In addition to enjoying some big-time name recognition as a Hollywood actor, Michael Rapaport is also famous for expressing aloud exactly what is on his mind.
He is a celebrity of the "woke" kind, and for years he has gone about establishing his bonafides by taking positions that line up perfectly with his liberal Hollywood colleagues.
Having appeared in scores of films and an assortment of television fare (including the wildly successful "Friends," "Prison Break," "The Big Bang Theory," and "Boston Public"), Rapaport is currently featured in the Netflix offering "Atypical."
Intriguingly, he seems to have recently made a u-turn with regard to his perspective on the Biden administration.
The actor shared, via Twitter, some of his heavy duty frustration with the Biden administration’s present approach to the addressing of public health concerns and issuing of attendant recommended protocols.
Those who have already received seemingly protective shots " . . . are spreading COVID! That’s the new news of the day! I’m ranted out," Rapaport writes.
In an additional tweet that appears to take direct aim at his otherwise esteemed mentor Dr. Anthony Fauci, Rapaport sounds more like fellow thespian Kirstie Alley than Hollywood-minded colleague Ted Danson.
He encourages people to take a trip down Memory Lane and try to recall a time " . . . when Phil Jackson left the Lakers? Bill Parcels left the Giants?"
Then he implies that now may be the time for Dr. Fauci to exit the spotlight, adding, "It’s all white noise at this point."
The culmination of his frustration was on display in a TikTok video that he posted on his Twitter account, one in which he appears to experience a fairly dramatic emotional meltdown.
The title caption of the post reads: "Am I a Hero or a Super Spreader?"
Making no effort to suppress his feelings, he boldly blurts, "Figure this sh** out!"
In the video footage, Rapaport appears to be both angry and appalled to discover that information he had previously been relying upon was incorrect.
Continuing with a profanity laced outburst, he laments his personal predicament, which has been created by the mixed messages and shifting recommendations coming from myriad public health officials.
He also talks about falling from hero status to the rank level of a super spreader, using expletives to apparently lend more power to his emotion-packed words.
His change of attitude may have been brought on by the Biden administration's mask policy reversal.
National mask mandates had been lifted in May of this year. However, public health leaders pivoted and recommended that both vaccinated and unvaccinated people wear face masks indoors in specified regions across the country.
Dr. Fauci indicated that the change was due to the Delta variant’s alleged increased transmissibility. The doctor also revealed that recent data indicate, when a vaccinated person becomes infected with the Delta variant, the level of virus in the upper part of the pharynx, which is connected to nasal passages, is about 1,000 times higher than when infected with the initial Alpha variant.
Reactions to Rapaport's comments caused a Twitter explosion on both sides of the political and ideological aisles.
Still, he isn't shying away from sharing his views with fellow Hollywood neighbors and others.
Interestingly, though, the actor is in the thick of a quasi-political power struggle for a leadership position in Hollywood’s most influential organization, the celebrity drenched labor union SAG-AFTRA.
Involvement as a union leader is actually what led the late great President Ronald Reagan to enter the world of politics.
Two major "parties" currently exist: The incumbent "Unite for Strength" party, whose ticket is headed by sitcom actress and SAG-AFTRA presidential hopeful Fran Drescher; and the upstart "Membership First" party that offers actor Matthew Modine as its presidential contender.
National board candidates for "Unite for Strength" include outgoing union president Gabrielle Carteris, and actors Shari Belafonte and Camryn Manheim.
"Membership First" candidates who are running for seats on the national board include actors Sharon Stone, Stephanie Powers, Sean Astin, Brad Garret, and Rapaport himself.
As part of the "Membership First" party, Rapaport, in his official campaign statement, warns voting members of the following: "SAG-AFTRA is our union! We need to protect it and ourselves."
James Hirsen, J.D., M.A., in media psychology, is a New York Times best-selling author, media analyst, and law professor. Visit Newsmax TV Hollywood. Read James Hirsen's Reports — More Here.
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