Extreme political ad attacks. A nationalist candidate with celebrity ties. Political machinations of a “progressive” party. These things are all commonplace in today’s hyper-partisan political climate. But when they were plotlines in the 2003 satire Head of State starring Chris Rock, most people thought the film was stranger than fiction.
Less than two years before President George W. Bush’s reelection, Rock played the role of Mays Gilliam, a D.C. alderman and bonafide “man of the people.” His working-class prowess was evidenced in a speech that was impressive then and would still resonate now, a commentary most known for its “That ain’t right!” refrain:
