Pheaturing Robert De Niro

Hey there, kids, welcome to the Phile for a Friday. I have no words to describe this day. I do, however, have a ton of obscene gestures. I was thinking... The disturbing lack of time travelers arriving to stop 2020 happening suggests we never actually invent it. So, I'm gonna keep the Phile list today as tomorrow is Treason Day... I mean Independence Day.
The Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Competition started as an argument over patriotism. Back in the olden days towns used to have public readings of the Declaration of Independence. Now we have this...

Somehow the exact opposite in terms of elegance, but still quintessentially American. According to legend, the iconic and intensely American face stuffing competition began in 1916, when four immigrants argued over who was the most patriotic, and somehow decided the best way to figure it out was by seeing who could shove the most hot dogs inside of them. What these immigrants didn’t realize, however, was that coming to the collective conclusion that the best way to prove who was the most American was by seeing who could eat the unhealthiest amount of cooked meats proved that all four of them were as red, white, and blue as the American flag. Thomas Jefferson would be proud.
Every fan of The Little Mermaid wanted fins as a child. Hell, some of you still do! Does anyone else think Ariel is kind of dumb for giving up her mermaid tail for Prince Eric? Well, if your kiddo has the same mermaid aspirations, it’s time to spoil your mermaid (or merman) with the mermaid fin you never had. These swimmable mermaid tails will be their new favorite toy.

Fin Fun Mermaid Tails are a dream come true. Next time you’re shopping for new swimwear and pool toys, consider mermaid swim fins. These tails are high-quality, so you’ll really be able to swim in it! Kids are going to feel like real mermaids and mermen in their new Fin Fun Mermaid Tails. If you’re going to buy a mermaid tail, be sure to go with Fin Fun. Their tails are best sellers, and they’re made with top-notch materials. The mermaid fin is unbreakable and creates a natural mermaid motion while you swim. The fin also has a neoprene cover, so it’s resistant to sun damage and pool chemicals. The monofin is also comfy, safe, and easy to remove in the water. Be sure to let kids get used to swimming with the fin. I recommend adult supervision the first time using the tail. Customer ratings are fantastic. Since COVID-19 doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon, we most likely won’t get to visit water parks this summer. It’s time to gather all the best pool toys and backyard games so you can bring the fun to your backyard. Fin Fun’s Mermaid Tail definitely makes the list for best pool toys, so add one to your wishlist. You can find the swim tails in nine different colors. Choose from New Aussie Green, New Asian Magenta, New Malibu Pink, and more. Get your goggles, snorkels, and mermaid swimsuits ready!
A few hours after saying “I do” on their wedding day, Rachel Taylor, a nurse from Minnesota, decided to help out a stranger in need. Rachel and Calvin Taylor got married in an outdoor ceremony and were driving home from their wedding when they came across an accident on the road. When they arrived at the scene, the newlyweds stopped, and Rachel went into nurse mode and decided to put her medical skills to work. At the time of the car crash, Tammy Peterson had arrived at the scene to help her son, who was involved in the incident. She rushed to the scene to “check out the damage on his fender.” But, the mother also found herself injured after a black Chevy Tahoe slid through an intersection and ran into the back of the van which caused a car to pile up and pinned her against one of the wrecked cars. Peterson said she remembers waking up and seeing Rachel in her wedding dress who told her she was a nurse. Rachel said that while helping Peterson during the scary situation, it reminded her of her days during nursing school when she would help pregnant women keep calm during their labor. She noted it was, “kind of flashed back to when I was in nursing school and I would help the moms in labor. I got pretty good at talking them through and calming them down. So, I was saying a lot of the same things.” The nurse had initially stopped because she saw a couple of people dragging the woman to the side of the road, and noticed a gash in her right leg, with a bone sticking out. Peterson later thanked Rachel for helping her by comforting her during the trauma. She stated, “She kept me calm. I think she helped save my life, even more, you know, just physically and mentally being there at that time.” The woman also thanked the couple for stopping and wished them a happy marriage. Calvin, Taylor’s husband, was so proud of his wife, calling her his “rockstar of a bride” and posted a photo of his wife on Facebook, describing how Taylor cradled Peterson to keep her calm. Here's the pic...

