Ricky Gervais has advised the fist-pumping millionaire Hollywood celebrities to cut out their political grandstanding because their lectures to the everyday Americans tend to have the opposite effect of what they intended.
The British actor-comedian was taking stock of Sunday’s Academy Awards, where actors Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt, and Josh Gad used their time on stage to pontificate on politics and the environment.
Joaquin Phoenix: "That's when we're at our best—when we support each other. Not when we cancel each other out for past mistakes, but when we help each other to grow, when we educate each other, when we guide each other toward redemption." https://t.co/8kz7m5vtnF #Oscars pic.twitter.com/z9bymMr5bR
— ABC News (@ABC) February 10, 2020
Gervais tweeted Monday that he actually agrees with many of the positions that celebrities take, but thinks that getting lectured by wealthy Hollywood liberals is understandably off-putting to average Americans.
I have nothing against the most famous people in the world using their privileged, global platform to tell the world what they believe. I even agree with most of it. I just tried to warn them that when they lecture everyday, hard working people, it has the opposite effect. Peace.
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) February 10, 2020
The Intercept journalist Glenn Greenwald later accused Gervais of hypocrisy, tweeting that Gervais is also guilty of talking down to average people in his comedy shows. But Gervais maintained that he isn’t bothered by ordinary people who don’t agree with his politics.
Yes it's annoying when people don't listen to our lectures. Even though we're celebrities. How dare they? But that's what happens. That's all I'm saying.
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) February 10, 2020
In what appears to be a deleted tweet, Gervais defended Phoenix but added that many people resent lectures from celebrities.
“I know for a fact that’s lots of people hate overtly party political lectures from celebrities and dig their heels in. That’s all,” he said, according to a report from The Washington Examiner.
Story cited here.
