Actor and activist Mark Ruffalo slammed Paramount Skydance as “appalling and fundamentally dishonest” after the media giant accused him of invoking antisemitic tropes in his public opposition to the company’s proposed $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to reports from NBC News, Yahoo Entertainment, and Fox News Digital.
Mark Ruffalo Targets Oracle Tech and the Ellison Family Merger
The dispute started Friday when Mark Ruffalo reshared an Instagram story featuring a video clip from the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The underlying video showed Oracle executive vice chair Safra Catz discussing the company’s covert technology support for the Israeli military following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, as reported by NBC News and Yahoo Entertainment. Fox News Digital noted that Catz referred to the deployments as “really profoundly scary technologies.” Ruffalo used the post to target Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, who is backing his son David Ellison’s Skydance Media acquisition of Paramount Global. According to NBC News, Ruffalo argued that Larry Ellison is using Oracle data and surveillance systems to fund the Warner Bros. deal, warning followers that the merged conglomerate’s technology could one day be turned on domestic citizens.
Paramount and Pro-Israel Groups Condemn Antisemitic Tropes
Paramount Skydance fired back over the weekend, telling multiple news outlets that it was troubled by the invocation of antisemitic tropes in a business dispute. According to NBC News and Yahoo Entertainment, the company’s statement asserted that applying words like “genocide” and “apartheid” to a corporate transaction is a “bridge too far” that cheapens genuine suffering. Fox News Digital reported that a Paramount spokesperson emphasized the company does not tolerate prejudice. Major pro-Israel advocacy organizations quickly weighed in to support the studio’s stance. The Simon Wiesenthal Center praised Paramount on social media for refusing to let prejudice masquerade as political criticism, while Jack Simony, president of the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation, stated via email that Paramount deserved recognition for confronting tropes that recast Jewish success in media as a conspiracy, as detailed by NBC News. Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, also criticized Ruffalo’s commentary, according to NBC News.
https://x.com/MarkRuffalo/status/2091236072311165311
Ruffalo Denies Antisemitism and Flags Antitrust and Editorial Risks
In a Saturday statement posted to X, Mark Ruffalo rejected the antisemitic accusations completely. NBC News and Fox News Digital quoted the actor calling the claim “appalling and fundamentally dishonest,” while clarifying that criticizing government actions, military contracts, or corporate executives is entirely distinct from targeting Jewish people. Ruffalo emphasized that his opposition to the $111 billion transaction stems from real economic and democratic threats, pointing to potential job losses, higher cable costs, and reduced competition across the film industry. He also raised concerns about handing one family control over major outlets like CNN and HBO, a deal currently stalled by a federal antitrust lawsuit from state attorneys general, with proceedings possibly delayed until June, according to NBC News.
https://x.com/simonwiesenthal/status/2091353809473909225
Did you know? The $111 billion Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger remains on hold while a federal judge reviews an antitrust lawsuit filed by a coalition of state attorneys general, according to NBC News.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Mark Ruffalo criticize the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger?
According to NBC News and Yahoo Entertainment, Mark Ruffalo argued the $111 billion deal would harm the film industry through job losses, higher cable costs, and concentrated media control, while also criticizing Oracle’s technology contracts.
How did Paramount respond to Ruffalo’s social media posts?
Paramount issued a statement to multiple news outlets stating that applying terms like “genocide” and “apartheid” to a corporate transaction is “a bridge too far” and invokes antisemitic tropes, as reported by NBC News and Fox News Digital.
What has Mark Ruffalo said in his defense?
As reported by NBC News and Fox News Digital, Ruffalo called the accusation of antisemitism “appalling and fundamentally dishonest,” stating that his criticism targets corporate executives, military contracts, and political actions rather than Jewish people.
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