Most Americans believe cancel culture is “out of control,” and it’s no wonder why. Take a look at Chris Pratt, for example. He can’t seem to escape the scornful eye of the internet — even over an entirely harmless Instagram post.
The “Guardians of the Galaxy” star is facing intense criticism from social media users whose favorite pastime seems to be dragging him for absolutely anything, even a lighthearted Instagram post in which he praised his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, and poked fun at himself.
“We met in church,” Pratt wrote. “She’s given me an amazing life, a gorgeous healthy daughter, she chews so loudly that sometimes I put in my earbuds to drown it out, but that’s love! She helps me with everything. In return, periodically, I open a jar of pickles.”
“That’s the trade,” the celebrity continued. “Her heart is pure and it belongs to me. … It’s her birthday in about [six] weeks. So if I don’t get her anything, I’ll tell her to look back on this post. Love you, honey.”
Pratt’s photo and caption — standard fare for pretty much any couple — served as instant fodder for entertainment analysts and Twitter critics, all ready to sound off on the microwave-ready story.
The Daily Dot, a left-leaning media outlet, used the buzz over the Instagram post to remind its readers Pratt, a Christian, attends “an allegedly homophobic megachurch.” Throughout the rest of the post, the word “seemingly” had to do quite a bit of heavy lifting.
Without any indication the post’s caption was to be seen as anything other than lighthearted and less-than-serious, the article’s author condemned Pratt for “seemingly promoting sexist ideas about marriage” and “painting a picture of a straight marriage with uneven gender roles, with himself as a careless layabout husband who relies on his perfect angel of a wife, giving very little in return.”
Others argued Pratt’s comment about the “healthy daughter” he has with Schwarzenegger was intended to be a “cruel” jab at his ex-wife, Anna Faris, with whom he shares a son, Jack, who was born prematurely and suffers serious health issues.
On all accounts, it’s hard to bypass the double standard, isn’t it? And really, the rage against the celebrity is centered on four words in his post: “We met in church.”
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Pratt has drawn ire for several years now, apparently for two reasons: He’s a Christian — and unafraid to talk about it — and he’s almost entirely apolitical, a carnal sin in Hollywood.
Media outlets leapt at the chance to run stories in 2019 framing Pratt’s church — Zoe Church in Los Angeles — as “anti-LGBTQ” and a home for “religious obsession.” Those comments came after Pratt mentioned “the Daniel Fast,” a 21-day diet based in Scripture, during an appearance on “The Late Show.” In response, Ellen Page (who now goes by Elliot) condemned Pratt for “belong[ing] to an organization that hates a certain group of people.”
“Being anti-LGBTQ is wrong,” Page wrote. “There aren’t two sides.”
As a result of his faith — which most in the mainstream media seem to view with a skeptical lens at best — the content-churning machine assumes the worst of every action Pratt takes. It’s obvious that’s the case: writers perform the most preposterous mental gymnastics to portray him in as unflattering a light as possible.
Case in point being the nonexistent controversy drummed up by social media users and leftist media outlets over Pratt’s mention of his “healthy daughter” with Schwarzenegger. Rather than being seen as a grateful comment, the actor’s words were grossly twisted into some sort of diss against Faris and their son, whom he has repeatedly declared was saved “by the power of prayer.”
It begs the question: Why would so many assume a father’s intentions are to make fun of his own child’s health issues and swipe at his former wife in the process? It’s a particularly odd assumption to make, given all we know about Pratt, who has quite literally created a brand as a happy-go-lucky celebrity.
The answer, though, is obvious. Over the years, Pratt has become increasingly comfortable talking about his Christian faith and he’s remained unwilling to play the political game.
Pratt hasn’t used his platform to direct his fans to find answers in politicians but has instead urged them to look to Jesus, and that doesn’t work in Tinseltown, where political activism is an unwritten but unforgiving rule.
The good news is Americans are fed up with these kinds of non-troversies (see what I did there?). Cancel culture needs to be canceled, and canceling the Chris Pratt hate would be a good place to start.
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