With social media, it doesn’t take much for a celebrity to be overwhelmed with backlash. Now actor Kurt Russell is the latest to upset social media, but interestingly it isn’t for any specific political statement. Rather, Kurt Russell is receiving backlash for having stated that actors should be politically neutral. While some fans seem to agree, there’s a large number of individuals that were rather agitated by Russell’s statement.
Specifically, Kurt Russell had this to say to The New York Times when they asked if he still believed actors should be politically neutral:
“Totally.”
Kurt Russell further elaborated:
“I’ve always been someone who felt we are court jesters,” said Russell. “That’s what we do. As far as I’m concerned, you should step away from saying anything so that you can still be seen by the audience in any character. There’s no reason entertainers can’t learn just as much as anybody else about a subject, whatever it is. But I think that what’s sad about it is that they lose their status as a court jester. And I’m a court jester. That’s what I was born to do.”
He also went more in depth regarding what he meant by “court jester” after his wife Goldie Hawn joked that he was “not always funny.”
“A court jester isn’t always funny,” explaining how “a court jester is the only one who can walk into the castle and put the king down as long as he doesn’t hit too close to home,” and sharing how he thought this role and its dynamics to be “a big, important part of all cultures throughout history, and I’d like to see it stay in ours.”
Goldie Hawn then doubled down on this opinion:
“The one thing I don’t agree with [the mainstream thought about] is that just because we have a platform we always have to use it,” she said. “That is our choice.”
As you can imagine, then came the backlash:
https://twitter.com/Lois_Ouellette/status/1329381481458913282?s=20
That’s the least brave thing I’ve heard this year. He just made all of the characters he played weaker.
Good job, wrinkly toolbox.— Ryan A Bell (@ryan_a_bell) November 19, 2020
https://twitter.com/geekbroll/status/1329391382344003584?s=20
Very disappointing statement from Kurt Russell. I want to know where celebrities stand on issues. I want them to be responsible American adults and tell me it is not just all about the money to them.
— Dave Lohse (@showtunesrock) November 19, 2020
Of course, despite the backlash, some were still pleased by the statements made by Kurt Russell and his desire to be politically neutral.
https://twitter.com/abelljr1/status/1329407863467495425?s=20
https://twitter.com/stevetierney/status/1329409443793137669?s=20
https://twitter.com/FerdinandFrede9/status/1329411071149543427?s=20
https://twitter.com/Housecat36/status/1329411616157425667?s=20
As with most things on social media, what Kurt Russell had to say appears to receive both backlash and praise. With such a divisive opinion, it’s worth asking – what are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments section down below.