A major Hollywood player comes to a man of faith’s defense.
Chris Pratt’s been taking heat as of late.
Earlier this month, the Guardians of the Galaxy star made a joke on social media about voting:
“With all that’s going on in the world it is more important than ever that you vote. Just ask any celebrity. They will tell you. Every day. Several times a day. To vote. But me? I will tell you EXACTLY who to vote for. #onward The heroes before us did not spill their blood only to have their sacrifices wasted by your apathy. The upcoming 2020 People’s Choice Awards is the most consequential vote in the history of mankind times a million infinity. Vote for #Onward for family movie of the year. Or else. You WILL die. No hyperbole. Click the link in my bio. Let your voice be heard.”
Jokes don’t seem to be what they once were — they used to be…jokes.
Hence, the comedy conjured criticism.
RedState’s Brandon Morse covered the outcry:
Like blood attracting the sharks to tear whatever is bleeding to pieces, a joke attracted the mob. Before Pratt knew it, he was up to his digital knee caps in the sewage that spews forth from the self-appointed internet PC police.
“I get this is supposed to be a cute little joke but it comes off as really insensitive,” said one…user. “The upcoming election is really important and everyone should vote and for you to try and take that and turn it into an ad for your movie is low.”
…
“This is super insensitive. Read the room. Oh wait you did and decided to mock people,” another wrote.
“YIKES. Imagine the amount of privilege one person can have to write this tone-deaf post,” said another.
“Delete this,” said another.
“I wish I found this funny,” said another.
Others described the post as “inappropriate” or “disappointing.”
More disappointment was upcoming: Over the weekend, news broke that the Jurassic Park helmer would be skipping out on Tuesday’s fundraiser for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
In fact, the event was a superhero extravaganza.
Vanity Fair hyped the Hollywood hoedown:
On Tuesday, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Rudd, Don Cheadle, and Zoe Saldana will participate in a fundraising event to support Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate, California Senator Kamala Harris.
The promotion was Prattless:
Yet while there was broad interest in the latest star-studded push for the Biden campaign, it’s the absence of one key Avengers star that has caused the biggest stir on social media. Shortly after the event was announced, Chris Pratt’s name trended on Twitter, with many criticizing [him] for his perceived political views.
The Daily Wire notes there’s come a crate of Chris condemnation:
Pratt was ridiculed over the weekend for allegedly radiating “homophobic white Christian supremacist energy,” among other left-wing attacks.
But all this isn’t the boot-wearing celebrity’s first rodeo. Last year, actress Ellen Page called Chris’s church “infamously LBGTQ.”
He responded with the following post:
“I go to a church that opens their doors to absolutely everyone.
“My faith is important to me but no church defines me or my life and I am not spokesman for any church or any group of people. My values define who I am. We need less hate in this world, not more. I am a man who believes that everyone is entitled to love who they want free from the judgment of their fellow man. … Jesus said, ‘I give you a new command, love one another.’ This is what guides me in my life. He is a God of Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness. Hate has no place in my or this world.”
And now, amid attacks, Robert Downey Jr. — AKA Iron Man — has heroically flown to Chris’s side.
On Instagram, RDJ praised Pratt as “a real Christian”:
“What a world… The ‘sinless’ are casting stones at my brother, Chris Pratt… A real Christian who lives by principle, has never demonstrated anything but positivity and gratitude.”
He even offered advice for the haters:
“[H]e just married into a family that makes space for civil discourse and (just plain fact) INSISTS on service as the highest value. If you take issue with Chris,,, I’ve got a novel idea. Delete your social media accounts, sit with your OWN defects of character, work on THEM, then celebrate your humanness… @PrattPrattPratt I #gotyerbackbackback.”
Call Robert an Avenger.
And an admirably loyal friend.
It seems to me entertainment could use more people like Chris Pratt. He doesn’t get stuck in the mire of politics, which allows people from all sides to enjoy his work.
But perhaps more than that — and more than what makes someone a standout in Hollywood — according to a man who knows and works with him, he lives his faith.
And it’s important enough for him to share it kindly, regardless of what some may say:
-ALEX
See more pieces from me:
Real Punk Rock: An Icon of Rebellion Freaks out the Fans With His Triggering Trust in Trump
College Professor: Students Will Be Kicked out for the ‘Slur’ of Misgendering
Find all my RedState work here.
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