Jessica Chastain, fire-red light of my life who will always win the Oscar at the Academy Awards held in my heart, made a video in [what appears to be] an attempt to atone for an insensitive (and, frankly, embarrassing) tweet from earlier this week in which she shared a piece from Time complaining about the “alt-left.”
In the minute-long video that seems to have been recorded from the inside her trailer on a movie set, Chastain calmly explains that she once was not so woke, and now is slightly more woke.
She says:
I’m making a video because my heart is very heavy.
I’ve learned so much in the past few days about the trauma many people are experiencing in our country. I’ve had the opportunity to listen more than to speak and it’s really hard to express my feelings, my thoughts in 140 characters on twitter so here’s my first video.
I wanted you guys to know that I hear you. I wanted you to know that I’m committed to creating transformative social change that I am committed to dismantling systems of oppression.
I share in the sadness of what is happening in this country. I hear you and you may never have met me but I love you.
This is all well and good, as there’s nothing wrong with becoming more empathic, but letting people know you “share in [their] sadness” with a vague and apolitical video is...not the most helpful thing a wealthy, reasonably well-respected person with a large platform could be doing. (What “social change” are you committed to? Which “systems of oppression” have made your heart so heavy?) I didn’t intend to scrutinize Chastain’s message so heavily, but if a famous person releases an impassioned video like this to their followers they should at least be prepared to back it up with some actions—or even intentions! Otherwise it just seems like their only goal was to make themselves feel better in between takes.
Celebrities: if you’re going to join the conversation, be prepared to actually join it. Otherwise shut off the front-facing camera and go back to work. To paraphrase the late Kara Brown (jk she’s not dead she just ABANDONED US) (jk Kara we love you and are happy you’re thriving)—the best thing a famous person can do to help is to write a check.
[ONTD]
Meanwhile, Kate Hudson has some advice:
- Calvin Harris is dating the woman he left for Taylor Swift. [Backgrid]
- Wait no he’s not. [ONTD]
- Here’s a family tree I have no interest in climbing. [E! Online]
- Miranda Lambert’s foundation has rescued so many dogs during Hurricane Harvey. [Us Weekly]
- Speaking of Hurricane Harvey, Tyler Perry donated $1 million to relief efforts. [People]