*Former NBC and Fox News host Megyn Kelly took to Twitter Wednesday to criticize NBCUniversal’s movie studio Universal Pictures, over actor Robert Downey Jr. appearing in blackface in the 2008 satirical comedy “Tropic Thunder.”
We previously reported… Downey Jr. stopped by The Joe Rogan Experience podcast and shared how he really feels about rocking blackface in the 2008 Ben Stiller-directed comedy “Tropic Thunder.”
In the film, Downey Jr. plays an Australian-born (method) actor who undergoes “pigmentation alteration” to portray a Black character. During his chat with Rogan, the actor recalled his mother being horrified over the role, while “90 percent” of his Black friends thought his performance was “great.”
OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Judge Rules Two Accusers Can Testify at Cuba Gooding Jr.’s Groping Trial
R. Downey Jr: wears blackface for Universal w/o regret bc it “sparked a necessary convo.” Univer.: yay Robert!??
Me: Never worn blackface but had one of those “necessary convos” re how standard seems to have changed over time.NBC-Univer: F.U.! Cancelled! https://t.co/t1uIj6chPJ— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) January 23, 2020
Tweeting a link to the interview, Kelly wrote: “R. Downey Jr: wears blackface for Universal w/o regret bc it ’sparked a necessary convo.’ Univer.: yay Robert! Me: Never worn blackface but had one of those ‘necessary convos’ re how standard seems to have changed over time.NBC-Univer: F.U.! Cancelled!”
Kelly thought she was calling out her former employer NBCUniversal, as she was fired by NBC in 2018 over a controversial segment about blackface on her daytime program, “Megyn Kelly Today.”
However, as noted by Newsweek, “Tropic Thunder” was not produced or distributed by Universal Pictures, but rival studio Paramount Pictures, which is owned by ViacomCBS, formerly known as Viacom.
In October of 2018, Kelly, who once insisted that Jesus was white, said blackface is not racist as a Halloween costume. The backlash over her comments was fierce; with many white folks defending her, but her already bombing in the ratings talk show was canceled.
Meanwhile, as you can imagine, social media came hard and fast for Kelly’s analysis of Downey’s role.
Actress Yvette Nicole Brown took aim at Kelly over the tweet.
She wrote, “This privileged twit still doesn’t get it. She will NEVER get it. Can someone tell @megynkelly that her ‘confusion’ as to why blackface is problematic expressed on the @NBC show she did not earn nor deserved was not a #NecessaryConversation?”
The fact that Megyn Kelly thinks she should be held to the same standards as an actor in a farcical comedy tells you everything you need to know about Megyn Kelly. https://t.co/iPW2vhpeHE
— Matt Goldberg (@MattGoldberg) January 23, 2020
Another social media user added, “Megyn, lemme break it down to you girl RDJ wearing blackface was a comedic message. Look deeper YOU repeatedly offended blacks, women, hell, the entire country with your unpalatable bias while arrogant AF Get over yourself because America has, ‘Ailes twirler.'”
Downey received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for his role in “Tropic Thunder.”
WATCH:
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
