Comedian and director Bobcat Goldthwait is the latest media figure to defend director James Gunn after his recent firing from Disney.
Goldthwait posted a photo to Instagram of himself with Gunn, Uproxx reports. In the caption, he called out Disney for what he sees as “hypocritical” action by the media mammoth and requested his voice be removed from an upcoming theme park attraction. Gunn was fired after offensive tweets of his resurfaced, and members of the far-right called for him to lose his job.
While some have pointed to Disney’s odd timing with its decision, Goldthwait named other figures, including himself, whose past transgressions are on par with Gunn’s.
“You see here’s the deal, years ago I made a lot of sarcastically shocking and offensive jokes,” Goldthwait wrote. “Many that I’m embarrassed about now, and I’d hate to make you guys look bad seeing that I’m openly critical of the president and his administration, and you seem to be taking your lead from some of his radical fringe supporters.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BljB2QzHF-C/?utm_source=ig_embed
Goldthwait said if Disney is to remain consistent in its policies, his own voice should be removed from the character of Pain in a Hercules attraction coming to the company’s theme park. He also pointed to James Wood, who voiced Hades in Hercules, as another actor with a history of offensive tweets. Finally, he suggested Disney’s hypocrisy by continuing to earn profit from the movie Powder.
Per Uproxx:
And Goldthwait goes for the Powder jugular by alluding to Disney’s hiring of Victor Salva, who was convicted in 1988 of sexually abusing a 12-year-old male actor, to direct the 1995 drama film.
Goldthwait isn’t alone in his defense of the embattled director. Actors Selma Blair, Dave Bautista, and Sean Gunn (James’ brother) have all come to his defense, and hundreds of thousands of fans have signed a petition for Disney to re-hire him.
H/T Uproxx