Home / Arts and Entertainment / Veteran Actor Billy Bob Thornton Criticizes Political Speeches at Award Ceremonies
Veteran Actor Billy Bob Thornton Criticizes Political Speeches at Award Ceremonies
9 Nov
Summary
- Thornton says he doesn't "care about awards anymore"
- Criticizes celebrities who use award shows to "pontificate about how awesome they are"
- Believes award winners should honor the people who gave them the award, not promote causes
In a recent interview, acclaimed actor Billy Bob Thornton criticized celebrities who bring politics into award show acceptance speeches. Thornton, who is 70 years old, shared that he doesn't "really care about awards anymore" and has "got plenty of them" from earlier in his career when awards were "kind of real still."
The Oscar-winning actor explained that if someone wins an award, they should use their time on stage to "honor the people who gave it to you," rather than bring awareness to a cause. Thornton believes there is a "time and place" for that, and award shows are not the appropriate venue. He used the example of someone talking about "saving the badgers in Wisconsin" during their acceptance speech, saying celebrities with money should just "save them" instead of using the platform to promote their activism.
Thornton's comments come as the entertainment industry continues to see more and more celebrities using major awards shows to address political and social issues. The actor seems to feel this trend has gone too far, and that award winners should keep their speeches focused on the honor of the award itself.