He stated, “She held her for at least 15 minutes until the EMTs got her on a stretcher. I am so blessed to have a wonderful wife who will always take care of people who need it, and we were blessed that we were able to be in the right place at the right time to make a difference.” Don’t you just love these kinds of stories? A happy, happy day indeed. Speedy recovery for Tammy and congratulations to Rachel and Calvin! Talk about a beautiful wedding day.
Mississippi officials held a ceremony Wednesday to retire the former state flag and send it to a history museum, a day after Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed a law stripping official status from the last state banner in the U.S. that included the Confederate battle emblem. One person watching with pride was a history-making former lawmaker whose grandfather was a slave. Robert Clark in 1967 became the first African-American since Reconstruction to win a seat in the Mississippi Legislature, and he rose to the second-highest leadership spot during his 36 years in the House. For decades, he tried to persuade colleagues that Mississippi should change the flag that many see as racist. But, people weren’t ready to listen before he left office. Now 91, Clark said Wednesday that as he watched the flag being handed over to the museum, he thought about his grandfather, who was forced to go barefoot and eat from a trough before being released from slavery at age 11. “That’s why I fought to get the flag changed... because the flag represented that, so far as I was concerned,” Clark said after the ceremony. Mississippi faced increasing pressure in recent weeks to change its 126-year-old flag since protests against racial injustice have focused attention on Confederate symbols. A broad coalition of legislators on Sunday passed the landmark legislation to retire the flag, capping a weekend of emotional debate and decades of effort by black lawmakers and others who see the rebel emblem as a symbol of hatred. Reeves signed the bill Tuesday, immediately removing official status from the banner. The new law requires a ceremony for the “prompt, dignified and respectful removal” of the banner. Three flags flying at the Capitol were lowered Wednesday as dozens of people watched on the lawn or from open windows inside the building. Many applauded after honor guard members from the National Guard and the Mississippi Highway Patrol presented them to House Speaker Philip Gunn, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and state Department of Archives and History director Katie Blount. Police cars with flashing blue lights escorted a vehicle that took the officials, and the flags, to the nearby Museum of Mississippi History. The museum will put one flag in an exhibit and two into archives. “We have much to be proud of and much to reckon with,” said Gunn, who has advocated changing the flag the past five years. “This flag has flown over our best and our worst. Some flew it over their bravery to defend their homeland. And for others, it’s been a shadow over their struggle to be free.” Mississippi will be without a flag for a while A commission will design a new one that cannot include the Confederate symbol and must have the words “In God We Trust.” Voters will be asked to approve the design in the November 3rd election. If they reject it, the commission will draft a different design using the same guidelines, to be sent to voters later. The Confederate battle emblem has a red field topped by a blue X with 13 white stars. White supremacist legislators put it on the upper-left corner of the Mississippi flag in 1894, as white people were squelching political power that African-Americans had gained after the Civil War. Critics have said for generations that it’s wrong for a state where 38% of the people are black to have a flag marked by the Confederacy, particularly since the Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups have used the symbol to promote racist agendas. Mississippi voters chose to keep the flag in a 2001 statewide election, with supporters saying they saw it as a symbol of Southern heritage. But since then, a growing number of cities and all the state’s public universities have abandoned it. The flag issue was still broadly considered too volatile for legislators to touch, until the police custody death of an African-American man in Minneapolis, George Floyd. His death set off weeks of sustained protests against racial injustice, followed by calls to take down Confederate symbols. A groundswell of young activists, college athletes and leaders from business, religion, education and sports called on Mississippi to make the change, finally providing the momentum for legislators to vote.
Every single Fourth of July, I take a trip down memory lane and think about the fireworks scene from Joe Dirt. “So you’re gonna tell me, that you don’t have no black cats, no Roman Candles, or screaming Mimis?” Kicking Wing goes on to tell Joe that he doesn’t have them, but Joe is just flustered. He then asks, “Oh come on man. You got no lady fingers, fuzz buttles, snicker bombs, church burners, finger blasters, gut busters, zippity do das, or crap flappers?” At this point, we’re all just dying of laughter. It doesn’t even end there. The best part is “You’re gonna stand there, ownin’ a fireworks stand, and tell me you don’t have no whistling bungholes, no spleen splitters, whisker biscuits?” and so on! How the heck did David Spade hold it together during this scene? It’s one of the funniest movie quotes of all time. This movie is a classic, and if I can’t say Joe Dirt quotes around you, then you’re not the one for me. It’s one of my favorite movies and a Foghat song is in it. Plus, Christopher Walken is in it! It’s definitely one of the best David Spade movies of all time. Remember, drink responsibly, and have a safe and fun Fourth of July! Have fun popping your sparklers, gut busters, zippity do das, cherry bombs, spleen splitters, and crap flappers.
So, I saw this pic of today;'s guest Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese and it reminded me of something...

