If you spend time reading or listening to conservative media outlets these days, you would think that the United States faces a far greater threat than Covid-19, global warming, racial injustice, or economic inequality. The gravity of this threat captures the constant attention of outlets like Fox News and stirs the passions of right-wing Twitter talking heads on a daily basis. No, it’s not Joe Biden and Kamala Harris...
It’s Alyssa Milano.
The 47-year-old actress, activist, and podcaster first captured the nation’s attention with her role on the ABC sitcom Who’s the Boss, and then later on popular television show Charmed. More recently, however, Milano is well known for her social activism, and her outspokenness online regarding humanitarian and progressive causes.
But perhaps it is the longtime Twitter influencer’s Tweet on October 15, 2017, helping relaunch the #MeToo movement activist Tarana Burke first initiated in 2006, that helped define the actresses’ most recent public persona as a social media activist. By calling attention to the pervasiveness of sexual harassment faced by women, Milano helped spark an outpouring of reactions by women around the country and the world and brought attention to the countless victims of sexual assault.
Since then, Milano has been in the crosshairs of right-wing critics on a regular basis, drawing criticism for her outspoken activism and frequent Twitter posts in support of Democratic candidates. Not even her recent bout with the coronavirus has slowed the scornful criticism of her, with her critics trying to trend #AlyssaMilanoIsALie on Twitter. The campaign comes after Milano and former Charmed co-start Rose McGowan recently engaged in a war of words on Twitter following McGowan’s criticism of the Democratic National Convention and presidential candidate Joe Biden.
So what exactly is it about Milano that attracts such fierce animosity?
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 15: Alyssa Milano attends Sean Penn, Bryan Lourd and Vivi Nevo ... [+]
It can’t be simply sexism, although there is no question that is a part of it. There are plenty of women celebrities who are critical of Trump and other far-right politicians and positions. Could it be that Milano is relentlessly outspoken about the causes she supports and the way she uses her celebrity profile to support them? That also doesn't seem to explain the backlash Milano receives for her posts either, as countless others have stepped to the forefront of celebrity activism over the past several years.
Milano-derangement syndrome seems to spark a particular flavor of right-wing anger and it has as much to do with Milano’s confidence and fearlessness as it does with her positions. Beyond regular postings that reach her 3.7 million Twitter followers, Milano also hosts Sorry, Not Sorry, a popular podcast in which she interviews leading political figures and activists on current political topics and issues. She also hasn’t been shy about going beyond simple online activism, often putting her money and actions behind the causes she cares about.
The real reason the right-wing activists seemingly have a case of Milano-derangement syndrome is because she does what they fear the most. She learns about issues, hugs and wrestles with ideas until she forms her own opinions that are untethered to dogma, and then she confidently speaks her mind. She doesn’t shy away from her power, but she does not avoid being vulnerable. Most of all, Milano grounds her arguments in facts and insight rather than conspiracy theories and innuendo. Alyssa Milano is the kind of citizen-activist who embraces the complexity of not only the “what” part of our political debates, but also the “why” behind them.
The fact is, Milano frustrates her critics because, despite her celebrity status, she is real. Like much of America, she is sometimes angry. Other times she is optimistic. She is on a quest to learn how to change the world for the better, and then she takes her best shot at making it happen. Her detractors might lament the so called “fake news,” but as hard as they try to paint her as a fraud, there is nothing fake about Alysa Milano. She is real, she is ready, and she is relentless. And to those who constantly attack her, that’s not a lie.
It’s a threat.
