Celebrities

White Celebrities Are Getting Roasted For Melodramatic Anti-Racism Video

The conversation in the United States the last few weeks has centered largely around racism, and specifically what needs to be done to make the country a more equitable place for Black Americans.

A number of celebrities and public figures have been using their platforms to advocate for change and make sure Black voices are elevated in the conversation. And while a lot of that work may be well-intentioned, sometimes allyship — particularly from rich, white celebrities — can cross the line into performative. And when it does, it’s really cringeworthy.

Unfortunately, a new celebrity video about fighting racism has gone viral after crossing that line.

The video, which features a variety of white celebrities from Debra Messing to Aaron Paul to Julianne Moore, is part of a new campaign called #ITakeResponsibility, launched by Confluential Content in partnership with the NAACP. It centers around the idea that it’s up to white people to take responsibility to stand up against racism and decided to use influential public figures to get that message across.

“I take responsibility for every unchecked moment, for every time it was easier to ignore than to call it out for what it was. Every not-so-funny joke. Every unfair stereotype. Every blatant injustice, no matter how big or small. Every time I remained silent,” reads a portion of the script, split between different celebrities and taking a full two minutes to deliver.

It’s not a bad message, in and of itself.

White people DO need to stand up against racism, and most of the celebrities featured have already been using their individual platforms to highlight the issues and rally their audiences to help enact change.

The problem, in part, is the overdramatic packaging. The video is all in black and white, features only a soundtrack of silence underneath the spoken words, and edits together far too lengthy, far too earnest line deliveries that make celebs who may actually believe what they’re saying come across as desperate for brownie points in the war against racism.

It also lacks a clear call to action, instead focusing on a general “do better” message to fellow white people, while making it very clear that these specific celebs are not here for anyone’s racism.

The video did not get a warm reception online.

Even those who feel it was well-intentioned are cringing at the results.

And many think the best thing white celebrities can do right now is pay up.

It’s actually shocking no one has layered “Imagine” under this yet. But much like performative allyship from public figures, it will definitely happen eventually.

More unfortunate choices from celebrities:

Rachel Kiley