Jim Carrey's Sarah Sanders painting creates a controversy, but have you seen his Donald Trump?
Every day there’s something new to get outraged over, and Jim Carrey’s artwork seems to be today’s favorite.
While the Mask actor didn’t call out President Trump’s White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders, by name, many Twitter users noticed that his new painting, shared on Saturday, is very obviously a monsterized version of her. The caption described his subject as a “so-called Christian,” clearly looking to incite some drama (remember: 70 percent of Americans are Christian), and stated that her job is to be a professional liar.
This is the portrait of a so-called Christian whose only purpose in life is to lie for the wicked. Monstrous! pic.twitter.com/MeYLTy1pqb
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) March 17, 2018
As mentioned, there has been backlash.
This is the portrait of a so-called comedian, Jim Carrey. He used to be funny. pic.twitter.com/fWv26TDBSW
— thebradfordfile (@thebradfordfile) March 19, 2018
And attacks on Carrey’s own character. (Most of them stem from accusations made by his late girlfriend Cathriona White’s family in their wrongful death lawsuit against him after she committed suicide in 2015. The lawsuit was thrown out — and Carrey was cleared — in February.)
Can you do a painting of a man who drove his girlfriend to suicide by pushing her to cocaine, prostitutes, and diseases? #GLASSHOUSES
— Mr. Doback (@asand211) March 19, 2018
Of course, Fox News is on the case.
Jim Carrey slammed for 'disgraceful,' garish portrait of Sarah Sanders https://t.co/mCrK1ZyqEQ
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 19, 2018
Carrey didn’t seem to care. He posted this — Donald Trump as the Wicked Witch of the West — as a follow-up on Monday.
If you liked my last cartoon you may also enjoy…
"THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST WING AND PUTIN’S FLYING MONKEYS“ pic.twitter.com/slBG7j1s8d
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) March 19, 2018
He later commented via The Young Turks, saying, “I am so gratified by the reaction to my little drawings. It is the job of a political cartoon to vex those who abuse power or enable those abuses. This administration has been lying to the American people from day one while plundering the country and debasing our values. And those who cover for this shameful mobster of a President are putting makeup on a melanoma and telling the cancer patient that everything’s fine. Monstrous? You bet!”
We’ll go ahead and point out that this is just one of many Carrey originals bashing Trump and his team that the actor, 56, has shared in the last year-plus. Here are some others — and we’d argue that some are potentially more controversial, though none called anyone “anti-Christian,” which obviously gets people fired up.
1. Trump dragging a woman by the hair in front of the White House in the wake of the Rob Porter domestic violence scandal.
It should no longer be a surprise to people that Caveman Trump would hire a man like Porter, who’s accused of beating his wives. If you want nasty things done, you hire nasty people. That’s how criminal syndicates thrive. #impeachprehistoricpotus pic.twitter.com/86JaEMcp2M
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) February 9, 2018
2. Trump playing golf on a course covered with the bodies of dead school children in the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
It’s President's Day and Chief Little Hands has been busy tweeting from his golf resort, a chip shot away from the latest bloody school shooting. He was hoping to play a few holes while grieving families are busy digging them. I support @cameron_kasky #neveragain pic.twitter.com/ndJcrk3Sw5
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) February 19, 2018
3. Sen. Marco Rubio with blood on his hands after the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
Rubio‘s agenda is clear. Keep taking millions from the NRA and wash the blood of innocent children off his hands. Apparently $3.3 million is the price of this politician’s soul. pic.twitter.com/wom4IrTfsj
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) February 24, 2018
4. Trump kissing Putin’s bare bottom amid all those reports of the president’s ties to Russia and the country funding his campaign win.
They bailed him out, set him up and made him their stooge. With Trump in the WH, Putin may win the 3rd World War without firing a shot. #PuckerUpPOTUS pic.twitter.com/bnPWI8xa9h
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) November 12, 2017
5. Carrey’s take on Trump’s endorsement of arming teachers as a result of the latest mass shootings.
Great news! The President's answer to school shootings is to arm the glee club! ;^P pic.twitter.com/spSnwTo4Hz
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) February 23, 2018
6. “Fool” Steve Bannon supporting Roy Moore, who was accused by many women of sexual misconduct.
I’m Steve Bannon and I endorse Roy Moore for US Senate.He stands accused of molesting a 14yr old girl,but at least he’s not a Democrat! ?8^¥ pic.twitter.com/p2ojKqVS47
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) November 10, 2017
7. “Creep” Rep. Paul Ryan for the health care debacle.
Tone deaf Paul Ryan brags that his tax bill is going to make low income voters an extra $1.50 a week! That’s almost enough for a box of Band-Aids. Who needs healthcare? WAKE UP REPUBLICAN BASE! You are parked on the tracks, cheering for the train that’s about to run you down. ;^P pic.twitter.com/Xh0dAiSGtC
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) February 5, 2018
8. “Rat” Rep. Trey Gowdy, who led the Benghazi inquiry against Hillary Clinton.
Another RAT leaps from the sinking ship. Swim Willard! SWIM! #TreyGowdy pic.twitter.com/erfuVagGyo
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) January 31, 2018
For the record, not all of his paintings are of Trump’s inner circle. He recently took on Facebook — though the political ties were obviously there.
I’m dumping my @facebook stock and deleting my page because @facebook profited from Russian interference in our elections and they’re still not doing enough to stop it. I encourage all other investors who care about our future to do the same. #unfriendfacebook pic.twitter.com/KHWgZzhhmp
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) February 6, 2018
And some aren’t controversial at all. Here’s his tribute to the late Stephen Hawking.
Cheers to you Stephen Hawking, the greatest mental athlete of our time. You are all that is! See you around, buddy! ;^) pic.twitter.com/LEqYnFn2rW
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) March 14, 2018
Last summer, a six-minute documentary about Carrey’s love of painting, called I Needed Color, looked at his passion, which he has been pursuing strongly for the last six years. (On some days, he’ll paint for 10 hours.) In an interview with W magazine, he discussed how his painting subjects include a lot of politicians.
“Yeah, I do a lot of political cartoons,” he said. “I’ve been doing them all along. When I was in grade six, my teacher confiscated a bunch of the cartoons I made in the back of class of her being mutilated by bombs and axes, dogs chewing her leg, whatever. And then she sent them back to me when I got famous. [Laughs.] She’d been saving them; she said she knew something was going on there.”
Carrey went on to say that he finds it cathartic to paint Trump.
“I still tweet and draw political cartoons and play the part of Arjuna, who has to fight the battle in Bhagavad Gita,” he said. “It’s not a battle I want to fight, but you’ve got to play a part. Every day at some point there’s pretty much a peaceful acceptance of what’s going on in my life right now, but I do also tune in to the Republican — what could I call it? — war on logic, intelligence, and compassion at least once a day.”
Carrey had an art show in Las Vegas last year to sell some of his work. But there’s much more of it. An interesting bit in that W interview is that his “house has been filled with so many paintings he’s used them as furniture, even ‘eating off’ them.”
So right now he could be having lunch on that “monstrous” face. Or afternoon tea on the Wicked Witch.
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