It’s hard to rag on Jussie Smollett too much since he is passing along a message that a lot of other celebrities are attempting to deliver to the people and he is attempting to stay positive. But was it necessary to toss in the remark about ‘black and brown’ non-profit organizations after sounding so inclusive at the beginning? He went on to sound just as inclusive near the end, but the whole idea of even making mention of this does sound as though he’s still just as divisive as he’s been heard to be following his false police report when he was ‘mugged’ by two guys wearing MAGA hats. Maybe that’s me reading too much into it and if so then it’s time to just get off it and move on, but Jussie has been something of a polarizing figure in the media in recent times and simply forgetting about that is kind of difficult to do given that his mugging, which was rather mild when you really look at it, didn’t exactly leave him scared and shuddering and ready to go hide in upscale home afterwards. Some might say that it’s because Jussie’s strong and very tough when it comes to his character, but a lot of people would gladly say that the ‘mugging’ was just as staged as it looked and sounded and that he’s doing his best to find a way back into the good graces of the fans that were so utterly disappointed in him after the matter. Plus, the fact that he received what amounted to a slap on the wrist for his actions is an even bigger reason to think that he’s bound to do and say whatever he can to make sure that people see him as benevolent and not as a person that’s bound to cry wolf in order to further an agenda of some sort. Clemence Michallon of the Independent has more to say on the matter.
But yes, give him credit for at least having the guts to get online and send out a PSA that in some ways does sound as though he’s being genuine and is willing to help or at least support those that are still doing their thing during the pandemic so that the society and the economy can survive. It might not make him an instant good guy, and another post that shows him singing to the people might not make him the instant hero, but okay, well enough, he’s doing something to lighten the emotional load that people are carrying around these days and there are enough people out there that still believe in him that will appreciate it. It’s true, there are still plenty of people willing to believe that what little damage he took from his ‘mugging’ and the fact that the rope, which was kind of pathetic-looking really, was wrapped around his neck. Chris Francescani of ABC News had more to say on this. And if the liquid had been bleach it would have left a definite odor behind. There are just too many things that came to pass that left a lot of folks thinking that for one reason or another Jussie was bs-ing the public, and the Nigerians that were behind the attack and had been paid to do it were a big red flag obviously.
Again though, let’s say that he’s doing some good since he hasn’t been heard from since around last summer, when he went on media silence for a while. Was it for a good reason? Oh definitely since even his emotional interviews didn’t convince that many people that he was being sincere. One thing he has going against him is that he’s an actor, and a lot of people aren’t willing to buy what could possibly be an attempt at pulling the wool over their eyes by an accomplished actor that has been good enough to stick around for so long. Plus, the evidence that’s been gathered and the idea of not handing over your phone to the cops, who won’t care that much about your personal information unless it has something to do with the case, is pretty sketchy. Seriously, do celebrities think their personal lives are interesting enough to a cop that’s trying to crack a case? The fact that Jussie didn’t hand it over to implicate his attackers was another red flag that a lot of people were quick to jump on even as fans of Smollett were accusing others of victim-blaming. Erin Ailworth of The Wall Street Journal had more to say on the topic. Admit it, some of us laughed pretty hard when after the ‘mugging’ Jussie appeared to be just fine, when the fact is that a couple of guys who look like the Nigerians that jumped him would have been able to cause a lot more damage than a few bruises and some wounded feelings. But once again, Jussie is delivering a needed PSA, so he did that right at least.
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