Simon Pegg Wants BLM Critics Silenced, Other Celebrities Show Protest Support
Whether you want to call them protests or riots, there’s no denying that the United States is being rocked by social unrest at an entirely unprecedented level.
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Most celebrities have voiced support for Black Lives Matter and the protests sweeping across the United States. But writer/actor Simon Pegg has taken things one step further by attacking anyone who disagrees with them.
In an interview with The Observer he had this to say about people who criticize Black Lives Matter: “Anyone that’s complaining about it should just shut the f*** up because it’s time.”
In the interview Pegg goes on to accuse his own industry of being discriminatory saying, “The film industry would be such a healthier, more interesting place if there were more voices, different stories, different experiences… It’s so dominated by one particular voice and colour of face, it just perpetuates a bland mono-voiced cultural landscape.”
Kristen Bell Gives Her Job To A Black Woman – June 25, 2020
When Jenny Slate gave up her role on the show Big Mouth so that it could be given to a black woman, the pressure was on for other white women in Hollywood to follow suit. So they are.
The next white woman to give up her job to a black woman is Kristen Bell who has quit her part on the Apple TV+ animated musical comedy Central Park. Bell voiced a biracial character named Molly on the show, but now she’s out.
Here’s how Kristen explains her exit: “This is a time to acknowledge our acts of complicity. Here is one of mine. Playing the character of Molly on Central Park shows a lack of awareness of my pervasive privilege. Casting a mixed-race character with a white actress undermines the specificity of the mixed race and Black American experience. It was wrong and we, on the Central Park team, are pledging to make it right. I am happy to relinquish this role to someone who can give a much more accurate portrayal and I will commit to learning, growing and doing my part for equality and inclusion.“
Season one of Central Park is already available on Apple TV+, no word yet on whether they’ll go back and replace her voice work in season 1 with someone else, since it has already been completed.
Jenny Slate Gives Her Job To A Black Woman – June 25, 2020
Actress Jenny Slate has quit her job on the animated series Big Mouth because she wants the character to be voiced by a black person. Slate voiced the character of Missy on the popular Netflix series.
Jenny explains her reason for stepping aside this way: “At the start of the show, I reasoned with myself that it was permissible for me to play ‘Missy’ because her mom is Jewish and white — as am I,” Slate wrote on Instagram. But ‘Missy’ is also Black and Black characters on an animated show should be played by Black people.”
Some fans have left confused comments in which they see a contradiction in Jenny Slate’s post. They claim it doesn’t make sense that she started her explanation saying Missy is biracial and then ended it by saying Missy is a Black character. However, most activists are applauding her actions and are encouraging other white actors to step aside in favor of giving their jobs to black actors.
Sophie Turner Says White Silence Is Violence – June 22, 2020
Actress Sophie Turner has become an ardent support of Black Lives Matter in recent weeks, even joining the protests on the ground with her husband Joe Jonas. However, her support recently became a little more controversial when she was seen carrying a “White Silence is Violence” sign…
The photo of Sophie with the sign is the second one in the gallery. Many believe the slogan implies that she believes anyone who isn’t actively voicing support for what she’s doing is committing a violent act. When a fan asked about it in the comments Turner responded this way: “This is about changing the system. Justice will be done when society reflects our beliefs that we are all equal.”
Jason Momoa Supports Property Destruction
Like nearly everyone, Jason Momoa has been an ardent supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement since the beginning. He took his support one step further this weekend, by supporting not only peaceful protests but also the less peaceful ones.
In particular, the Aquaman 2 star praised a mob of BLM rioters who attacked and pulled down a statue of Edward Colston in England. Here’s Momoa voicing support…
Edward Colston was a British merchant and member of Parliament who lived in the 1600s. He was an active philanthropist who gave large sums of money to schools, churches, and hospitals who shared his views. So they erected statues of him to say thanks. However, like many in that era, he also participated in the slave trade and made much of his fortune stealing people away from Africa.
While Jason Momoa’s post was right on trend with the current culture, there has been some backlash against his support of violent attacks on local monuments. A group of people who are not participating in the current culture has been saying things like this…
So far the #JasonMomoaIsOver hashtag hasn’t really picked up much steam, proving that Jason is in sync with the current global mood.
Natalie Portman Supports Defunding The Police
The biggest push for Black Lives Matter protestors (and perhaps alleged Antifa members mixed in with the crowds according to some sources) is their campaign to defund and disband the police. Some have resisted this idea out of fears that they won’t have someone to call for help if someone breaks into their house at night, but as Minneapolis (where they are currently disbanding the police entirely) city council president Lisa Bender explained in her interview on CNN here, that’s just your privilege talking.
Apparently Natalie Portman was listening, because after some initial concerns about her own safety, she has now decided to support defunding the police. Here’s Portman’s public show of support…
In her statement Portman says, “When I first heard Defund the Police,” she writes, “I have to admit my first reaction was fear. My whole life, police have made me feel safe. But that’s exactly the center of my white privilege.”
Natlie goes on to explain, “I’ve gotten to the age in my life, where if my gut feels uncomfortable, I take the situation as wrong. But this concept initially made me uncomfortable because I was wrong. Because the system that makes me feel comfortable is wrong.”
