You might’ve seen the videos of John Travolta at Cannes dancing like a rhythmically challenged dad with 50 Cent clogging up your feed.
Me and John Travolta partying ? l swear l only came out here because of him. pic.twitter.com/naQXTMGnxr
— 50cent (@50cent) May 16, 2018
But what has gone largely unnoticed was his pretty major snub of the #MeToo movement.
You know, just that massive social-reform movement that’s currently sweeping through his industry (and the world).
During an interview with French critic and journalist Didier Allouch, Travolta explained he doesn’t know much about #MeToo movement because he’s a “citizen of the globe”.
Travolta has been making the rounds at Cannes spruiking his passion project Gotti, which screened on Tuesday.
He spent the interview talking about his Scientology practice and his illustrious career, noting he inspired a young Benicio Del Toro who is said to have watched Grease 14 times as a kid.
“Benicio has this gravitas and power as an actor [so] that you never really associate that Grease would be the thing that created Benicio Del Toro,” Travolta joked.
Yep, apparently he had plenty to say but not when it came to #MeToo, giving it just a few sentences before segueing into a spiel on protests in general.
Before you go and destroy that much-loved Grease VHS, it’s worthwhile pointing out that Travolta did give some love to equality adding, “I try my best to keep people equal – men, women, races”.
But his initial “I don’t know much about it” comment matters. The implication is that the movement has been insignificant – that the silly little protesting women haven’t been powerful enough to get on the radar of this worldly man.
He’s important, y’know? Far too busy dancing with 50 Cent to take notice of the sexual assault his peers and colleagues have experienced.
It might seem a relatively harmless off-hand comment, but having a well-regarded actor like Travolta profess (or feign) ignorance shapes how everyday people think about this issue.
#MeToo isn’t just some blip on the radar. It might’ve received its biggest boost through female actors exposing perpetrators within their industry, but it quickly grew beyond that, with thousands of women across the world using the hashtag to share their own experiences.
Nobody – especially not someone with Travolta’s profile and longevity in the industry – has an excuse to be blind to that.