The Christopher Walken for President Hoax circulated for a short time in 2005. False U.S. presidential candidates have been proposed over the years but, because of Walken’s popularity with moviegoers, many hoped that he intended to run for president of the United States in 2008.
The Pulp Fiction star’s presidential bid seemed believable and credible at first. However, the truth of the Christopher Walken for President Hoax was resolved quickly and didn’t do serious reputation damage to the actor.
Christopher Walken for President Hoax as Satire
Christopher Walken’s sardonic smile prompted many to believe in the hoax as satire.
The campaign gag that put Walken forward as a potential presidential candidate wasn’t a first in American political history. An earlier 1964 hoax hawked “Yetta Bronstein for President.” “Nobody for President” was suggested in 1976.
Of course, since Yetta Bronstein’s popularity was negligible compared to Walken, no one remembers that she lost to Presidents Johnson and Nixon in the sixties decade. NPR reports that Mrs. Bronstein “lives in the Bronx. She has a boy named Marvin. He plays the drums, badly.”
Christopher Walken for President Political Hoax
History says that the Christopher Walken for President Hoax was one of the best because of the actor’s fame. Several websites were built to lend authenticity to Walken’s supposed political campaign. A walkenforpres site offered a Walken quote that the country is on a downward spiral, that Americans should focus on what’s most important, e.g. “children, people, and the future.” The quote closed with the Christopher Walken for President “campaign slogan:” It is time to get American back on track!
Fake Presidential Websites Added Authenticity to the Hoax
The fake websites looked realistic. More visitors thought that Christopher Walken would run for president! Word spread, and Walken’s representatives realized they had to speak with the media about the hoax. Mara Buxbaum, Walken’s public relations representative confirmed that Christopher Walken wasn’t running for president. She also commented that the ruse may have been inspired by his latest character in “Wedding Crashers.”
Walken’s agent at International Creative Management clarified that she didn’t know where the Christopher Walken for President Hoax idea originated. She also explained that Walken’s active fan club wasn’t responsible for the hoax.
Domain Registered Under “Christopher Walken for President”
The domain registrar GoDaddy confirmed that someone paid for and registered two fake site names. Because the people who paid for the site did so without identifying themselves, listing the domain owner as “Christopher Walken for President” in Los Angeles address with a Florida zip code.
New Line Cinema, the distributor for the “Wedding Crashers” movie, confirmed through a spokesperson that their business didn’t promote the Christopher Walken for President Hoax. They also said that the fake websites weren’t related to marketing for the movie.
Could Christopher Walken Win a U.S. Presidential Campaign?
Christopher Walken for President was a brief and inspiring hoax. If Mr. Walken had made a bid for public office, would he have become President of the United States? After all, Ronald Reagan was a popular actor for years before he became President in 1980.
