Reese Witherspoon is facing immense backlash after a controversial tweet. The Election star is promoting what one critic called “the new Scientology.” Here’s what’s going on.
What’s An NFT?
NFT’s, or Non-Fungible Tokens, are unique units of data associated with non-unique digital items. They require blockchain technology to provide public proof. It’s essentially a bit of metadata hidden out of view on internet photos that are easily spread and downloaded.
Depending on who you ask, NFTs are either the next big thing, a complete and utter joke, or a genuine environmental hazard. There’s no denying, however, that they’re lucrative. NFTs can be sold for millions, and there’s, therefore, a lot of interest from millionaires and capitalists in them.
Witherspoon Chimes In
Enter super-rich person Reese Witherspoon. She’s the world’s richest actress according to Forbes, mostly through her production company Hello Sunshine. Witherspoon makes millions by producing the likes of Big Little Lies and The Morning Show. Her successful book club provides a nice pipeline for her media projects. She’s worth around $400 million according to the magazine.
With such astronomical net worth, it should come as no surprise that Witherspoon would be up on something as lucrative as NFTs. Earlier this week, she tweeted her support for them from a feminist standpoint. “I’m committed to supporting creators who have pioneered the NFT space,” Witherspoon wrote.
Critics Lash Back
It’s true that investing and crypto are primarily male spaces, and there’s nothing wrong with equality. However, Witherspoon’s support of NFTs was poorly received. One critic successfully ratioed the Walk the Line star by comparing NFTs to the Church of Scientology.
@della_morte_ explained in a follow-up tweet that NFT salespeople are following L Ron Hubbard’s playbook: “target celebrities by appealing to their vanity and endless hunger for easy money just for being themselves and watch them flip chumps for you en masse.” Scientology is controversial to say the very least, but its appeal in Hollywood is still pervasive.
Another Twitter account responded to Witherspoon by comically comparing NFTs to the legendary fad of beanie babies.
NFTs are increasingly becoming an issue of class, and Witherspoon’s support really shows how out of touch she is. Supporting them is her prerogative, so she’s earning the bad press. She’s hardly alone and can call Lindsay Lohan an ally. Lohan faced tremendous scrutiny for selling some furry illustrations as NFTs. The twenties are weird.
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