Kirstie Alley doesn’t think anyone–including Trump supporters–should be doxxed and/or blacklisted. She made that clear in a tweet that’s sure to become a classic.
Alley, known for a role in the 1990s sitcom ‘Cheers,’ took ‘Will & Grace’ sitcom star Debra Messing to task for advocating that a list of Beverly Hills Trump supporters be made public with the intention of them being blacklisted from work and harassed.
Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar already blasted Messing for this.
Then, late last week, Alley added her thoughts on Twitter (warning: some strong language):
@kirstiealley: I refuse to be part of the Hollywood asshats who can’t see that “NOT working with Republicans” is as stupid and NASTY as “REFUSING to do business with gay people”..STOP ACTING above the FRAY ya damn hypocrites…WE are the same species! let’s help each OTHER ya damn yahoos.”
That didn’t sit well with some who think that just supporting President Trump warrants the most extreme behavior including discrimination and harassment.
Alley didn’t backtrack but dug in over the weekend, noting:
@kirstiealley: … My disagreement is specifically blacklisting people in their own workplace if they have different views. Too McCarthy-ish 4 me. That said, if my co-worker was in the KKK I’d quit my job or try 2 get them fired…
And
@kirstiealley: Dear Joe, from one asshat to another.. I like my analogy. I don’t like people deciding who to blackball in the the workplace. Or who not to serve at a restaurant. I don’t think it’s fair. I think it’s bigotry, Joe. Have a good Sunday Joe.
https://twitter.com/joebarri/status/1170681179529449473
First, Alley is right that blacklisting individuals because you oppose their political beliefs or choices is discriminatory. Her point about not “doing business with gay people” is debatable because religious freedom should be upheld, but that’s not what we’re talking about.
At issue is political freedom.
Blacklisting Republicans in Hollywood has led to a secret society of like-minded actors who shun speaking up out for fear of professional retribution.
However, the irrational backlash against Trump supporters takes political discrimination to a new level.
Second, Hollywood is extremely hypocritical. President Obama laid out the welcome mat to celebrities after he was elected and they wore holes in it as they came and went for social and policy efforts.
Celebrities also threw their near-full support behind Hillary Clinton. Beyonce and J-Lo even hosted free concerts to boost support for her in the final weeks of the 2016 election.
No one opposed celebrities for their Democratic political choices and social engagement. Yet, conservatives and the President’s supporters are the ones that the social media mob has turned their digital pitchforks on. This is a double standard.
Finally, celebrities should remember that their fans span the ideological spectrum. Mistreating conservatives and Trump supporters in Hollywood is insulting to their conservative fans. Hillary Clinton messed up by calling half of the country a “basket of deplorables” and we see what happened to her in 2016. Celebrities should tread carefully too out of fear that fans will tire of the degradation and move their viewership to other sources.
Whoopi Goldberg and Kirstie Alley stood up against blacklisting and the hypocrisy of the Hollywood left, but we need more influential voices to call out these Trump-supporter attacks.
The more they speak out, hopefully, is the more it will drive these ridiculous and un-American ideas back to the despotic societies they belong in.