Congressman Fred Keller slams Joaquin Phoenix's Anti-Dairy Oscar Acceptance Speech

Press Release

Congressman Fred Keller (R-PA) on Monday slammed Hollywood Actor Joaquin Phoenix for his insensitive remarks about the dairy industry in his acceptance speech for winning Best Actor for his role in Joker.

During his acceptance speech at last night's Academy Awards, Phoenix blamed an "ego-centric world view" for a culture where one species can "exploit another with impunity."

"We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and when she gives birth, we steal her baby," Phoenix said. "Even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. And then we take her milk that's intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal."

In response, Congressman Keller released the following statement:

"Joaquin Phoenix winning Best Actor for playing the Joker fits him to a T because his comments would have been laughable were they not so offensive. Phoenix's rambling remarks about America's dairy industry prove how out-of-touch he is with the hardworking Americans who grow our food and create healthy communities. Phoenix's Hollywood-elite world view has clearly blinded him to the sacrifice and struggles of America's dairy farmers. When I travel Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District and meet with farmers, I am always impressed with their work-ethic, thoughtfulness, and desire to help others despite facing generational industrial hardships and a libelous onslaught from anti-dairy activists. The callousness he showed in his speech last night proves he needs to get out of his Hollywood bubble to see how real Americans make a living. His remarks were detestable not just to me, but to the many hardworking family farmers across Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District with whom I speak with on a regular basis."

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