One Hollywood Chris leveraged his leaked nudes to encourage fans to get out and vote, but the politically silent Chris Pratt decided to focus instead on a different kind of election ... for the People’s Choice Awards.
Weeks away from what may be the most crucial presidential race of our lifetime, the Guardians Of The Galaxy star poked fun at celebrities who use their platforms for good with a joke that the upcoming awards show is “the most consequential vote in the history of mankind times a million infinity.”
“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,” he wrote on Instagram ahead of the ceremony next month. “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,” he continued. “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.”
Hilarious, right? Except for the many Americans for whom this election is a matter of life and death.
Pratt, who has kept out of the political fray for most of his career, received immediate and swift backlash from his followers, who reminded him of what’s really at stake come 3 November.
“I get this is supposed to be a cute little joke but it comes off as really insensitive,” a disappointed fan wrote. “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.”
Another fan echoed the sentiment in a separate comment. “During a year with a massive unprecedented death toll, suffering and unrest, this post ain’t it. Read the room and check what’s happening in this world,” the fan said.
“YIKES,” a different person wrote under the post. “Imagine the amount of privilege one person can have to write this tone deaf post.”
“This isn’t the right take. What an insensitive joke right now. Voting is serious. It is life or death for a lot of Americans. It’s not something to mock,” another commenter said.
Pratt then took to his Instagram Stories in four more posts about the ceremony, which he joked is “clearly far more important” than the real election.
Fans encouraged Pratt to delete his posts. He has yet to respond to the backlash.
Some of Pratt’s supporters came to his defense, calling the message “lighthearted” and praising him as a celebrity who isn’t “shoving their politics down your throat.”
But many also pointed out that Pratt’s wife — Katherine Schwarzenegger, who recently gave birth to the couple’s first child together — was one of the said celebrities who spoke out last month about the importance of voting.
Pratt has yet to openly identify with a party, despite many rumours about his political affiliation. He previously said that he doesn’t “feel represented by either side.”
“I really feel there’s common ground out there that’s missed because we focus on the things that separate us,” he told Men’s Fitness in 2017. “You’re either the red state or the blue state, the left or the right. Not everything is politics. And maybe that’s something I’d want to help bridge, because I don’t feel represented by either side.
“I do feel like I relate to everybody—to the struggles of people both out here and where I grew up,” he added. “I feel like I could have a beer or a meal with just about anyone and find something to relate to.”