Just Kidding?

Until last week, all we knew about Eddie Murphy was that he makes very funny movies. That changed on Tuesday. Calendar columnist Jack Mathews told us, in describing a Murphy press conference, that he is intelligent and charming and that Murphy said at one point that he is not a political person. “I have never voted in my life,” Murphy said.

For our taste, some Hollywood folk overdo the business of applying their fame and glamour to the rather serious business of politics, what with fund-raising and television spots in praise of candidates and, in extreme cases, actually running for office. But we never thought of voting as being political--just being helpful on something important, like deciding which course the republic should take.

The report was noncommital on the question of whether Murphy seemed to be bragging or whether he hid his face in his hands at the shame of it. We choose to believe that he was joking. After all, he is a very funny man.