Robert Downey Jr criticises celebrity culture and rejects influencers as future stars
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Apr 30
Robert Downey Jr criticises celebrity culture and rejects influencers as future stars
4 articles · Updated · Fox News · Apr 30
Speaking on the podcast Conversations for Our Daughters, the actor said technology lets people create celebrity by filming themselves, but argued real stars are defined by what they make.
He said he hopes young Americans choose to build, learn and create rather than chase attention online, and described parts of influencer culture as hype-driven self-promotion.
Downey also cited his 14-year-old son’s brush with gaming donations as an example of the attention economy, while saying he tries to avoid manufacturing intimacy on social media.
Are today's top influencers a new kind of artist, or is Robert Downey Jr. right about the emptiness of online fame?
In an age of 'coached authenticity,' can young people ever build the genuine self that past stars value?
If talent can thrive offline like Sarah Strong, why are today's athletes forced to become social media influencers?