Screenwriter and American Physco author Bret Easton Ellis sounded off on an array of cultural issues in an interview with Rolling Stone, notably addressing how speech is being “muzzled” and how Hollywood has become “more uninteresting” than ever.
Asked about Hillary Clinton’s loss to Donald Trump and whether he believes gay marriage might be repealed, Ellis argued that her defeat was a result of her embracing identity politics and that he does not fear anti-gay rhetoric or legislation from the Trump administration.
“It’s not something that I worry about, or is on my mind,” Ellis explained. “That’s the problem with identity politics, and it’s what got Hillary into trouble. If you have a vagina, you had to vote for Hillary. This has seeped into a bedrock credo among a lot of people, and you’ve gotta step back.”
“People are not one-issue voters,” Ellis continued. “I am not going to vote as a gay man, and I don’t think the idea of us not being allowed to marry is going to happen.”
“Pence has his issues, but Trump is not an anti-gay president in any way, shape or form,” he continued. “I also have gay friends who support and voted for Trump, based on certain policies. It’s not just about being gay and being able to marry.”
On the topic of freedom of speech, Ellis, who is known to be an outspoken user of Twitter, claimed that many people feel “muzzled” under the current political and cultural climate coming from the Left.
“I think everyone feels muzzled now, and it comes down to how much you can take. Can I talk about what I’m feeling and say my opinion?” he asked. “You get to a point where there’s a break, a fissure, and you either decide to go through it and be yourself, or you decide to hide. I don’t know what kind of life it’s like to hide. I feel more comfortable expressing myself as a completely transparent man now.”
Ellis also argued that Hollywood and popular culture feel “more uninteresting” than ever, pointing to its repetitiveness and predictability.
“I’m definitely more critical of it than I’ve ever been, more so than I ever was in my twenties, thirties, or forties. I don’t know if it’s a product of age, or if culture is really more uninteresting than it’s ever been. I’m still curious, and that’s the difference between me and a lot of my friends.”
“I watch a lot of TV, and still go to the movies. I listen to music that younger people tell me to listen to. I also read books, including new fiction, and I still find things I like.,” he continued. “That curiosity still pays off, even if there is a “been there, done that” sameness to the culture right now.”
In May, the 52-year-old expressed concern about “Hollywood hysteria” over the Trump administration and claimed that such behavior would create many more figures like Kanye West, who ignored warnings and taunts from his liberal peers and openly expressed support for President Trump.
“As someone who considers themselves a disillusioned Gen-X’er, I think there IS a backlash brewing against leftist hysteria,” he told the Observer at the time. “What I used to semi-align myself with has no answers for anything right now, just constant bitching and finding ways to delegitimize an election.”
As a result of his mere outspokenness, Ellis says he has been labeled a “Trump apologist” and even accused of “colluding with Russia” for his criticisms of the Democratic Party and modern left-wing movement.
Follow Ben Kew on Facebook, Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart.com.
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