Well anyway, I was watching that HBO series of some years ago - John Adams - great revisionist American History - except for the wobbly camera operating. I don't know why they did that - the jittery style. I always hate it, except in newsreels.
Whatever. To the point - it occurred to me that this portrayal of John Adams had another ironic contemporary sub-text - (apart from the much noted disillusionment with constitutional/enlightenment ideals) and that is that the actor playing Adams - Paul Giamatti - looks uncannily like Homer Simpson!
Imagine Homer in a periwig and you have Giamatti's Adams - especially the pursed mouth!
Now you may be thinking well that's probably how Adams actually looked - but not according to this portrait of America's second President. I prefer to think that this is a subconscious projection on the part of the makers, in order to cast Adams as a sympathetic everyman. They unwittingly comply with a popular stereotype and remake the dour lawyer and revolutionary in the image of Homer Simpson! Oh the irony!
I think the Simpsons should throw a guest spot to Giamatti in acknowledgement.
The guy's face is made for a cartoon.
