Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul channeled his iconic character Jesse Pinkman when he participated in a PSA video about “taking responsibility” for racism. Fellow A-listers Kesha, Sarah Paulson, Julianne Moore, and Kristen Bell also took part in the clip, made in partnership with the NAACP. However, since being posted to Twitter on June 10, the video has been dragged by fans as “performative” with many saying it’s reminiscent of Gal Gadot‘s highly-criticized, celeb-filled rendition of “Imagine”.
The two-minute-long video, which was posted with the hashtag “#ITakeResponsibility”, showed the White celebrities talking about how they would hold themselves accountable for racism — but fans were quick to slam it as an empty gesture with little impact in the fight against systemic racism. “How much money are you donating to bail funds and mutual aid efforts to help Black people? Can you commit to publicly supporting abolition?” one user wrote in response to the clip.
regret to inform you the celebs are at it again pic.twitter.com/pfORBiqvrX
— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) June 11, 2020
Others suggested that donating funds would be a more useful course of action for these celebs, “Just donate to the Black Lives Matter movement, and save your viral videos. Please .Talking earnestly for 30 seconds on a cellphone video is not taking responsibility. Donating your money, marching in protests, signing and signal-boosting petitions…that is how you take responsibility.”
Despite seemingly earnest intentions, many labelled the video “cringe”, with one Aaron Paul fan tweeting, “I can barely sit through it.” The clip comes in the wake of global outcry and Black Lives Matter protests sweeping the nation following the tragic death of George Floyd.
Celebrities have joined in the ongoing marches not only across the country, but around the world. On June 3, Star Wars actor John Boyega held back tears as he gave an emotional speech in London’s Hyde Park, while closer to home, in Los Angeles, Keke Palmer urged National Guardsmen to march with protesters. Even more public figures have encouraged citizens to use their voice and vote in primaries throughout the country and in November, like former President Barack Obama.