'Iron Man' Star Gwyneth Paltrow Claims Internet Hate Is Like Being at War
It seems there's been a trend of celebrities making insensitive and ill-advised comments this week. Charlize Theron recently came under fire when she compared the intrusive online attention she receives to being raped. Now, another famous actress has put her foot in her mouth.
"Iron Man" star Gwyneth Paltrow made controversy during an interview with Re/code this past Tuesday, in which she compared dealing with Internet hate to being at war.
"You come across [online comments] about yourself and about your friends, and it's a very dehumanizing thing," the 41-year-old actress said. "It's almost like how, in war, you go through this bloody, dehumanizing thing, and then something is defined out of it. My hope is, as we get out of it, we'll reach the next level of conscience."
Several people took offense her misguided comparison, particularly Green Beret Bryan Sikes. The veteran, who survived an IED explosion in Afghanistan, called Paltrow out in a post on Clash Daily.
"I can only imagine the difficulty of waking up in a 12,000 square foot Hollywood home and having your assistant retrieve your iPhone, only to see that the battery is low and someone on twitter (the social media concept that you and all of your friends contribute to on an hourly basis to feed your ego and narcissistic ways) has written a mean word or 2 about you," Sikes said. "You've hit the nail on the head, war is exactly like that. You should receive a medal for the burden you have carried on your shoulders due to these meanies on social media."
"You know what is really 'dehumanizing,' Miss Paltrow?" He said. "The fact that you'd even consider that your life as an 'A-list' celebrity reading Internet comments could even compare to war and what is endured on the battlefield. You and the other 'A-listers' that think like you are laughable."
No word yet on Paltrow's response to the criticism.