The 'Yes Man' actor advocates gun control by releasing 'Cold Dead Hand' music video, satirizing actor Charlton Heston's love for firearms.
- Mar 26, 2013
AceShowbiz - Jim Carrey has put his sense of humor to good use. On March 25, the Canadian actor tried to raise public awareness of gun violence issue by releasing "Cold Dead Hand" music video via Funny or Die. The clip is aimed at "heartless" gun enthusiasts, including former NRA president Charlton Heston.
Carrey took to Twitter to explain the song, saying, " 'Cold Dead Hand' is abt u heartless motherf*ckers unwilling 2 bend 4 the safety of our kids. Sorry if you're offended by the word safety!" The comedian revealed why he decided to criticize gun enthusiasts through a song. "Some ppl hate when I talk about guns so I decided to sing about it!" he tweeted.
In the Funny or Die video, Carrey plays Heston and a member of a twisted country music band performing on "Hee Haw", the popular CBS variety show from the 1970s. As the lead singer of Lonesome Earl and the Clutterbusters, Carrey sings parody song "Cold Dead Hand". The title comes from a speech Heston gave to the NRA during the 2000 presidential election in which he infamously declared, "I'll give you my gun when you pry (or take) it from my cold, dead hands."
"Charlton Heston movies are no longer in demand, and his immortal soul may lay forever in the sand. The angels wouldn't take him up to heaven like he planned, because they couldn't pry the gun from his cold dead hand," Carrey sings. His bandmates are actors dressing as peace promoters, including Mahatma Gandhi, John Lennon and Abraham Lincoln, who were assassinated by gun men.
The five-minute video ends with Heston accidentally shooting his foot off, which is an amusing sight for the peace promoters and the "Hee Haw" audience. The clip apparently received inevitable backlash from pro-gun Americans. In response to this, Carrey tweeted, "Thx 4 your input 2day. I don't think i've ever felt so despised and so free at the same time. It's been delightfully."
