The creator of “Family Guy” and “The Orville” is at odds with his Hollywood peers when it comes to supporting Oprah Winfrey if she runs for president in 2020.
Twitter hashtags like “#Oprahforpresident” and “#Oprah2020” surged on social media since her Golden Globe awards speech on Sunday, which many interpreted as a budding interest by Ms. Winfrey in presidential politics. Entertainers and political pundits fawned over the idea of President Trump taking on the media mogul, but Seth MacFarlane wants no part of it.
“Oprah is beyond doubt a magnificent orator,” the former Academy Awards host tweeted late Tuesday. “But the idea of a reality show star running against a talk show host is troublingly dystopian. We don’t want to create a world where dedicated public service careers become undesirable and impractical in the face of raw celebrity.”
Oprah is beyond doubt a magnificent orator. But the idea of a reality show star running against a talk show host is troublingly dystopian. We don’t want to create a world where dedicated public service careers become undesirable and impractical in the face of raw celebrity.
— Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) January 10, 2018
Mr. MacFarlane, an outspoken liberal, made headlines in recent months for prescient jokes regarding disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.
“In 2011, my friend and colleague Jessica Barth, with whom I worked on the Ted films, confided in me regarding her encounter with Harvey Weinstein and his attempted advances,” said in October. “She has since courageously come forward to speak out. It was with this account in mind that, when I hosted the Oscars in 2013, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to take a hard swing in his direction. Make no mistake, this came from a place of loathing and anger.”
Ms. Winfrey’s speech blasted industry insiders for sexual misconduct as part of the #MeToo and #TimesUp campaigns.
“I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon,” the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime award winner said. “And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say ’Me too’ again.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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