Actor Tim Allen—best known for his starring roles on Home Improvement and as the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story franchise—was mocked online after he posted a bizarre Twitter rant about "wokees."
The term "wokeness," which originated in Black slang and has been used to refer to the state of being "alert to racial prejudice and discrimination," has often been employed by the right-wing to insult various progressive or leftist movements and ideologies and to curb discussions about identity and race.
Writing on Twitter, Allen demanded to know "Who is the face of woke," adding:
"Do wokees have a club house in someone's backyard or maybe a cute yet safe playpen somewhere?"
You can see his tweet below.
\u201cWho is the face of woke. Do wokees have a club house in someone\u2019s backyard or maybe a cute yet safe playpen somewhere?\u201d— Tim Allen (@Tim Allen) 1666039140
Of course, there is no such thing as a "face of woke" and Twitter users were quick to mock Allen for yet another childish attack against progressives.
Yeah, it did not go well for him.
\u201cLet me translate this tweet for everyone:\n\n\u201cI\u2019m still butt hurt that @rickygervais made fun of me at the Golden Globes.\u201d\n\nThere ya go. #tweetinterpreter\u201d— Matt (@Matt) 1666103365
\u201cThis is the boomerest boomer tweet of all time\u201d— eve6 (@eve6) 1666059962
\u201cJust a reminder that absolutely every role Tim Allen plays, is some form of bad dad or toxic male role that saves his relationships by learning to lean into and accept new more appropriate social skills and PC acceptance.\nSo Tim... Tim is in fact, the face of "Wokness".\u201d— Mike X (@Mike X) 1666069867
\u201cIt\u2019s official. Right wing terror campaigns about \u201cWoke\u201d has jumped the shark.\u201d— Hal Sparks (@Hal Sparks) 1666099612
\u201cHow does it feel to be the least beloved cast member of Galaxy Quest?\u201d— ghoulish nerd nonsense (@ghoulish nerd nonsense) 1666100569
\u201cWhy have a clubhouse when there is rent free space in your head?\u201d— Tweedy (@Tweedy) 1666121286
\u201cImagine being the star of Home Improvement, a show about a strong-willed, progressive wife, an EXTREMELY progressive & considerate friend, & a HIGHLY educated neighbor coaching a dumb, POS cave man on human decency, & coming out of 10 seasons of that using terms like "Wokees"\u201d— Shaun Bolen (@Shaun Bolen) 1666064362
\u201cIn case you weren\u2019t sure where Tim Allen was all this time, he decided to dive headfirst into the MAGA rabbit hole.\nSo let me educate you timmy.\nThe term \u201cwoke\u201d goes back to the 20\u2019s and 30\u2019s.\nIt\u2019s like men of color telling each other \u201cstay frosty\u201d\nhttps://t.co/j3Wt95ZkXh\u201d— Sweetness (@Sweetness) 1666069963
\u201cTim is such a tool.\u201d— Boris Trump (@Boris Trump) 1666083025
One of Hollywood's more prominent conservatives, Allen has gone on record to say that he "kind of liked" that former Republican President Donald Trump often angered people with his inflammatory rhetoric. He even attended Trump's inauguration in 2017 and has continued to voice his support for Trumpian policies.
Despite his clear support for Trump, Allen has drawn the line at backing insurrectionists who attacked the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021 on the false premise that the 2020 election had been stolen. He has called the attack "embarrassing and shameful" for conservatives.
Last month, another attempt Allen made at humor backfired after he mocked Democratic President Joe Biden with a cringey 60 Minutes joke, saying that he wondered whether Biden, after appearing on 60 Minutes, "asked how long the show was." In making the remark, Allen breathed more life into conspiracies about Biden's mental fitness that have become a favorite talking point in conservative circles.
@jaketapoer/Bluesky
@BillAckman/Twitter