Matt Damon stands up for his mom at rally
By Alexandra Heilbron on August 4, 2011 | 23 Comments
Matt Damon, who’s shaved his head bald for an upcoming film project, went to Washington D.C. last weekend to support his mother, a school teacher, at the Save Our Schools March. He was speaking with a reporter from Reason TV when she said something that offended him. She suggested that actors have an incentive to work hard and get better at their craft because of the job insecurity involved in that business, and then implied that teachers don’t have an incentive to work hard. Damon, obviously annoyed, answered curtly, “You think job insecurity is what makes me work hard?” He goes on to explain the problem with her way of thinking, and says, “A teacher wants to teach. I mean why else would you take a shi**y salary and really long hours and do that job unless you really love to do it?” The cameraman then decides to jump in, claiming, “Ten percent of teachers are bad.” When asked where he got that statistic, he replies, “I don’t know,” but goes on, asserting, “Ten percent of people in any profession maybe should think of doing something else.” Damon zings him back with, “Okay. Maybe you’re a shi**y cameraman. I don’t know.”
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Good for Damon… stupid reporter and the wannabe hero cameraman with his stupid statistics.
The questions were not based in fact or reason. I don’t blame him for the way he responded. Well done I say.
Ahahaha Matt Damon is a boss.
Matt Damon is Awesome. That cameraman probably had great teachers, but obviously didn’t put in much effort in school.
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view.bg?articleid=1356281&srvc=rss
Maybe this guy didn’t work too hard in school either.
Real decent guy, Good job sticking up for your beliefs and sticking up for Mom, Way to go!!!
I respect Matt Damon a whole lot more now. NEVER quote statistics you make up. That is…not bright. Makes you look stupid. (Or petty.)
Yayyyyyyyyyyy Matt…good on you
Ya good on Matt. He’s one of the few young actors you don’t hear bad press about in the cheap tabloids. Clean living guy. Deserves a lot of respect.
Good for Matt. I teach because I love it! I can’t think of doing anything else. When my students tell me that they graduated because of my support and assistance as a special education teacher, that is all the incentive I need. Yes, getting paid helps of course but I wake up every day knowing I am helping high school students create a future for themselves. The bad apples in all professions make the good ones appear to be bad as well. I have learned to ignore those people who put down teachers. I know that I am a good teacher and my students tell me so.
I’ve a Good suggestion for Actor Matt Damon; DONT SWEAR when talking to reporters & defending people!
Good for Matt. But have you ever thought that maybe the reporter said those comments in order to stir up Matt and get some publicity out of it. Reporters now will do and say about anything to provoke these actors in order to sell their coverage to the media.
BUT….I don’t agree with Matt that teachers have a sh**ty salary and really long hours. They are WELL paid, not especially long hours and have most of the summers off and good pensions and benefits. School doesn’t start until 9am and is out around 3p.m.
Ya!! Freaking awesome and love the quick wit. My girlfriend is an elementary teacher and needs to also work in a grocery store to make ends meet and has come over crying because of nasty grade 6’ers. You have to love it to do it. NEVER quote statistics at 21.8% of all people know that lol.
wat to go matt! you show them
Teachers are not well paid in the USA. It’s not like here…
1 stupid ass reporter + 1 dumb ass cameraman = 2 douchebags.
I think Matt’s mom must be a great teacher. Look at all those big words and awesome sentences that came out of his mouth.
I’m not a huge Matt Damon fan, but I respect him for this.
Matt Damon really isn’t that intelligent, acting is just that acting like someone in the know. Probably assumed the question was not respectful and got defensive. I still beleive his mother taught him to keep his mouth shut when one asks her the question. But then again you don’t here about that. Just Matt Damon acting like his “What do you think about those apples.” Its sad if you have to prepare responses for every situation. It means you are not genuine.
Tayderhead, as Matt is trying to let people know that teacher’s jobs are not just 9:00-3:00. The hours go well beyond these parameters. Again, just goes to show how truly uninformed you are. Planning, marking, extracurricular sports, report cards, professional development and more take up teacher’s evening, weekends, lunch hours and summers. I thank Matt and Family for their support and their efforts in trying to get this across to people who refuse to ‘see’ the reality behind this highly misunderstood profession.
and Deb… get over yourself, we’re all adults here.
Some of what the cameraman said (10% of people suck at their jobs) makes perfect sense and mirrors what most of us have seen in our own workplaces. Blame it on thinks like nepotism, feminism, affirmative action and rotten unions that keep people in jobs that are not suited for.