term-limited and won't be able to work again. How any right-thinking adult could possibly find this threatening instead of silly is beyond me. Expect critics to level charges at Cassis of cheap political thuggery and bullying in an attempt to quash free speech, even if that speech is the ancient American artform of political insult.
Well, if the shoe fits, and censorship has proven to be the standard operating procedure of the Senate Republicans time and time again, then yeah, it's bullying and political thuggery. That's how they roll.
UPDATE: It's back up. "Come to Michigan, bring your own actors".