Ego Management

Serious times like these call for serious escapism, like the recent movie Anger Management.

The Adam Sandler/Jack Nicholson comedy raked in a whopping $44.5 million on its opening weekend, setting an April box-office record.

The news that seven American prisoners of war were rescued by U.S. Marines in Iraq on the same weekend probably sweetens the take for Sandler.

"I just want to say hello to all the troops who are overseas right now," Sandler says in a taped message for the troops on his official Web site (adamsandler.com). "I want to thank you guys for risking your lives for our country and I know you got a job to do, and I hope you get it done quick and safe, and get your asses back home real soon okay," he says.

As some of Hollywood's older stars like Susan Sarandon and Martin Sheen continue to rail against the war, it's amazing to see that one of our country's biggest "younger" stars is not afraid to go against popular celebrity opinion.

Adam Sandler is a talented guy. His work on Saturday Night Live garnered several Emmy nominations, and his box-office clout ranks up there with the likes of Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts. His "down-to-earthness" is a refreshing change for audiences, and their big-money responses to his films -- from Happy Gilmore ($80 million) to The Wedding Singer ($160 million) and now Anger Management -- is a reflection of his talent and personality.

Whenever I hear his holiday hit "The Chanukah Song," it always brings a smile to my face, no matter what is going on around me, and I'm not even Jewish.

Therefore it comes as no surprise that this very busy movie star/mogul, would take the time to tape a message for the troops and post it on his Web site. I picture him encoding it and posting it himself. That's the kind of guy he is.

Also over the weekend actor Sean Penn's stolen limited edition "muscle car" was recovered sans two handguns -- a loaded Glock 9mm and an unloaded Smith and Wesson .38 caliber. The fact that the outspoken peace activist has a license to carry concealed weapons seems a bit hypocritical doesn't it?

I doubt very much Penn has active membership in the NRA, but he probably felt at home on his tour of Iraq since his government minders -- eh-hem, I mean tour guides -- were probably carrying concealed weapons as well.

Unfortunately, there are now two more guns in the hands of criminals.

Finally, a memorial service will be held today (Wednesday) in New York City's St. Patrick's Cathedral for the late NBC newsman David Bloom. The anchor/correspondent died as a result of a pulmonary embolism while covering the war in Iraq. Bloom will be remembered fondly by all in the news business as a consummate professional and loving family man.

Thirteen journalists, two of them Americans, have died while covering the war.

An Op-Ed in the New York Times last Friday by CNN news chief Eason Jordan documents some of the dangers CNN staffers were subjected to when dealing with Baghdad. In it, Jordan courageously and perhaps detrimentally, to both his career and the network he runs, admitted to having knowledge of crimes against humanity committed by the regime of Saddam Hussein.

He believed, however, that he couldn't report what he, and other CNN staffers, knew for fear of the safety of those working in CNN's Baghdad bureau.

"I felt awful having these stories bottled up inside me," Jordan writes. "Now that Saddam Hussein's regime is gone, I suspect we will hear many, many more gut-wrenching tales from Iraqis about the decades of torment. At last, these stories can be told freely."

Since then there has been much debate in the media about that decision and Jordan's mea culpa. Despite that debate, the Op-Ed and its close-to-home stories of torture and torment, serves as a reminder that the journalists who have died while covering the war did not die in vain.

For more on this topic tune in to FOX News media analyst Eric Burns on FOX News Watch this weekend and for his column right here on FOXnews.com.

Mike Straka is the project manager for FOX News's Internet operations and contributes as a features reporter and producer on FOX Magazine (Sundays 11 p.m. on FNC) and as a reporter and columnist for FOXnews.com. 

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