The news of actor Wesley Snipes being sentenced to three years in prison for cheating on his taxes has sent shock waves through the Hollywood community. Fellow actors, convinced these tax charges are merely the beginning of large-scale witch hunt to rid society of horrible acting, are worried they could be next.

“Al Capone was a murderer, but how did they finally put him away,” asked noted bad actor Ben Affleck rhetorically. “For cheating on his taxes.

“Wesley (Snipes) wasn’t a murderer — he didn’t kill anyone who didn’t have it coming — but he was a horrible actor. And they made him pay for it.”

Bad actor Nicolas Cage agreed. “This is truly a sad day for bad actors everywhere,” noted the inexplicably successful star of numerous blockbuster movies.

“John (Travolta) and I talked about this very scenario ten years ago on the set of Face/Off. Someday, we said, people were going to get sick and tired of the madness. They were going to rise up and rid the world of ‘our kind.’

“Frankly, I’m surprised it took society this long to begin smiting us.”

Other actors took a less philosophical approach to the sentencing.

“Good Lord,” shouted overrated actor-comedian Chris Rock to nearby reporters. “If they can get Wesley, I don’t stand a chance. He was Blade, man. Blade!”

“I won’t last in prison,” sobbed infamous waste of space, Pauly Shore. “Do you know what they do to people like me in prison? Do you?! They’ll force me to watch Bio-Dome and Encino Man over and over! I can’t do it…I just can’t!”

The fact Snipes, a bad actor but nowhere near one of Hollywood’s worst, was the first domino to fall has led many observers to believe the actor will be offered a reduced sentence if he cooperates with authorities.

“It’s me they’re after,” remarked Keanu Reeves.

“Snipes was in Demolition Man with Sandra Bullock, my co-star from Speed and The Lake House. Snipes was also in that To Wong Foo drag movie with Patrick Swayze, my co-star in Point Break. He was also in U.S. Marshals with Joe Pantaliano, who was in the first Matrix movie. You know, the good one.

“They got Snipes so he can help them get me.”

When asked for comment, the lead prosecutor in the Snipes case confirmed the suspicions.

“It’s true. We’re after Keanu.”