Tim Robbins has a blunt message for Democrats.
The Oscar winner criticized the state of Democratic politics, arguing that the party needs to stop leaning so heavily on the opposition.
“I personally am not a happy guy with either [party],” Robbins said of the political landscape.
“I got to say, there got to be better ideas and better, you know, better motivation for people to vote for Democrats. They have to get their stuff together. They really do.”
The “Shawshank Redemption” star offered his assessment of the Democratic Party during an appearance on the “SmartLess” podcast with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett.
Robbins, 67, reflected on his 1992 directorial debut, “Bob Roberts,” a film about a conservative politician who uses folk music and media savvy to build his public persona. Robbins said the film’s themes have taken on new resonance in today’s political climate.
“Yeah. Yes. It’s weird,” Robbins said when asked whether he had ever looked back on the movie and realized how prescient it was.
The actor recalled that when he was promoting the film, journalists frequently asked whether the movie was about then-President George H.W. Bush, who was seeking re-election against Bill Clinton.
“I said, ‘Well yeah, he’s actually in the film. You know, there’s clips of him in the film, but it also could be about, you know, the Gore Vidal character, too. It could be about why change doesn’t happen.’”
Robbins argued that people can use political outrage as a substitute for purpose by waking up, checking their phones and immediately looking for the latest person or political development to hate.
“The idea that you can find your worth and purpose and virtue by hatred is this terrible, terrible idea,” Robbins said.
“The idea that if the source of your hatred is a particular person you don’t know, it’s even a worse idea. You’re battling a concept or an idea or a philosophy. You’re not dealing with an individual.”
Robbins said the phenomenon isn’t confined to one side of the political aisle.
“So, I feel like there’s too many people that wake up agitated about political figures … on either side and it’s not a good way to start your day.
“If the first thing you’re doing is doomscrolling about something that will make you feel better about your political beliefs, you know, you might try a little yoga, or you might try a little exercise or take a bike ride.”
The comments come weeks after Robbins discussed his own struggle with political anger and polarization.
In July, Robbins said an ayahuasca experience helped him let go of anger he had carried over America’s increasingly bitter cultural divide.
Robbins explained that he entered the ayahuasca experience hoping to stop allowing outrage to consume him.
“They tell you to go in with an intention,” Robbins said during an appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience.” “My intention was to … I was frustrated with feeling anger about what was going on in the world, and I said, ‘I want to release that. I don’t want to be consumed by that anger.’”
Robbins has been a fixture in Hollywood for more than four decades, winning an Academy Award for best supporting actor for 2003’s “Mystic River” and starring in films like “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Bull Durham” and “Top Gun.”
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