Chris Pratt is in hot water for an 'insensitive' voting-related joke
Based on the mood of the country right now, voting is no laughing matter. Just ask Onward star Chris Pratt, who caused a social media controversy when he tried to make an ill-considered joke about people casting their ballots... for the 2020 People’s Choice Awards, not the looming presidential election.
The latest Pixar animated hit — which features Marvel Cinematic Universe residents Pratt and Tom Holland as a pair of elf brothers — is among the eight nominees for the year’s best family movie alongside Sonic the Hedgehog, Scoob! and Trolls World Tour.
Naturally, Pratt wanted his movie to come out on top and took to Instagram to drum up votes by poking fun at the many celebrity-endorsed voting PSAs that are already out there. “With all that’s going on in the world it is more important than ever that you vote,” Pratt wrote. “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.”
A post shared by chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) on Oct 2, 2020 at 4:15am PDT
Pratt continued to belabor the punchline by tipping his hat to the sacrifices made by “the heroes before us,” and declaring to his followers that the 2020 People’s Choice Awards would be “the most consequential vote in the history of mankind times a million infinity.” The actor — whose own political views have been the subject of much speculation — may have intended his words to be amusing, but many online were not amused.
“I get this is supposed to be a cute little joke but it comes off as really insensitive,” wrote one of his Instagram followers. And others registered their displeasure on Twitter.
Chris Pratt said the election does not concern me because I am a white privileged man, instead vote for my movie so I can get more awards 😁😁😁 pic.twitter.com/R67yjrAvRM
— tabitha (@buckymatters) October 2, 2020
I’m not really sure it’s funny to tell people to vote for your animated movie while the world is how it is. Comes off as privileged and totally tone deaf.
— savehorror (@savehorror) October 2, 2020
And Chris Pratt is tasteless yet again. pic.twitter.com/by4mHI88mB
— Just Some Guy | Black Lives Matter (@Home_Halfway) October 4, 2020
File Chris Pratt’s latest Instagram post as “Things You Can’t Believe Are Real, But Absolutely Are.” pic.twitter.com/ofyqcPZ5In
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) October 2, 2020
Not everyone was ready to declare Pratt to be Hollywood’s newest #WorstChris, though. A vocal contingent of fans claimed to be on Star Lord’s comic wavelength.
What Chris Pratt said is legitimately funny, y’all are just easily angered. pic.twitter.com/FaB1XPKtzQ
— K’Bucko (@KBucko7) October 5, 2020
*Chris Pratt tells joke*
Woke ppl: pic.twitter.com/8MaeNLQqfA— The Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) October 5, 2020
Chris Pratt must be protected! One of the only ones with common sense in Hollywood
— Tony Darby (@TonyDarby88) October 5, 2020
Not sure why people are giving you stick about this hilarious post, @prattprattpratt. People are way too serious nowadays, I suppose. https://t.co/GUwPeE54dZ
— Alfonso Colasuonno (@bookcartpusher) October 5, 2020
For the record, voting in the 2020 People’s Choice Awards is open until Oct. 23, when many states will still be in the swing of early voting for the presidential election. And Onward’s fate will be decided when the show airs on E! on Nov. 15 at 9 p.m. ET — a week-and-a-half after the other (and more consequential) Election Day.
Onward is currently streaming on Disney+
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