The Rock Inspires With A Speech
The Rock responded to the days of protest, rioting, and looting in the United States as he always responds to just about everything: By trying to do something inspiring.
In this case, instead of his usual workout video, The Rock delivered an inspiring speech. Here it is…
Fans were so impressed with his rhetoric that #ROCKFORPRESIDENT began trending on Twitter and even now, many hours after the video hit, the hashtag is still active and filled with people saying things like this…
Brie Larson and Natalie Portman Campaign To Defund The Police
Brie Larson and Natalie Portman have signed a petition asking the government to defund the police. What does defunding the police mean? If they full realized their goals it would mean the police go away and there is no longer be a group of people funded by the government with the goal of fighting crime, but also no longer an organization they believe is targeting citizens based on race.
The full open letter demanding the defunding of the police can be found here. Here’s an excerpt from it…
“Black communities are living in persistent fear of being killed by state authorities like police, immigration agents or even white vigilantes who are emboldened by state actors. According to the Urban Institute, in 1977, state and local governments spent $60 billion on police and corrections. In 2017, they spent $194 billion. A 220 percent increase. Despite continued profiling, harassment, terror and killing of Black communities, local and federal decision-makers continue to invest in the police, which leaves Black people vulnerable and our communities no safer.”
Here’s how they want to achieve their goal of defunding the police…
- Vote no on all increases to police budgets
- Vote yes to decrease police spending and budgets
- Vote yes to increase spending on Health care, Education, and Community programs that keep us safe.
Other celebrities who have voiced support for defunding the police include John Legend, Lizzo, Taraji P. Henson, Common, Jane Fonda and America Ferrara.
John Boyega Joins The Protest Marches
Whether you want to call them protests or riots, there’s no denying that the United States is being rocked by social unrest at an entirely unprecedented level. Businesses have been looted, innocent bystanders have been injured, and buildings on major cities everywhere are in flames.
Celebrities are coming out in support of the protests, whatever form they might take. Some have even joined them. One of the most ardent supporters is Star Wars star John Boyega. You know him best as Finn in the newest Star Wars trilogy, but now he’s not just marching with the protestors he’s trying to inspire them with energetic rhetoric.
Here’s the text of John Boyega’s rhetoric:
“Thank you for coming out today. Thank you for being here to show your support. Black people, I love you. I appreciate you. Today is an important day. We are fighting for our rights, we are fighting for our ability to live in freedom, we are fighting for our ability to achieve… Today you guys are a visible representation of that!
I need you to understand how painful it is, to be reminded every day that you race means nothing. That is not the case anymore – we are a physical representation of our support of George Floyd.”
– -John Boyega
Response to Boyega’s speech has been mixed, with some calling for Lucasfilm to disassociate themselves from him. However, Lucasfilm just posted the following show of support through their Star Wars Twitter page…
Idris Elba Calls To Cut The Throat Of The Old System
Like just about everyone in Hollywood, Idris Elba made a post in support of Blackout Tuesday. The day was meant to draw more attention to the protests flooding the streets, just in case people hadn’t already noticed that their cities are now unusable.
What set Elba’s post apart, and what’s getting him so much praise, is the ferocity of the message he posted along with his Blackout Tuesday image. Here it is…
The lyrics are from a James BKS song. It’s called “New Breed” and Idris Elba actually is part of the song. Many Twitter users took it as a threat and a call to violence, and responsed with posts like this…
John Cusack Attacked By Police
And in the midst of all of it, is, apparently, John Cusack.
Cusack claims he was out filming the protests in Chicago when he stopped to film this burning car…
It’s at that time when he alleges the police came after him and attacked, hitting him with batons, hitting the bike he was riding. He also claims he got hit by pepper spray.
Whether any of that is true is totally unknown. You can hear cops yelling in the above video, but it’s impossible to tell what they’re actually doing.
Celebrities Marching With Protestors
Other celebrities are actually marching with the protestors, and not just filming. Emily Ratajkowski shared this photo of herself out and walking with a sign…
Halsey
Recording artist Halsey faced down cops, alleging that they fired rubber bullets at her…
Additionally YouTube star Jake Paul was caught on video outside a mall being looted. Here he is…
Some of the people on scene allege that he was participating in the looting, but Jake Paul flatly denies it.
JR Smith Defends Himself Against Rioters
On the other hand there’s NBA star JR Smith who isn’t participating in the protests but is protesting his property. When someone broke the window on his truck during the LA Protests, he was caught on video beating him up…
Celebrities Bail Out Arrested Protestors
Meanwhile, other celebrities have stayed home and found ways to support the protestors from their couch. In particular, celebrities have been donating huge sums of money to funds set up to bail people out of jail, if they get arrested while protesting, rioting, or looting.
Among the celebrities who have publicly made huge donations (some in excess of $100,000) are: Seth Rogen, Steve Carell, Don Cheadle, Halsey, Cynthia Nixon, Patton Oswalt, Ben Schwartz, Harry Styles, and Crissy Teigen, and Justin Timberlake.
As a result of their public support of bail funds like the Minnesota Freedom Fund, some have questioned whether these celebrities might be financially liable for the damage done to property by the people they’ve paid to bail out of jail.
Here’s one just one Twitter user among many working to put together those affected into a class action lawsuit against Timberlake and his celebrity compatriots…
