Musician Gene Simmons delivered a blistering rebuke of celebrity political activism, dismissing Hollywood stars as delusional for thinking ordinary Americans care what they have to say about public affairs.
The KISS cofounders remarks came during a March 10 interview with TMZ, as reported by the Daily Caller, after he was asked about director Ben Stillers outrage over President Donald Trumps White House allegedly using a clip from one of his films in what Stiller labeled a propaganda machine. Pressed on how he viewed Hollywoods ongoing attacks on President Trump, Simmons made clear he has little patience for entertainers who confuse fame with expertise.
Yeah, because everybody in the world should listen to what actors and comedians say because theyre so qualified, Simmons said sarcastically, skewering the notion that celebrity status confers political authority. He then offered blunt, unsolicited advice to his fellow stars, declaring, Basically, shut the fuck up. Do your art and shut up.
Simmons emphasized that his criticism applies broadly to famous figures who try to inject their political agendas into public discourse. Nobodys interested in your opinions that includes me, he told TMZ, before pointedly asking, Who the fuck do you think you are?
The rocker contrasted the lifestyles of wealthy entertainers with those of ordinary Americans who bear the brunt of policy decisions. People in America work hard for their living and they dont want to be lectured to by people who live in mansions and drive Rolls Royces, he said, underscoring a populist frustration with elite moralizing.
He stressed that celebrities are not the voices the public should look to on serious political or global issues. Its time for everybody in the entertainment industry to shut their piehole and just do your art, Simmons insisted, adding, Nobody cares what you think I dont, in a final rejection of Hollywoods self-importance.
Before wrapping up, Simmons sarcastically referenced Kylie Jenner and Mark Ruffalo as examples of stars whose world views he believes are irrelevant to everyday citizens. Stiller, meanwhile, had attacked the White Houses official X account on March 6, accusing it of using a clip from the 2008 film Tropic Thunder in a video montage for propaganda purposes and demanding that it be taken down.
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