A Petition Calling For Kevin James To Replace Kevin Spacey In ‘House Of Cards’ Is Going Off
It just hit 20,000 signatures.
When Netflix announced that House of Cards would be suspended indefinitely in the wake of sexual harassment allegations against lead actor Kevin Spacey, they made the right call. Still, for fans of the show it was a sad moment, and people have been holding out hope that the show might somehow continue without Spacey on board.
Now, some legend has started a Change.org petition to replace Kevin Spacey with Kevin James, of Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 fame. In just four days, the petition has amassed almost 20,000 signatures, and shows no signs of slowing down.
There's a petition for @KevinJames to replace Spacey in "House of Cards" and no joke it's getting a signature a second… 2 mins apart pic.twitter.com/ey2vttvFc2
— Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) November 6, 2017
Some might call a petition to recast the lead actor in a critically acclaimed drama series about politics with a comedy actor known for films that average less than 30% on Rotten Tomatoes a “joke”. However, as commenters on Change.org point out, there are a number of compelling reasons that make Kevin James truly ideal for the job.
i thought that kevin james' real name was actually paul blart
— Manila Killa (@manilakilla) November 6, 2017
For starters, Kevin James is also called Kevin. Furthermore, he’s one of the rare Kevins with experience playing a President — Kevin James played POTUS in 2015 film Pixels, which Rolling Stone described as “a 3D metaphor for Hollywood’s digital assault on our eyes and brains”, and Salon called “an overwhelmingly sad experience” characterised by “soul-sucking emptiness”. Given that these phrases could also be applied to politics, it’s undeniable that James comes with the rare combination of experience necessary for the role.
People tend to forget that Kevin James did play the president in Pixels and he was damn good.
Kevin James >>Kevin Spacey pic.twitter.com/A7nlLoEL3f— Dante (@lau_dante) November 5, 2017
Consequently, support continues to pour in from fans. “Its the smart thing to do,” one commenter wrote on the petition. “I believe in being the change we want to see in the world,” another said.
Others left longer, more heartfelt perspectives. “I truly believe in my heart that Kevin James will not only save this show but elevate it to new levels. He would bring such a beautiful dynamic to the show. I support this 100% and would offer double the monthly Netflix fee to see it happen. Thank you for everything you do Kevin. Your friend. Mike”
Kevin James himself has yet to comment on the petition. We live in hope.