Alyssa Milano is one of those individuals who, in the course of several decades of their acting career, has proved to be capable of doing only one thing – sticking their own foot into their mouth in the most effective possible manner. The latest episode took place last week during a quiet charity event in Los Angeles in support of a children’s cancer foundation.
James Woods was giving an impromptu speech on the subject of the children they are supposed to help when Alyssa Milano thought she should make a statement. She stood up and interrupted him saying: “You’re just another dumb MAGA.”
However, Woods was not ready to rise and get angry. He only smiled and responded in a polite but rather sharp way: “My dear, I’m a Rhodes Scholar with a PhD in microbiology and a minor in theater arts. You’re a washed-up actress with no roles in 12 years. Whatever – the kids you’re here to help have leukemia, not Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
The room grew very silent to hear how the ice melted in the water glasses. Milano’s face went from anger to embarrassment to the usual look of someone who has already thought how it is going to be seen on Instagram. She took all her stuff, lingered a little bit next to the table with donations to allow the cameras see her writing a check and left.
The last act is typical for Milano’s style. She didn’t mean any donation; she just wanted to be in the spotlight.
The scene that has been mentioned above is not an accidental occurrence. It is how Milano usually operates. In recent years, the actress has been openly criticizing the country in such areas as the climate, reproductive rights, and even deciding on who is allowed to continue working. But, when confronted with a man who studied something and chose the acting profession, she could only throw an insult.
Nevertheless, Woods is not an angel, either. Abrasive, vicious, and unwilling to be appreciated by any of the former Hollywood elite, he is exactly the kind of person whom such an encounter hurt most of all. No need to invent anything – he only had to state the obvious: one of them came to discuss children who were ill; the other one wanted to make a political point and leave because things were going south for her.
The “washed-up” phrase is likely to sting, but not without reason. The period when Milano had interesting roles in movies and TV series is long ago and the actress is not known to the new generations. She became an activist after that. The issue is that activism, as a performance, sooner or later requires an audience that would not speak up. And Woods spoke.
There is a particular kind of progressive celebrities who see any public venue as an extension of their social media accounts. They expect to be praised for the right opinions and leave in a fury if the latter is not fulfilled. Milano is especially good at it. Charity event became a stage for the latter as soon as she found an enemy in Woods.
Woods’ answer cut into her performance because he did not accept its premise. He neither defended nor criticized Trump. He did not quarrel about the voting records. He simply stated a fact: there was a higher purpose of the evening than her politics. It has nothing to do with her favorite cause. There are children who have cancer.
Of course, she will try to turn this performance into one more act of right-wing intimidation. It is the routine scenario. But there is no way for her to accept the plain truth quietly: to interrupt the speech about the dying kids and make a political statement requires no courage.
All said and done, her money to the camera can help some families. But it is still something. The main thing was before that—when she decided to succumb to her politics instead of listening to the purpose of the gathering. James Woods just expressed what everybody else thought but kept silent about.