Last week Dean Cain, arguably the most forgettable Superman, made a bigly announcement to his tens of fans that he was joining ICE. The irony was not lost on most thinking people that an actor who once played Superman, the most prominent immigrant in the comic book landscape, is now trading in his hero’s cape to join forces with those kidnapping immigrants under this f–ked up regime. Plus, Cain had the nerve to underscore his Instagram announcement/ICE infomercial with the theme from Superman. Clearly, Cain thinks his actions are in line with his onscreen alter ego (of 30 years ago). Luckily, there are still those among us with the balls of steel to call Cain out, like John Leguizamo expertly did on Instagram over the weekend:
John Leguizamo had a few words for Dean Cain after the former Superman actor shared that he plans to be sworn in as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.
“What kind of loser volunteers to be an ICE officer?” Leguizamo said in a front-facing camera video posted to his Instagram on Friday. “What a moron. Dean Cain, your pronouns are has/been.”
Off of Warner Bros. and DC Studios’ “Superman’’ opening at the box office in July, Cain has ridden on the coattails of his most memorable role’s renewed relevance in some years. Before the reboot’s release, Cain, who portrayed the Man of Steel in the ‘90s television series “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” criticized its director James Gunn for calling the superhero an “immigrant” and alleged that Hollywood had made the character “woke.”
On Wednesday, Cain made an appearance on Fox News and stated that he plans to be “sworn in as an ICE agent, ASAP.” He argued that the U.S. “was built on patriots stepping up, whether it was popular or not,” and that joining ICE was “the right thing” to do.
Leguizamo has long been an advocate for Latino representation in Hollywood, telling People magazine in 2020, “We’re less than 1% of the stories told by Hollywood and streaming media and networks when we’re almost 20% of the population, 25% of the U.S. box office. I just feel like it’s such a damage to kids not to see themselves reflected back in positive ways.”
In July, Congress approved a massive spike to ICE funding, expanding its annual budget from $8 billion to roughly $28 billion. It will become the highest funded law enforcement agency in the federal government. On Wednesday, ice announced that it would remove its age limit for applicants, which had previously only accepted individuals between the ages of 21 and 40.
“Dean Cain, your pronouns are has/been.” Beautiful, Leguizamo, no notes! This is why John Leguizamo is an artist, while Dean Cain is “Who?” And I was similarly delighted to see that the comments on Cain’s ICE post were also cutting this has been down to size. As of this writing, the first two comments are “Nobody likes you. Not one person,” followed by “BROKE AF.” Between the two of them, I think they sum up Cain perfectly. Because it does take a loser, who’s broke in human empathy if not literal dollars, to see what this iteration of ICE is doing under Dementia Don and ICE Barbie and declare, “Yes, I want to be associated with that! I want to hound people at work and school and sometimes smash into their homes and cars with lethal force, even when I’m not 100% straight on the facts/sure I have the right person, and definitely not with due process. Why? Because this is AMERICA!” It’s cruelty, plain and simple, and to think that the injustice of ICE today is akin to the actual, historical heroes and patriots of our country — it’s a level of cognitive dissonance and mental gymnastics that defies the mind and the heart.
Photos credit: Marion Curtis/Starpix/INSTARimages
Absolutely savage! Leguizamo FTW!
There’s a lot of good analysis of how under-educated, less-successful people are attracted to conspiracy theories because it makes them feel “special” and “smart” in a way they haven’t before. Similarly, a lot of aspiring terrorist have ambitions of being in the military but failed.
Insecurity, personal failure, and a sense of entitlement over what a person “should” have are major drivers of the MAGA movement — this tool included. A failed actor who allied himself with bullies who make him feel strong and special.
Well, sure, but this doesn’t really fit Dean Cain. He’s a Yale grad & had a big part in a popular TV show. He’s just a hateful person.
Cain is a Princeton grad — not Yale. He and Brooke Shields were in a relationship when they were both undergrads at Princeton. He’s still a “less-successful” loser though.
Good for Leguizamo! Cain wanted to use his limited fame in ways that at least some of his grandparents and ancestors would surely deplore. Now he’s gone from “Who?” to “has/been” loser very quickly, very publicly, and very deservedly.
@ClammanderJen – I started hearing that during the pandemic anti-vax lunacy. There are also educated and successful people who have gone off the rails with conspiracy theories recently (and maybe always and I just didn’t know). I think uneducated is one profile. Another is searching for meaning. One can have a lot going on in life and still not feel purposeful. It seems that’s where insane theories can find a door into your brain.
I guess I should have been more explicit. There are myriad drivers for political extremism (and let’s be clear: MAGA is extremism), but all of them converge around a personal insecurity. For some, it’s education; others, power; others, masculinity; still others, inadequacy. Dean may be educated, but that fact that he’s chosen to ally himself with an institution that professionally bullies and attacks says a lot about where his insecurities are.
I’d just like to point out that his show was called Lois and Clark. Lois was the lead. I hope Teri Hatcher is having a blessed day.
The best comment I’ve seen: we know who’s eating the cats; we know who’s eating the dogs.
Cain says he “plans to be” – doesn’t mean he will be. I think this is a failed marketing ploy – bring out a “Superman” to recruit ICE agents.
Cain is a descendent of Japanese-American WWII-era internees. Imagine having that in your background and STILL being such an ignorant, hateful, racist piece of shit.
Leguizamo is so on-point here. Simple and brutally honest. But I still hope we get to hear from George Takei on this one.
Exactly this Miranda!
100% this @Miranda!
Ahahaha the pronoun burn is funny af, literally just reminding these losers they have pronouns sets them off, then the has/been kicker. 10/10, no notes.
And John Leguizamo is ageing like a fine wine, incidentally.
WORD UP.
I follow John on Insta and he’s amazing! He has been a powerful voice of resistance for a long time. He was sooooo great in Too Wong Foo Thanks for Everything.
I wish Chi Chi Rodriguez could confront Dean Cain to his face, cuss him out and call him Miss Lily White Superior, only Cain is of Japanese descent. As Miranda pointed out, he is literally the descendant of people put in Internment camps based on their race.
He’s good in pretty much everything he’s been in.
What a POS. That’s all I got. Also, I hope he gets sued for using the Superman theme. AH!
Is Dean Cain going to show up in the comments again🤣.
Leguizamo is a pithy dreamboat. Cain a GOP f**ktard aging like bananas.
Brenda would be so disappointed in Reek.
so many heart emojis
Yes, Dean Cain is just one generation remove from his Japanese-American WWII-era intern grandparents. But as an Asian American, I have to say—we don’t claim him as one of ours.
Is Dean Cain even fit enough for the job is my question.
The best part is there was a later official clarification that Cain will be an “honorary” ICEhole. Not even the real deal, just a pretend officer.
Like a mascot?
Cain is a hateful idiot—but Steven “I Went To Russia To Join The Army” Seagall still takes the Doofiest Right-Wing Nutter Prize…
He needs to put down the sandwiches and back away from the table.