People are so bored they’re trying to cancel Timothée Chalamet for using a homophobic slur in a play back in 2016

In an effort not to succumb to the despair of the current coronavirus pandemic, fans are debating cancelling Timothée Chalamet. (David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Do you remember 2016? Brangelina divorced, #KimExposedTaylorParty was a thing, people annoyed teens named Daniel over their white Vans and top-tier twink Timothée Chalamet did a live reading of Tennessee.

Well, do you miss 2016? Are you bored out of your mind working from home and trying desperately to avoid your mental health be seized by the coronavirus pandemic? Why not cancel someone!

That’s what scions of the internet are debating doing after #TimothéeChalametIsOverParty began to radiate across Twitter Wednesday as footage of Chalamet reading of the play – which saw him say “dyke” – resurfaced and sparked both criticism and support.

im a lesbian and i dont even stan but timothée did nothing wrong he was literally reading a fucking script ??? thats his fucking job????????? do yall know what being an actor is??? #timotheechalametisoverparty pic.twitter.com/58innSxIvl

— ruu ♡ 세윤 and luns (@sehyoontits) March 19, 2020

Should you emotionally prepare for what you’re about to read?

Yes.

Splitting Twitter cleanly in half, some LGBT+ users and allies are labelling the actor as “problematic”, while others are giving detractors Acting 101 classes from the comfort of their bedrooms.

A chorus of critics is saying that Chalamet has no right to use the homophobic slur even if it is scripted. Others upbraided this argument by saying he was simply doing his job and… reading a script.

“Try to cancel Timmy for this s**t and I riot,” an impassioned supporter of the Call Me by Your Name actor wrote. “It was a f**king script and he had to read it, what the actual f**k, have you ever heard of acting.”

“Just cause he had to read script doesn’t make it OK for him to say dyke stop defending problematic people,” a carper voiced.

just cause he had to read script doesn’t make it okay for him to say dyke stop defending problematic people.

— 𝕤𝕪𝕕𝕟𝕚𝕖 🍭 ia for rn. (@jihyokindagay) March 18, 2020

Critics explained that hesitation to cancel the actor may stem from Chalamet’s intense whiteness, maleness, his aggressively square-jaw and how he is “cute”.

#timotheechalametisoverparty script or not he still said it. he could’ve easily just skipped the word if he actually cared. y’all just don’t wanna cancel him because he’s cute right? now if this was ariana grande y’all would be on her fucking ASSSS… call it what it is. sexism.

— ً (@izyeri) March 19, 2020

But Timothée Chalamet stans were sufficiently unimpressed with this argument.

Seeking to tamper down criticism by reminding the world of Chalamet’s LGBT+ advocacy in the past.

#timothéechalametisoverparty since y’all wanna forget that he’s literally one of the biggest supporters/allies of the lgbtq+ community. pls stop trying to cancel him over a live script reading like he was literally just doing his job and you just look stupid for assuming shit pic.twitter.com/OEXDYeLF77

— kris (@chvrrychvlamet) March 19, 2020

as a full fledge lesbian…….i truly could not give less of a fuck lmaooo timmy still cute and he’s a good actor. he was clearly taken out of context
anyways, go stream little women #timothéechalametisoverparty pic.twitter.com/Hla6RNtQxq

— delaney (@writerinprog) March 18, 2020

tell me please which clown started this and got it trending… y’all better stop NOW #timothéechalametisoverparty pic.twitter.com/4YL7CjDI7N

— Bella (@iizabeya) March 19, 2020

Other users leafed through dictionaries to find the definition of acting.

#TimotheeChalametIsOverParty I think y’all need this definition bc u clearly don’t understand how acting works??? a reach. go cancel trisha paytas instead. pic.twitter.com/5N1jhi9CTX

— fagtastic mr fox (@sethrogang) March 18, 2020

people are still hating when they know it was for a role. as i said before, A ROLE ISNT A REFLECTION OF THE ACTOR. ooo chile #timothéechalametisoverparty pic.twitter.com/TmXrys834B

— kailyn (@TIMOTHEESWRLD) March 19, 2020

An actor must play a role, a character that yes, sometimes portrays an assh*le but usually it is to denounce this bad behaviour. It is the job of an actor to portray to denounce.

You just show that he does an amazing work at acting. #timothéechalametisoverparty

— bye oxford (@StyleswildGrier) March 19, 2020

Heck, even fancam accounts barrelled into the Timothée Chalamet debate.

#TimotheeChalametIsOverParty
I’m a dyke as well and yes, it’s a slur. But it was in his script for gods sake leave him alone
pic.twitter.com/SUD3j7URun

— ᴘᴇᴛʀᴀ ☾ #WonhoAlmostHome (@singularsehyoon) March 19, 2020

And one user managed to sketch out the reality of the situation, that the general public, with many lives paralysed by lockdown strategies in trying efforts to contain the viral outbreak, are bored.

Really, really, really bored, and we all need a distraction. So deciding whether to cancel the straight prince of twinks keeps some people occupied during this distraction.