During the lockdown, it feels like some of the most random celebrities are trending on Twitter for the oddest reasons. Like, people will dig up some old clip and re-amplify it like it’s new and then try to say that so-and-so is “canceled.” It’s bizarre. But on Friday night, Jeff Goldblum was trending for a real reason: he appeared as a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race. He wept over a lip sync to Katy Perry and he also asked some weird or uncomfortable questions about tucks and why an Iranian-Canadian queen wore a sparkly hijab.
Jeff Goldblum, known for his iconic role in the “Jurrasic Park” franchise, is facing social media backlash over comments he made to a contestant on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Goldblum, who appeared as a Season 12 guest judge on the wildly popular show with “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s” Rachel Bloom, came under fire when he asked if the Islamic religion was “anti-homosexuality” and “anti-woman.”
His comments came during a “Stars and Stripes” themed runway walk, when Jackie Cox, whose non-drag name is Darius Rose, wore a red and white striped caftan and a blue hijab with silver stars. Cox, who is Iranian-Canadian, strutted the runway saying, “You can be Middle Eastern, you can be Muslim and you can still be American.”
Goldblum asked Cox if she was religious, and she said that she was not. “To be honest, this outfit really represents the importance that visibility for people of religious minorities need to have in this country,” Cox explained. That’s when Goldblum asked about the Islamic religion and how it treats people who identify as LGBTQ. “Is there something in this religion that is anti-homosexuality and anti-woman? Does that complicate the issue? I’m just raising it and thinking out loud and maybe being stupid,” the actor said.
The comment instantly sparked a backlash from fans, some of whom insisted that Islam is not the only religion that persecutes women and the LGBTQ community. Calling it a “complex issue,” Cox said that she also has misgivings about the way people who identify as LGBTQ are treated in the Middle East. A recent study done by the Public Religion Research Institute found that 52% of American Muslims agreed that “society should approve of homosexuality.”
I’m including the clip below… personally, I don’t think this was the moment for a larger conversation about how one particular religion deals with homosexuality, drag and women’s issues. It feels especially like a set-up because Jackie Cox was just doing the stars-and-stripes theme and… yeah, it feels like Goldblum couldn’t wrap his mind around the idea of a patriotic hijab. Christianity has had significant issues with all of this as well.
Ummmmmmmmm….. Jeff Goldblum wyd pic.twitter.com/dQndTH65VR
— Ira Madison III (@ira) April 25, 2020
Personally, I think the tuck question was a lot worse??
Jeff Goldblum being confused by tucking. That’s it, that’s the tweet. 😂@thegigigoode #DragRace pic.twitter.com/GuU2fEUmL1
— RuPaul's Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) April 25, 2020
Photos courtesy of WENN.
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