Brian Cox has lived in America for many years, mostly to work in American films and television. He’s currently living in Brooklyn, which is apparently the only place in America he enjoys (and even then, not so much). Cox is perpetually grumpy and he’s just a full-time hater, I think that much is clear. Well, Cox decided to chat with Piers Morgan on Morgan’s sad TalkTV show, and the two blowhards decided to complain about woke culture and how wrong it is to “shame” people for being bigots and racists and such. You can see the video here, I’m not embedding it.
Brian Cox is going viral after taking jabs at the notion of “woke culture” during a recent interview with Piers Morgan. Amid the celebration of Succession making history at the Emmy Awards nominations Cox, Kieran Culkin and Jeremy Strong, scoring noms in the Lead Actor category, the interview with the Scottish actor talk about being anti-woke is making the rounds.
“I don’t think social media helps. It hinders, not helps,” Cox said during an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored. “I think it points out too readily inadequacies. And the whole woke, what we’ve talked about before, the whole woke culture is truly awful […] and the shaming culture… I don’t know where it comes from. Who are the arbiters of this shaming? And it’s very hard to pin them down, and, it turns out, it’s usually a bunch of millennials. And who gave them the halos? I suppose in a way they’re probably saying, ‘Well you’ve all screwed it up so we may as well do something about it.’ But it’s from the wrong principle. It comes from the wrong place.”
According to Merriam-Webster, being “woke” is being “aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice).”
This is not the first time that Cox has gone onto Morgan’s show to talk about “cancel culture.” In 2022, Cox said, “It’s a kind of modern-day McCarthyism, really. “It’s a kind of raid on people’s sensibilities in order to reduce them and make them… I don’t know, there is so much hypocrisy involved with the whole thing.”
“It turns out, it’s usually a bunch of millennials” should be the go-to excuse for anything. What happened at that party? Why is the real estate market so chaotic? Why did we go through four years of Donald Trump? “It turns out, it’s usually a bunch of millennials.” Keep in mind, elder Millennials are in their early 40s now. I’m not sure if Cox actually means Gen Z, the people in their 20s right now. Anyway, this just reads like two old farts bitching about the youths and their “cancel culture.” They have no idea what they’re actually complaining about. I hope Emmy voters ignore Cox – who is nominated in the lead actor category despite only appearing in three episodes of Succession – and vote for Kieran Culkin or Jeremy Strong!
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- Fremantle Unveils International Talent Line Up For MIPCOM 2022. Brian Cox attends the red carpet at Fremantle’s exclusive party at MIPCOM 2022. The Fremantle Photocall as part of the MIPCOM 2022 on October 17, 2022 in Cannes, France.,Image: 731415782, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Olivier Huitel / Avalon
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- HBO’s ‘Succession’ Season 4 Premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center on March 20, 2023 in New York City. Featuring: Sarah Snook, Alan Ruck, Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin Where: New York, New York, United States When: 20 Mar 2023 Credit: Marion Curtis/StarPix for HBO Originals/Startraksphoto.com/Cover Images
Ok boomer
I know a lot of boomers who would not embrace him. But it’s funny to see this “How dare you judge me – I’m judging you!!”
As a boomer, the last thing I want to see is society transfer all its negativity toward us to some other generation. Say what you will about this Cox dude, but don’t blame him on me. No generation has a monopoly on a-holes.
Except Boomers’ greed literally destroyed the economy for Gen X, Millennials and future generations. The best Boomers I know will freely admit that.
I’ll take your word for it since this boomer woman isn’t going to bother with these two. For my part, I recently watched one of those Bourne movies – the one where Brian Cox character gets exposed as a slime, then kills himself. The nice thing about streamers is you can enjoy those moments over and over
He’s just a rich, privileged old man who resents that he can’t just be the #1 priority in all things, tell nasty jokes about women and minorities, sexually harass whoever he wants, pay the least amount in taxes as possible, live with only other old white people, etc. etc. etc.
