Every four years, the American public feels guilted into watching CNN all day and talking only about economic issues, even though last night’s Pretty Little Liars was some grade-A television. Election season has officially begun, as marked by this week’s inception of the Republican National Convention.
The televised event has sparked quite a stir in the celebrity circles of social media, generally earning commentary from stars critical of the Republican Party. On Tuesday night during the RNC broadcast, Clay Aiken tweeted the following mocking message, suggesting that the Republican Party is uniformly white:
Playing drinking game with my brother now. We drink every time we see a black person on screen at the RNC convention. #soberasamormon
— Clay Aiken (@clayaiken) August 29, 2012Beyond sparking some heated retorts from Aiken’s Celebrity Apprentice competitor John Rich, who supports the Republican Party and deemed Aiken’s comment to be racist itself, this sparked a bit of curiosity about what other celebs might be saying about the Tampa-based event.
While primarily skewing negative, the tweets have exhibited a good variety in terms of method of expression — Dancing with the Stars champion Derek Hough tried to open up a discourse by asking followers:
Anybody watching the republican convention ? What’s your views ?
— Derek Hough (@derekhough) August 29, 2012Gabrielle Union took an informed approach to criticizing the Republican Party’s presidential candidate Mitt Romney with the following attacks:
Dear Mitt Romney, I would like 2 see your tax returns 4 the last 12 years & pls throw in your birth certificate 4 good measure
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) August 27, 2012
Hey Mitt, when your dad George Romney ran 4 president he released 12 yrs of tax returns…what dont you want America to see?
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) August 27, 2012Questlove, drummer of The Roots, plead with the American public to vote, citing the dangers in Republican Senator John Boehner’s reported open expression of racism as motivation.
this is why you MUST make sure you are eligible to vote in Nov yhoo.it/Ok4Lhx
— Questo of The Roots (@questlove) August 28, 2012Of course, a good deal of stars chose to lace their commentary with humor. Unsurprisingly, Sarah Silverman is among this group:
Let us pray for the billions of tiny fallen Republicans lost in hookers’ assholes this week#RNC
— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) August 28, 2012Keeping in step, Marlon Wayans directed his jab at the weight of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie:
#rnc Chris Christy look like the fat guy to break out on SNL View more on WhoSay » tmblr.co/ZX2xmxSLtFv2
— marlon wayans (@MARLONLWAYANS) August 29, 2012One remark that really got fans into a fury came from Samuel L. Jackson, who facetiously wished that Hurricane Isaac would hit Tampa, Fla., and wipe out the entire Republican Party:
Unfair Shit: GOP spared by Issac ! NOLA prolly Fucked Again! Not understanding God’s plan!
— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) August 27, 2012After enduring a good deal of backlash from the tweet, Jackson went on to explain himself and apologize for any insensitivity inherent in his original message.
Daayum! Poked a Hornets nest, hunh? Apologies to God, Tampa, da GOP& Isaac(sp)! Who played the Race card?!
— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) August 27, 2012
Whoooo! A lotta shit stirred into a Bullshit tweet! Politics & Religion get MUHFREPUBLICANS heated!
— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) August 27, 2012Jackson closed things out with a more inquisitive tweet involving Sen. Romney:
If U had a direct line to Mitt, like U do to me, what would you say? Seeking knowledge not Vitriol!
— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) August 28, 2012And of course, there is the grand chessmaster of political satire: Stephen Colbert, who had a pointed jab at Romney ready and raring…
Mitt Romney has won the GOP nomination! So inspiring. The man overcame crushing privilege to make it here.
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) August 29, 2012… as well as a joke about the Republican Party’s pro-life stance:
It makes sense that Republicans would flock to Tampa strip clubs. They love telling women what to do with their bodies.
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) August 29, 2012[Photo Credit: David Edwards/Daily Celeb]
More:
The Official Republican National Convention Drinking Game
What the Political Conventions Can Learn from Comic-Con
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