And then it hit me...

Hahahaha. As the Black Lives Matter movement inspires actions around the world, many churches are using their platform to voice their support. Like Lutheran Church of Reformation, D.C.

If I had a TARDIS I would like to go to the set of Taxi Driver but knowing my luck Billie Perkins, Jodie Foster and Robert De Niro wouldn't talk to me. Haha!

One day I will get Jodie Foster on the Phile. I was thinking of getting another tattoo but someone had the same idea I had...

Yesterday on the Phile I had Larry Charles who directed the film The Dictator. That film almost had a different title. Here's proof...

The Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd has brought forth a wave of activism, both substantive and performative. These celebrities likely freaked out their publicists with their poorly-received posts. Ivanka Trump was criticized for claiming that she was a victim of "cancel culture," having just teargassed peaceful protesters so her father could take a picture with a bible she carried in her $1,540 MaxMara purse.

A Political Action Committee's ad contrasted the video of the speech with footage of the attack and went viral. Now from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York here is...

Top Phive Things Said By Gen Xers 
5. You guys can call us Gen Xers "Karen" if you want but if you understood us at all, it'd be "Heather."
4. Some days I remember that Winona Ryder, the dark princess of Gen X, the coolest of the cool, is known among many younger folks as "the mom from 'Stranger Things.'"
3. Fun fact: the "Gen" in "Gen X" is actually short for Gennifer.
2. Gen X ending up not being remembered for anything but being cancelled is so Gen X.
And the number one thing said by a Gen Xer is...
1. You know, I roll hard with Gen X. I represent, I don't forget about us. I use my voice to remember our culture, as much as I can. But, I'm not going to lie. Avocado toast is goddamn delicious.

If you spot the Mindphuck let me know. You know I live in Florida, right? Well, crazy stuff happens in this state that happens no place else. So here once again is...

This pic only proves to me how amazing and strong moms are.

A pregnant Florida woman, who almost made it inside a birth center, literally gave birth steps away from the entrance after she said “nope, I’m coming now, mom.” Sure enough, the beautiful healthy baby made its grand entrance in the parking lot, and it was all captured by security footage. Susan Anderson and her husband, Joseph, rushed to Natural Birthworks in Margate after the mother’s water broke. The couple was looking forward to a very peaceful and loving delivery inside the facility, especially with the whole coronavirus situation, but little baby Julia over here decided to jump the gun and had other plans. Through a Ring doorbell camera, you can see the mom crouched down in the parking lot while midwife Sandy Lobaina stands behind her. The South Florida woman quickly screams as her husband is holding her up, trying to calm her down. That’s when two police officers, who happened to be in the area at that time, approached them. Lobaina quickly tells the officers, “She’s okay. I’m the midwife. She’s here to have the baby.” As soon as Susan lets out another scream, Lobaina acts quick and catches the baby, leaving the officers wide-eyed and in disbelief. One of the officers asks the trio if she wants them to call an ambulance, but Lobaina says, “No, no, she’s here to have the baby, she just didn’t make it inside.” Moments later, the owner of the birthing center, Gelena Hinkley, comes running into the frame in a panic. Lobaina tells her that the mom actually had the baby already, holding in some laugher, as Hinkley replied, ‘”Un-freaking-believable.” Because well, she truly missed the whole party here. Hey, at least everyone was laughing, sounds like it was a hell of a time. Although Hinkley did miss all of the action, she had a good sense of humor about it, saying “It was the best handoff ever.” Luckily the mom and baby are doing just fine and were ecstatic to share the Ring video to bring people joy. Because well, this is one tough momma! You try having a baby in the parking lot with no medicine and no one but your husband and midwife out in the open. That baby is going to have one heck of a story to share with her classmates, that’s for sure. Congrats to the new parents!

Your shadow is a confirmation that light has traveled nearly 93 million miles unobstructed, only to be deprived of reaching the ground in the final few feet thanks to you.

People in glass houses should not accuse others of having a false sense of security. Okay, let's take a live look at Port Jeff, shall we?

