More reasons to criticize De Niro

Pro-Trump voters have had a field day mocking Robert De Niro for his anti-Trump press conference the other day outside of a New York courtroom. My question: Why haven't these same voters condemned his blatantly negative Italian “mob” roles over the decades?

In particular, there is “Shark Tale,” a 2004 animated film for impressionable kids where he voiced the main villain, Don Lino, a murderous “mafia” shark. Nice message to send to younger viewers. It was indefensible. Yet there wasn't a peep out of the same people suddenly outraged over his alleged disrespect of President Trump.

Their outrage would be much easier to take if it was distributed fairly and culturally, not just politically.

Still, be that as it may: As someone who has long called out De Niro for never living up to the acting promise he exhibited in the 1970s (his performances since then have been dull and repetitive), I, too, can't help being appalled at his recent meltdown. How about some new variations on his various old-school movie titles?

For example: “Not-So-Good-Fella”; “Raging BS”; “1900 Times I've Mumbled to Reporters” (in 1977, De Niro made an Italian film with Bernardo Bertolucci called “1900"); and “Analyze ME, I am so Messed Up.”

De Niro has a right to criticize anyone he likes.

I also have the right to make fun of him — and to call out his hypocritical, fickle, former “fans.”

They both deserve each other.

Bill Dal Cerro

Chicago