Anger, Outrage and Protest: How Hollywood Talks About Taxes

April 12th, 2018 10:35 AM

Content Warning: Story includes profanity

The dreaded Republicans are in control, new tax legislation has been passed, and it is tax season. What’s a wealthy, overprivileged celebrity to do?

Complain, of course. Some celebs attacked Republicans for passing the “FUCKING TAX BILL,” while others were upset by a function of the progressive tax structure liberals favor. One famous actress even argued for tax avoidance as protest. That’s Hollywood for you.

Actor Jeffrey Wright of Westworld complained about the fact that high income (and therefore high federal tax paying) states don’t get as much back from the federal government in terms of federal aid and contracts as poorer states. This is a function of the progressive tax system — one generally embraced by the left.

Wright tweeted on Feb. 8, “New Yorkers probably would rather their federal tax dollars didn’t go to Louisiana. Y’all receive $1.40 for every $1 you pay in taxes. But love to you. Your chargrilled oysters are the bomb.”

Wait, aren’t liberals always arguing for the rich to pay more in order to care for those with less? After all, the complaint of the left about the recently passed tax plan was that it was giving more money to “the rich.”

Hollywood celebs continue to rant about the tax package and bash Rep. Paul Ryan, who recently announced he would not run for re-election.

Daily Show co-creator Lizz Winstead lashed out at the Republican Speaker of the House on April 11, tweeting: “I love that Paul Ryan can effortlessly transition to ‘dad who is home for his kids on the wee-end’, as opposed to all the other dads he forced into second jobs with HIS FUCKING TAX BILL.”

If her claim was true and countless dads were taking second jobs due to the tax bill why hasn’t it been reported incessantly by the tax cut haters in the liberal media?

Lesbian comedian and “proud resister” Dana Goldberg also mocked Ryan over his supposed “tax scam” the same day, writing, “Awe, that’s sweet. Paul Ryan isn’t running so he can retire and spend more time with his family. Too bad all the families he screwed over with that tax scam won’t be able to afford that same luxury at 48.”

Singer Lauren Jauregui tweeted on Dec. 2, “While they raise your taxes, cut spending on education, & HEALTHCARE and so many other things that service the American people. YOUR money is servicing the RICH. Do you understand this? YOUR hard earned money is being stolen by your government to give the rich MORE. WAKE TF UP.”

Actress and singer Barbra Streisand accused Republicans of targeting Hollywood with the tax plan, saying, “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that blue states, athletes, actors, writers, producers, and directors will be punished by this scam of a tax bill.” According to Forbes, Streisand has a net worth of $390 million. Does she consider herself as one of those being punished by taxes?

In the middle of a tweet interaction, liberal Law & Order actor Chris Meloni wrote on Twitter, “my taxes are actually going up. But I still contend it’s a scam: millions for the rich, pennies for everyone else.”

Actress Patricia Arquette considered not paying taxes a viable form of protest. In March she tweeted, “People don’t need assault weapons to fight a tyrannical government. They will just stop paying taxes and shut it all down.”

Unlike many other celebrities, rapper Cardi B actually had a rant that many people could relate to. "The government is taking 40 percent of my taxes. Uncle Sam, I want to know what you're doing with my f**king tax money," she said on her Instagram. She continued, “I want to know. I want receipts. I want everything. What are you doing with my money?"

Finally, a reasonable criticism.