It looks nice as the sun is going down. I expected more people to be out though as it's the evening. Oh, well.

DUMBWAITER
One who asks if the kids would care to order dessert.

They didn’t like it when then-candidate Donald Trump criticized John McCain for being captured in combat. They were angrier when Trump, as commander in chief, abandoned Kurdish allies in the Middle East. And they were upset again last month when he threatened to deploy troops against American protesters. Trump’s relationship with the nation’s military community has been frequently strained. But just four months before the November election, reports that he either ignored, or was unaware of, a Russian plot to kill U.S. troops could intensify the tension and create new political risks. “I don’t think he cares about troops at all,” said Shawn LeMond, a Navy veteran who served his country in the Middle East and then his state of North Carolina as a Republican legislator. “If he didn’t know about Russia, it’s because he didn’t do his damn homework. And that’s despicable.” After sitting out the 2016 election, LeMond has withdrawn from the Republican Party and plans to vote for Trump’s Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, this fall. It’s difficult to gauge how widespread LeMond’s sentiment is among veterans, but there was a significant outcry this week from a collection of retired service members, elected officials in both parties and families of fallen soldiers who have lost confidence in the president’s commitment to the troops. That’s just four weeks after Trump’s former defense secretary James Mattis, a Marine general, described the president as a threat to the Constitution. Any erosion in Trump’s support from the national security community, long a pillar of the GOP base, could damage his reelection prospects, particularly in swing states with large concentrations of veterans, including Florida, Virginia, Texas and North Carolina. Rep. Richard Hudson, whose district includes Fort Bragg, acknowledged the troubling nature of the revelations, but like many other Republicans on Capitol Hill, he sidestepped Trump’s role. “There is no consensus on the intelligence yet, but as Fort Bragg’s congressman, I’m deeply troubled by the reports,” he said. “And if they are verified to be true, I believe there needs to be swift and severe consequences on Russia.” American intelligence has assessed that Russia offered militants bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan. Initial intelligence was shared with the White House and included in one of Trump’s daily briefings in early 2019. In spite of that, Trump has maintained a warm relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin throughout his presidency. Trump on Wednesday dismissed the allegations as “Fake News.” The White House initially said Trump wasn’t briefed on the intelligence. But on Tuesday, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Trump was indeed briefed, though there were reservations about the veracity of the allegations. “Make no mistake. This president will always protect American troops,” she declared. Those words rang hollow to some who serve the military community, like Rep. Paul Cook, a Marine veteran who represents several military installations and is retiring at year’s end. “I’m not really sure he absorbs a lot of this stuff,” Cook told the Associated Press of reports that Trump was briefed on the bounties. “He’s probably thinking about the polls.” Cook added, “I’m not going to be an apologist for Trump. Trump is Trump.” Biden leaned into the debate Tuesday, calling the Trump administration’s handling of the Russian intelligence “an absolute dereliction of duty.” As he often does, Biden reflected on his own son’s military service in Iraq. The developments were even more personal for potential Biden running mate Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a former Army lieutenant colonel who lost her legs in a helicopter crash in Iraq. “It’s deeply personal, it’s nauseating, and it’s obscene,” Duckworth said of Trump’s muted response to the Russian bounties, which she cast as evidence that the commander in chief doesn’t value the well-being of American troops. “I think the only thing President Trump cares about is his own reelection and his own well-being.” The most poignant reactions, however, didn’t come from politicians. Erik Hendriks lost his 25-year-old son in an April 2019 attack that intelligence officials believe may be tied to the Russian bounties. The New York man said the pain of his son’s death would be even worse if there were bounties on American soldiers that the Trump administration didn’t address. “When they sign up and they go... any soldier, a Marine, Navy, Air Force, Army... I’m sure they want to believe that the government is 100% in their corner,” Hendriks told the AP. “And if any of this is true, how could a soldier actually believe that anymore? How could this government let one soldier go on patrol out there knowing this is true?” Those questions resonated with Matthew Whitney, a retired Army intelligence officer who worked in the Pentagon and now lives in Florida, a must-win state for the president. The 55-year-old Orlando man said the Trump administration clearly didn’t prioritize vital intelligence on Russia, which speaks either to the president’s leadership or to the people he surrounds himself with. He said he voted for Trump four years ago and wouldn’t do it again. “I feel like when this president stands in front of the troops... there’s probably a part of his heart that cares for them... but I wonder to what extent they’re basically just props for him to talk about himself,” Whitney said. He admitted, however, that many of his close friends from the military community continue to support Trump. That’s the case in the Bush household near Fort Bragg, where Robyne Bush, the mother of a soldier in basic training and the wife of a retired Green Beret, shrugged off the latest revelations as old news. “We knew this. It’s not a secret,” said Bush, an Army veteran herself, who has helped comfort nearly 20 families of fallen soldiers. She voted for Trump in 2016 and vowed to do so again, praising his support for service members and the Veterans Administration. “I don’t like him as a person. I don’t like that personality,” Bush said. “But I think that he knows more than he ever lets on.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing substance abuse, call the National Drug Helpline at 1-844-289-0879.

