Last year, it was #OscarsSoWhite that was calling for a boycott of the Academy Awards. Now Donald Trump supporters are taking their turn.
A Facebook post demanding a boycott of Sunday’s event has been circulating among conservatives on Facebook and Reddit over the past week, seemingly originating from a Facebook page for a women’s GOP group in Tempe, AZ. The post calls on the “backbone and decent people of America” to stand up against the “bitter people of the entertainment industry.”
It also specifically calls out celebrities who have made headlines by speaking out against Trump via various platforms, including Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Jennifer Lawrence and Cher. The post particularly targets Madonna, who drew the ire of Trump’s base with her Women’s March speech last month, in which she admitted she thought about “blowing up the White House” after the election.
“From Madonna and Miley Cyrus parading on stage with little to no clothing while grabbing their crotches and allowing fans to do the same…”the post reads, “to the deplorable speeches of Madonna and Ashley Judd talking about their periods in a vile manner and talking about blowing up the White House, we must send these people a strong and distinct message that they do not speak for the women of this country and they are not the role models of our young daughters.”
The GOP group calls on conservatives to find something else to do on Sunday night and hopes that their boycott will lead to a drop in ratings for the Oscars. Last year’s ceremony, which was hosted by Chris Rock amidst complaints that the Academy had only nominated white actors and filmmakers in all the major categories for the second straight year, drew 34.3 million viewers. That was a 6.3 percent drop from 2015 and the third-lowest viewer total since Nielsen began tracking electronically in 1992.
“This will only be effective if we show the same unity we exhibited during the election,” the GOP post reads. “Yet how powerful will it be when the ratings for the Academy Awards fall in the toilet.”
“When this happens, the entertainment industry will understand just how insignificant and powerless [they are.]”
You can read the call to boycott in full below.
8 Stars Who Say Trump Opponents Should Just Get Over It (Photos)
Donald Trump's presidency has largely been met with resistance from Hollywood stars, but a few have taken a different path. Objections to Trump's detractors range from apolitical calls for unity to outright criticism of those protesting in the streets.
Getty Images
Karl Lagerfeld
Lagerfeld, a German fashion designer and artist, made it clear in an interview with WSJ Magazine in February that American politics is not his area of expertise, but he encouraged Trump critics to come around to the new president.
"I’m not American," he said, "but he’s a democratically elected president … so people have to deal with it.”
Getty Images
Lindsay Lohan In a Facebook Live interview with the Daily Mail in February, Lohan encouraged people to "join" Donald Trump.
“I think always in the public eye you’re gonna be scrutinized, and he is the president," she said. "We have to join him. If you can’t beat him, join him."
She added, "You know, I think it would be a positive thing for America to show their care and support, and for him to experience what it's like for these people... experience how giving Turkey has been to the refugees and how many they have welcomed in."
Getty Images
Nicole Kidman
A few weeks before Donald Trump's inauguration, "Lion" star Nicole Kidman took some backlash for saying that Americans "need to support whoever the president is." The actress, who holds dual U.S. and Australian citizenship, later clarified that her comments were simply a call for unity and support of democracy.
During the press tour for his movie "Gold," Matthew McConaughey told the U.K.'s ChannelIFI that it's time for Americans to "embrace" Trump. "It's time to think about how constructive can you be because he's our president," McConaughey said.
"American Psycho" author Bret Easton Ellis accused Trump protesters of "overreaction" at the opening of his art exhibit in London, according to the Irish Examiner. "I don't really know what the path to power is with protest, it's done, this is where we are," the author said, accusing protesters, social media and celebrities of "aiding" divisiveness.
Fullscreen
Cyndi Lauper Madonna took some criticism for her profanity-laden speech at the Women's March, where she said that she's "thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House" following Trump's inauguration. Among those denouncing her statements was Cyndi Lauper, who said "anger is not better than clarity and humanity."
Jennifer Holliday "Dreamgirls" star Jennifer Holliday dropped out of performing at Trump's inauguration after taking heated backlash from those pledging to boycott the event entirely. After apologizing to her fans, Holliday later explained that she thought her performance could've been an act of "healing and unity."
Dave Chappelle When comedian Dave Chappelle returned to host "Saturday Night Live" after the presidential election in November, he encouraged Trump detractors to "give him a chance," adding that "we, the historically disenfranchised, demand that he give us one too."
From Nicole Kidman’s call for ”support“ to Matthew McConaughey saying Americans need to ”embrace“ the new president
Donald Trump's presidency has largely been met with resistance from Hollywood stars, but a few have taken a different path. Objections to Trump's detractors range from apolitical calls for unity to outright criticism of those protesting in the streets.