The outreach in this country’s political divide is almost always a one-way street. We don’t see the wealthy, successful denizens of the entertainment industry making a friendly gesture to someone with an opposing view. It’s more standard for them to call names and launch socially stigmatizing accusations rather than engage in a good-faith exchange of ideas.
This is what award-winner Meryl Streep did on Sunday by degrading fans of the NFL and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
Streep delivered her controversial speech at the Golden Globes after receiving a lifetime achievement award for her acting. She expressed her concerns about President-elect Donald Trump and took a swipe at the voters who put him into office.
“Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners. If you kick ’em all out, you’ll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts.”
In response, Scott Coker, president of Bellator MMA, sent an open letter and invitation to Streep.
“The global sport of mixed martial arts celebrates male and female athletes from around the world who work years tirelessly honing their craft and–yes–art,” read a portion of Coker’s letter posted to Twitter. “They come from every country and every walk of life. We at Bellator support them and honor their skill. Please be my guest at the LA Forum on January 21st and you will see that Mixed Martial Arts is truly artistic — which will feature fighters from all over the world competing at a world class level.”
No word yet on whether Streep has accepted.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member