Actor Woody Harrelson has been a staple in Hollywood since the early 1980s. He is best known for his roles in shows such as Cheers and films such as Natural Born Killers, The People vs. Larry Flynt, and No Country for Old Men. He has also won several awards, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 2012.
Harrelson’s recent appearance on Saturday Night Live has sparked controversy after he made some controversial comments about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. His comments, which suggested that the virus was part of a larger conspiracy, have been met with both criticism and support. However, this isn’t his first foray into conspiracy theories. Let’s take a look at the actor and his comments on the show.
Woody Harrelson’s ‘SNL’ monologue
During his opening monologue, Harrelson discreetly expressed his alleged anti-vaccine beliefs by making a joke about a script he had read prior to the coronavirus outbreak. “So, the movie goes like this,” said Harrelson.
“The biggest drug cartels in the world get together and buy up all the media and all the politicians and force all the people in the world to stay locked in their homes, and people can only come out if they take the cartel’s drugs and keep taking them over and over.”
Variety
After the show aired, Harrelson received criticism online. Twitter users took to the platform to express their concerns about the monologue. “Anti-Vaxxers won’t listen to highly educated people who’ve spent their lives devoted to science and medicine—but they will listen to a guy who they saw in that movie they watched a few years ago,” one other individual posted on Twitter.
‘SNL’ is not the first COVID-19 conspiracy Harrelson has mentioned
Harrelson has previously criticized mask-wearing and claimed he didn’t get coronavirus because he was “internally clean” thanks to his vegan diet. In an interview with Vanity Fair, he said of mask-wearing: “As one who doesn’t believe in the germ theory, I find it rather absurd.”
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In the past, Harrelson has been an outspoken activist, primarily supporting environmental causes. He was detained in 1996 after scaling the Golden Gate Bridge to display a banner denouncing the Pacific Timber Company’s ownership of an old-growth forest, according to the Chicago Tribune.
5G conspiracy sparks a rash of attacks on cell phone towers
Harrelson promoted a claim early in the pandemic that 5G cellular networks may be to blame for the coronavirus’s spread in a later-deleted Instagram post, Vox reports. In the post, Harrelson said that”I haven’t fully vetted it; I find it very interesting.” He also said that “5G radiation” is “exacerbating” the contagion’s spread and making it more lethal.
A wave of attacks on UK cell phone towers was attributed to these wild conspiracy theories linking 5G networks to the coronavirus epidemic. Theoretical explanations for the virus have included everything from 5G signals to the virus spreading as a cover for network-related illnesses. These reports lack evidence and have yet to be substantiated.
The pandemic has been confusing and frustrating for everyone. However, disinformation has permeated news and media outlets as well as social media platforms. Unsubstantiated claims have been put forth by celebrities as well, although it has usually been confined to social media. For fact-checked information about coronavirus, visit the United Nations, CDC, and Johns Hopkins.
Harrelson’s appearance on SNL put him in the Five-Timer Club.
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