Point Break Remake On Hold Following Obama Mask Crisis

HOLLYWOOD, CA—The filming of Point Break, a remake of the popular 1991 picture starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, was brought to a grinding halt today as news of this weekend's Missouri State Fair incident involving a rodeo clown who mocked President Obama surfaced.

"My film crew, just like the rest of the nation, is stunned and devastated by the events that recently occurred in the heretofore unknown state of Missouri," director Ericson Core said, reading from a prepared statement. "As a gesture of respect for President Obama and his family in their time of need, all production of Point Break will cease until those responsible for this unimaginable travesty are brought to justice."

Later, Mr. Core spoke openly as to why he made the drastic decision.

"One of the highlights of my homage to the original Point Break was going to be a scene-by-scene recreation of the bank heist sequence in which the robbers disguise themselves with caricature-like masks of former presidents. I was planning to take a bit of artistic license by updating the robbers' masks with more recent presidents like Bill Clinton, Bush Junior, and Barack Obama. However, in the aftermath of the Missouri Incident, I simply can't bring myself to depict President Obama in such a negative light."

Mr. Core added that, in an odd way, the Missouri Incident was a godsend in that it "caused [him] to reevaluate his external tolerance level and usurp his inner tyrant."

When asked if he would now tone down the masks for the rest of the actors, Core replied, "Nope. I'm keeping Clinton, but Bush will be replaced by Dr. Zaius from Planet of the Apes, and I'm swapping Donald Rumsfeld for Freddy Krueger, and Dick Cheney for Satan himself."

The Midwest Ledger's repeated attempts to reach President Obama in Martha's Vineyard for comment were unsuccessful.