A nun and a priest were traveling across the desert and realized halfway across that the camel they were using for transportation was about to die. They set up a make-shift camp, hoping someone would come to their rescue, but to no avail. Soon the camel died. After several days of not being rescued, they agreed that they were not going to be rescued. They prayed a lot (of course), and they discussed their predicament in great depth. Finally the priest said to the nun, "You know, sister, I am about to die, and there's always been one thing I've wanted here on earth... to see a woman naked. Would you mind taking off your clothes so I can look at you?" The nun thought about his request for several seconds and then agreed to take off her clothes. As she was doing so, she remarked, "Well, Father, now that I think about it, I've never seen a man naked, either. Would you mind taking off your clothes, too?" With little hesitation, the priest also stripped. Suddenly the nun exclaimed, "Father! What is that little thing hanging between your legs?" The priest patiently answered, "That, my child, is a gift from God. If I put it in you, it creates a new life." "Well," responded the nun, "forget about me. Stick it in the camel!"

This is bloody amazing! Today's guest is an American actor, producer, and director. The book Robert De Niro, Sr.: Paintings, Drawings, and Writings: 1942-1993 is the 130th book to be pheatured in the Phile's Book Club. De Niro, Sr. is also the subject of the 2014 short documentary Remembering the Artist. Please welcome to the Phile, the great... Robert De Niro!

Me: Hello, sir, welcome to the Phile. I can't believe I'm interviewing you. How are you?

Robert: I am good. How are you?

Me: I'm great. I love the picture of your dad on the back of the book. When you look at pics of your dad in the studio what are some of the thoughts that come to your mind?

Robert: Well, the smell of turpentine, paints, I suppose cigarette smoke too. All those smells. That's pretty common. It was pretty common.

Me: Did you want to be a painter yourself?

Robert: No. I never had an interest in being a painter. My kids are not interested in what I'm doing so I understand that totally. It wasn't, as much as I loved and respected my father, what he did, his work, how wonderful he was, I just had no interest.

Me: Did you ever try to paint?

Robert: No. Well, a little bit when I went to school, I got in on a kind of art scholarship but I never really. I wish I had more interest in it but I wasn't.

Me: When did your dad pass away, sir?

Robert: About 27 years ago.

Me: What's his studio like now?

Robert: I preserved my father's studio in Soho as he left it.

Me: Oh, wow. Do you ever go in there?

Robert: I sometimes go in there and sit.

Me: What is that like when you go into that room?

Robert: Well, the same of course.

Me: Why did you keep it the way it was?

Robert: For my kids, my kid's kids, family members in future generations I want them to be to know what their grandfather and great grandfather, great, great grandfather was. What his legacy was. So I figured this was one way. The more immediate thing was my younger children who had never met their grandfather, or their grandmother. Their grandmother a little bit before she passed away. So it was very important for them to see where he actually lived and what he did. Other than film and pictures and so on. Just wanted again for the family to know. Future generations to know what he did. What Robert De Niro, Sr. did. And how great he was as far as I felt. He was a real artist and a real painter. That's it.

Me: What was it about you father's work that made it so great or stand out?

Robert: Well, I know he was dedicated. He was prolific. His work is real and good. It's not flippant. It's substantial. When we look at his paintings, his black and whites, anything he does, I have no other way of saying it but it's substantial. It's good. It's real. That's it.

Me: Did you have any kind of idea what your dad did when you were a kid was special?