People who complain about times changing are the ones most invested in the world continuing to benefit them and exclude others.
Old white dude shaking his fist at the sky. Every generation complains about the ones coming up behind them–Socrates did it, Plato did it–twas ever thus.
Absolutely this @BeanieBean! It has always been thus. I remember how our WW2 parents complained about how us boomers were ruining the world they had fought for by wearing colorful shirts, caring about the environment, and supporting civil rights & women’s rights. We definitely made mistakes and I trust the following generations to fix our mistakes and make their own.
I hate when people use the term boomer. We are all gonna get old one day.
If he’s going to call out Millennials as the cause of our ills, we should definitely talk about the Baby Boomers….
so totally agree.
Why do I doubt he can define “woke?”
Or “millennials?”
Always replace woke with anti-racist and make them repeats their statement. “This anti-racist nonsense is out of hand.” “Kids today are too anti-racist.” “I miss the good ole days before everyone was so anti-racist.”
I was jumping on here to say this exact thing! He sounds like an old, privileged white man who is mad for his world changing to include all, not just grumpy, old white men. It’s interesting to see how these racists are outing themselves.
Thank you, Betty Rose. That is the perfect way to use the word. I am a very old Boomer who was stunned when Ronald Reagan (not a Boomer) steered this country into greater inequality than ever before seen.
My guess would be whatever challenges his comfort is ‘woke’ and whoever does that is a ‘millennial’. Just a wild stab in the dark there.
Exactly @A! Life and past social structure worked for him so he finds any adjustment he would have to make unnecessary and aggravating. Even how he complains is privileged! He complains about the “arbiters of shame” and “who gets to elect that” when referring to how social media has given the masses a platform and democratized outrage. None of which actually affects him! He’s literally just mad that the masses have a voice that can’t be ignored and silenced.
Juxtapose that with how society and our social structure has evolved because large sections of society that had no access to education and employment opportunities now do. They struggled, fought, and were killed or imprisoned fighting for the opportunity to have themselves and their children participate fully in society.
Now this guy is complaining because he has to occasionally hear their opinions.
My response to people who say this kind of thing is always, “So you’re saying you’re pro-racism?”
It’s fun to watch them backpedal.
“Rawr….. I’m a dinosaur…… Rawr”
“Hey! I’m no racist. I’m just saying libruls have gone too far with this nonsense.”
“What nonsense is that?”
“This whole woke thing. You know what I’m talking about.”
“Not really. Can you explain woke to me?
“I mean, it’s just like, people are too sensitive these days.”
“What are people too sensitive about?”
“Just like, everything, man. I don’t know.”
“I am not racist, I just think white people are inherently better than others…and I happen to be white”
It’s all their own insecurities, so point them out & push that button- hard.
Make it known: they fear having to be “like everyone else”, working hard & being replaced.
And, yeah, shame the hell out of people, god knows their generation loved that stuff when it meant conforming to their ideals.
He’s blaming Millenials, but has he met Gen Z?
LMAO he would cry even more because a lot of Gen Z ‘outwoke’ Millenials by a lot 😀
Meanwhile, I heard his name but I have only a vague idea of him doing something in American movies.
Also, plenty of people older than Millenials that are reasonable people that don’t bow their heads for his priviliged ass.
Don’t need to be young for that.
Change it to, old, rich, white man angry he can’t sexually harass women with impunity, be super racist and bigoted, without consequence. Wahh whoa is he! How dare these 30 and 40 somethings tell us to what we’re allowed to do!
Typical entitled privileged people being upset that it’s no longer acceptable to be a POS.
Yeah, he sounds just like my boomer parents who think and treat that me, the oldest of the millennial group, like I am still and child and nothing I say or feel is valid. They sneer at therapy and and will never take accountability for anything they say or do. They think everything is a conspiracy and everyone is out to get them. I’ve long given up on any kind of self reflection from them even though I have had many many many discussions and fights about it with them. They don’t want to learn or grow, they just want to keep the status quo, go to church to make themselves feel like they are good people, and float around during their retirement while the world is burning down around them because they will be gone soon. Also, I know plenty of right wing maga millennials.
