Robert Downey Jr. is rejecting the idea that influencers are the future of stardom.
He claims the statement is “absolute horse s–t,” and argues real stars are defined by what they create.
Online Fame
Downey Jr. appeared on “Conversations for our Daughters” to talk about influencers and fame.
He conceded that self-made online fame is not always a negative. However, it does change what it takes to stand apart from others.
He said, “Nowadays, people can create celebrity without ever doing much besides rolling a phone on themselves. And I don’t look at that as a negative thing. I just look at it as more like the challenge for individuation is being upped.”
Choosing to Learn and Create
Instead of immediately chasing attention online, Downey Jr. hopes young people decide to learn and create instead.
He stated, “Hopefully the grosser part of the youth of — let’s just call it America for locality’s sake — you know, is gonna say, ‘Yeah, but that’s not my thing. I want to go do something, I’m going to make something, I want to build something, I want to educate myself and I want to have more inputs, so whatever my output is, it isn’t just a self-aggrandizing kind of influencer-type thing.'”
He added, “When I hear people talk about, ‘Oh the stars of the future are going to be influencers,’ I go, ‘I don’t know what world you’re living into, but I think that that is absolute horse s—.'”
The Influencer Culture
The actor focused on a part of influencer culture that can feel like hype-driven self-promotion disguised as something more meaningful. He even provided an example, using his 14-year-old son.
Downey Jr. shared, “He kinda got caught up in this whole influencer thing, and next thing you know, it’s like, ‘Hey, if you like the way I’m playing this video game, do you wanna send me a donation?’ And really, it becomes a religion.”
He continued, “So there’s something about the influencers today are almost like the evangelical hucksters of the information age. At the same token, different because we’re playing in this new territory and so it’s a little bit of a frontier and I don’t really have a judgment on it.”
As for the star-studded actor, he tries not to get too caught up in social media.
“I know like people say, ‘Robert, they just love it when you’re kind of like seeming off the cuff, and they’re getting a glimpse into your life.’ And I go, ‘But yeah, but I’d be manufacturing that aspect for them.’ So it’s — it’s BS.”
Downey Jr.’s Career
Robert Downey Jr.’s career started as a child, growing up with a filmmaker father, Robert Downey Sr. He reached early success in films such as Less Than Zero, later earning an Academy Award nomination for Chaplin.
However, Downey Jr.’s career fell off the rails for a few years, riddled with legal troubles and substance abuse issues. He slowly made his way back into the spotlight in the early 2000s.
Some of his most famous works include Iron Man, The Avengers, Sherlock Holmes, and Avengers: Endgame.