Robert: Well, I did know what he did was special. I was also very proud of him. Even though at times when I was a kid 7, 8, 9, 10, he wanted me to go to his shows and I said, "I don't want to go. Do I really have to?" And so on. My kids kind of do that too. My younger ones have to go they are so young, they have no choice. When they get older they have a little bit of a choice They're not an enthusiastic. Sometimes. But later on we would always go to his shows. His mother, my family, my kids, my mother. It was kind of a tradition that whenever he had a show we'd go.

Me: My dad was the lead singer in Foghat and we always went to see him play on Long Island, and when he played in Orlando. I loved going to his shows up until he passed away. Is there a time when you thought your dad's stuff was pretty cool unlike your friends fathers?

Robert: That's what I was aware of and became more and more aware of. That he was special and what he did was special. That was it. It was that simple for me. 

Me: What was your mom like?

Robert: My mom was also a painter, Virginia Admiral. My parents separated when I was a kid but they remained friends.

Me: What was your relationship with your dad like?

Robert: I wasn't living with him, I was living with my mother but he lived in the Village, my mother lived in the Village, so I'd see him sometimes. I'd run into him on the street. The times I go visit him we'd get together and go do something and go to the gallery when he had a show. It was a good relationship but we didn't spend a lot of time together. We were close sometimes but we couldn't label it. Like I said we weren't together, we didn't hang out together, we didn't grand discussions about art or this and that. Sometimes he'd go on and I'd just listen and he was rambling.

Me: What is something he would ramble about?

Robert: I can't really remember those. Something sticks out but not much. Real life is not like the movies, we don't have ties where we sit down and have long conversations. "Son, this is how life is going to guide you." Or "We are going on a fishing trip and play ball together but this doesn't mean we can't be close." He would go off on things like that. He that this extreme conscious rambling but I wasn't listening, I didn't really care too much. So whatever glimpses of it I would carry.

Me: Do you wish you paid more attention to what he was saying?

Robert: Yeah, I wish I had been. I wish I was more tentative. But I was younger. I took my parents for granted. That's just the way it is.

Me: So, what were you like as a teenager?

Robert: I was hanging out with a gang in Little Italy, I went by the name Bobby Milk.

Me: Really? Is this true?

Robert: It is pretty much accurate.

Me: Were you rebelling against your parents?

Robert: I could've been rebelling in some ways.

Me: Where did the name Bobby Milk come from?

Robert: Because I like milk.

Me: Ooooh. Okay. So, having artists as parents did that influence you becoming an actor?

Robert: Not directly. Maybe the taste my parents had indirectly affected me. Almost consciously, sub-consciously, sure. Certain things they felt might've rubbed off on me.

Me: When you told your parents you wanted to be an actor were you scared they wouldn't want you to be?

Robert: That wasn't anything, they didn't feel it was anything that was so bad. If you think about it he could of said, "Try to do something adult. Don't get into a situation like I am where I'm always broke and struggling here." Never any of that. He just accepted it. Said fine. Great.

Me: Was your dad proud of you?

Robert: Yeah.

Me: Did he go see your films and all that?

Robert: Yeah.

Me: Did he ever tell you what he thought about your acting?

Robert: Again we didn't have any grand discussions. Tell me, pick a part, compare this to this and that. Like I didn't with his work. We were just there together. He was happy I was doing relatively well. Succeeding some level of success if you will. Happy for me and proud the way I was of for him.

Me: Did you go to the movies together?

Robert: When I was younger we went to a few of the movies I remember.

Me: I miss doing to the movies with my dad, sir. What are some of the movies you say with your dad?

Robert: Cocktail, Beauty and the Beast, King Kong the original, 42nd Street.

Me: Your dad was respected as an artist but didn't make a lot of money or get famous really. Do you think that bothered him?

Robert: Yeah, I think it did. It's recognition more than fame. If someone gets recognition then the by-product of that is fame in some way I think. He wanted to be appreciated. Wanted to be recognized. 

Me: If I ask anything to personal just let me know, sir. When you became very famous as an actor and he didn't get that famous as a painter did that make things weird between you two?

Robert: No. He could've said a part of him here or there "I wished that happened to me," but that never over rode his feeling proud of me. I'm not even sure about that. What I just said, but what I am sure was he was proud of me.

Me: My dad passed away in 2000 and I wonder sometimes if he'd like this blog, which I started in 2006.

Robert: I don't see how it could be any other way with any sensible loving parent. How could anyone not be proud of their kid?

Me: In the book there's journals and things your dad wrote. He talks about being gay, and the struggles with it. Did he ever talk to you about that?