Good lord, not this shit again.
Charles Dance would’ve acted rings around Brian Cox as Logan Roy. There’s so many actors who could have done that role better, he needs to take his garbage views and sashay away.
Succession is awesome, but Brian Cox is my least favorite of the group. Especially now that he keeps rattling off his garbage opinions that nobody asked for. Love Charles Dance, good call.
Oh yes, he would have been great
Agree. Cox plays basically one note and only one note as Logan Roy.
Oh dear. What a complete and utter jack a**. That is all there is to say about him.
In addition to being a jacka$$, HE part of the problem within society today!! He and his ilk are what is dragging this country into the sewer. If Cox is this unhappy about America, he is more than welcome to return to his home country. Otherwise he just needs to STFU!
Gen X here and I don’t watch a lot of TV so I don’t know much about him or his show but all I’ve read about this guy makes me want to avoid anything he’s acting in. Especially the Piers Morgan part
This is exhausting. Why doesn’t he just go away and live his rich white life?
How could Cox equate “woke” and “cancel culture” as detrimental as McCarthyism??? Cox suggesting equality between these two movements, exposes himself as the idiot and his authentic self as suppressive and the true that he is. May Cox find himself unemployed and booted back to his home country since he is so miserable here.
I think the British culture is a shaming culture fostered by the centuries old class system. If social media now fosters that same shaming culture, I guess I would equate it to the British culture multiplied by whatever exponent each person experiences based on their interactions (it’s global). The difference is that the folks on the top echelons of the class system are being shamed as much as those at the bottom. Those at the top can’t easily control their shaming via their media buddies so everyone is in the same latrine and experiencing/dealing with the unfiltered stinky mess – it stinks for everyone 🤷♀️
I mean, there’s a lot of complaining about cancel culture from the right, and I think they’re the ones who are canceling everything, even freaking Bud Light.
The sad part is that he is very critical of the current Tory govt and how they are removing things like assistance in the arts, which are the programs he used to get into acting because he wasn’t born with money. He’s actually very left on most issues, so why he’s wasting his time with Piers Morgan is beyond me.
Morgan should have been jailed for his role in the hacking years ago, but he’s been allowed to keep his legitimacy as a media person and he pushes this nonsense.
I don’t this issue (cancel culture/shaming on social media) is a ‘left ‘versus ‘right’ issue, it’s an issue about entitlement. Those at the top echelons of society are unable to control people posting on social media who are outside of their social group. Now the power to control the narrative has been wrested from the media giants, it bothers those on the higher echelons. Shame is a tool of power. Churches, politicians and others have wielded it for centuries to control societies, pitting factions of people against each other while they sit in their enclaves at the top of society and revel in their power. Think of it, witch trials, religious trials, wars/conflicts resulted when one group shamed/shunned another while the group/individual that shames the other, hides or veils their own shame/short comings using their own propaganda machine. Brian Cox, Piers Morgan and others would like to be seen as stellar representations of society, who should not be criticized for the shortcomings they criticize others for, because they believe they are on a higher echelon in society than the people who consume their content. Hence their disdain for woke and shaming or ‘cancel culture’ towards them and those in their enclave. 🤷♀️
One side thinks that public figures should be held accountable for their misdeeds and the other side literally thinks that trans people should be eradicated so yeah, cancel culture is kinda their thing.
I’m near the end of watching the first season of succession, and his character is my least favorite, and everyone behaves badly on that show. He’s SUCH an a**hole. I’d hoped that was him being a good character.
This interview (and the others he’s done lately) are doing him no favors.
You can tell when someone is using words that they don’t actually know the meaning of. I’m sick of “woke” and “millennial” being used as a put-down.
