It takes a special kind of person – or people – to go out of their way to trash somebody paying tribute to one of the 21st Century’s biggest tragedies, but Dwayne Johnson hasn’t even been able to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11 on social media without his critics popping up to take their shots.
The actor and producer may have been a day late to paying tribute, but that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to blast him for supposedly turning everything into a publicity stunt designed to enhance his immaculately-curated public persona. As if the constant bashing he’s been taking since partnering up with Oprah Winfrey for a Maui relief fund wasn’t bad enough, one of the top comments on his heartfelt Instagram posts savages The Rock to “stop using big events as a marketing stunt.”
It’s unclear what the commenter believes he’s attempting to market seeing as Johnson used nothing but a still image and a caption, but a little further down the comments and you’ll see somebody else piping up with “I’m just here for the Maui comments…,” so it’s not as if the 51 year-old’s online activity taking an unsavory turn is anything new.
For all the charitable work, donations, and good deeds that he does, Johnson can never seem to escape the fact that certain cynics out there believe his “good guy” shtick is all an act, and that he’s actually a secret tyrant who just happens to have carved out a reputation for being a kind-hearted and wholesome soul.
For all we know those conspiracy theorists could be right, but a 9/11 tribute isn’t exactly the right time or place to perpetuate it.