Robert: No. My mother mentioned it in my early 20s. She implied and inferred but it was never something that was brought up much or spoken about.

Me: One of your own children is gay, sir, did the experiences you had with your dad help you how to communicate with them?

Robert: No. I just say that's it. That's who he is, that's who one of my kids is. I just want him to be as comfortable as possible with the day he's living. He's also luckier to be living in a time like now where it's more accepted. It's still a struggle, people still go through a lot. I am going to be the parent who tells him how much I love him and accept him whatever he is, or does, as long has he's not hurting other people or himself.

Me: There's an HBO documentary called Remembering the Artist: Robert De Niro, Sr. In it you read some of your dad's letters and stuff. What was that like?

Robert: It's interesting. I read the passages and it didn't feel that odd or strange or whatever. I was just doing what I should be doing for the project.

Me: Have you read all of them?

Robert: No, I haven't yet. Somebody wrote something, it was a good article, I forget the newspaper but they put the headline I was so upset when I read them and needed the time. That is not true. I didn't read them because I do feel certain things, because that's how I am in life. Even though I might by a book or do something or even by some clothing I might not wear it to read it or do something that I prepared for or got access to before, until it feels right. But I know one day it will be the time. It's like having a place, having a few extra rooms and I might say maybe one day I might use that room. Its like going into another area of the city or the country or something and now I'm going to start using that room to read in, live in, or work in more. But now I don't but I know it's going to come to some use later on. Reading my father's journals and stuff was when I felt the time to do it. Whenever that will be.

Me: Of course. That stuff was meant for him, right?

Robert: Right. Exactly. It's like stealing myself away for a moment.

Me: Do you want the kids to read your dad's journals?

Robert: Yeah, I want my kids to read it. That will be a harder thing to get them. I don't know, maybe they will at one point realize it's about time that they do read it. I might prod them on that but I don't really want to at the same time. They have to want to do it.

Me: My son is 20 now, and the last few years he's been asking me questions about my dad. I love it that he wants to know about his grandad. You think it's important that your kids know their grandfather to you, right?

Robert: It is because he was a special artist and they should be proud of him. They would, and will and are proud of him. So I don't want them to miss out on that and say "why didn't you tell me?" Or not have enough interest. Sometimes with family things, legacies and traditions we have to kind of set it up for the kids and family members so they are educated about that. Then after that then they are on their own because they have gotten their formal introduction. That's important.

Me: True. So, you've been in the news lately for comments you made about Trump, sir. You said "he's too stupid to know he's evil" and other things, does the ability to be politically outspoken come from your parents?

Robert: Maybe. They were not outspoken.

Me: Do you consider yourself a political person?

Robert: I'm not like a political person. But I feel that in this atmosphere, what's going on, and we see it more and more every day now it's absurd. People have to speak out. They think people who don't say anything or in the position to say anything. What upsets me is we have these Republicans, when they leave they speak out, even then they don't. These are guys and girls who are stars in their own neighborhood that could get the best job in a law office from whatever community they're in and they can still speak out and the media will always listen to them. But they don't even then, because they probably don't want to offend their old colleagues in Congress or the Senate. They're still being tribally loyal and instead of saying "wait a minute, this is insane. I have to speak out." It's shameful what they've done and what they are doing. Now's the time and they're all going to be remembered in history. They're all going to be remembered for how shameful they've behaved.

Me: That's a good point. Robert, sir, thanks so much for being on the Phile. Please come back again sometime. Stay well.

Robert: You too, thank you.

That about does it for this entry of the Phile. Before I go I have to mention another Phile Alum has passed away. Sean Tyla was an English rock guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist and songwriter, sometimes known as the "Godfather of Boogie." Best known for his work with Ducks Deluxe and Tyla Gang, he has also played with Help Yourself, Joan Jett, and Deke Leonard, and appeared solo. I interviewed him back in 2012 for my birthday entry and it was a big deal for me. Here's the link to it if you wanna read it again... thepeverettphile.blogspot.com/2012/11/my-phorty-phourth-birthday-special.html. His music will live on. The Phile will be back on Monday with director Michael Apted. Spread the word, not the turd... or virus. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Mask it or casket. Bye, love you, bye.

I don't want you, cook my bread, I don't want you, make my bed, I don't want your money too, I just want to make love to you. - Willie Dixon