He’s choosing to go on Piers Morgan’s show and have an actual conversation with him. Nuff said right there.
Exactly.
All of his previous interviews have been heading in this direction so I’m not surprised at all at the rant against “woke”..
I am an older millennial I am all for accountability, and I respect the he’ll out of everyone who doesn’t want to deal with old farts bs no more.
This guy has worn out his welcome with me.
Give it a rest. Hopefully now that Succession is finished, he will go away.
Ugh! Some people… Your true colors are showing…
Dear racist white people – The formerly positive Black expression “Woke” is now recognized for the blatant racist dog whistle you co-opted and bastardized it into for your racist agenda. So Black people no longer use that word. Congrats. It’s all yours. And no, we will not tell you the new expression so keep screaming into the ether and keep getting cancelled.
@Chantal…THAT PART☹️😝
@Chantal: love this part, ‘we will not tell you the new expression’!!
Why is it always old (rich/white) men? Dude, you are 77. You could die any day now. Don’t worry about the (better) world the younger generation is trying to create. YOU won’t be here for it, you’ll be dead. So die already and leave the world to those who will be living in it.
I don’t generally have such a horrible attitude, and I don’t actually wish death on him, but it gets harder to ignore. All these old men with their crusty attitudes (supreme court shitty decisions come to mind) making the world a worse place…on their way out.
i hope i remain open mined when get older
Women have been shamed for centuries, their clothing, makeup, walk, language/posture, menstrual periods, hairstyle/color, sexual encounters.
He should probably stop speaking now.
Also I hope Keiran Culkin smokes him for the Emmy. Keiran was absolutely brilliant 👏
“I suppose in a way they’re probably saying, ‘Well you’ve all screwed it up so we may as well do something about it.’ ”
You’re almost there, buddy! Good job!
It would be awesome if the people who have always had voices – the shaming professionals, unironically – could just, you know, shut up a little and let other people talk for once.
I doubt they’re consciously making a connection between fearing that loss of power and elevated status over other people, but it’s pretty hard to miss from the outside.
Boo hoo. White men feel like they’re shamed and canceled for no reason (even though there is usually a reason). Cry me a river when the double standards that women and people of color deal with every day aren’t a problem anymore. What truly awful thing to ask for.
Well, Brian, if Boomers weren’t a generation choked full of selfish sociopaths, we wouldn’t need to push back so hard just asking you all to be decent human beings 🤷🏼♀️
Ouch!
Reaganomics, massive cuts to public education, the advent of unpaid internships, the housing shortage, skyrocketing college tuition, deregulation, irreversible damage to the environment for the sake of profit…the list goes on and on.
All of that is true. What’s also true is that “Boomers” generationally also include many people who fought for civil rights that some of us still haven’t achieved, and activists of all kinds who were not served well — then or now — by Reaganomics or the white nationalist backlash.
I’m not addressing this to anyone in particular. I’m just venting, but the Boomer over- generalizations can get tired, and aren’t very accurate, especially if you want to call out specific “selfish sociopaths” for specific damaging behaviors and attitudes.
— Joining the generalizations with Generation Jones
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Lol please be for real.
Nobody thinks every single Boomer is selfish.
However asking me to pick out “specific” boomers for their “specific” behavior that has absolutely trashed the environment and economy for the generations below them, we will be here all day and into next year. You may as well ask me which specific white people have benefited from and upheld white supremacy
Every single generation since the beginning of time has had its share of activists and rebels; people who fought for our rights and challenged social norms.
The Boomers aren’t unique in that sense.
What’s unique about Boomers is the unprecedented amount of damage they caused in such a short period of time. The past 40 years is when the worst and most damaging effects on our climate has occurred. Even now, Boomers account for most greenhouse gas emissions (33%!), while previous generations were careful about how they used resources. Boomers have also effectively driven Millennials out of the housing market: gaining massive amounts of wealth through the skyrocketing housing costs while refusing to sell, thus contributing to housing scarcity.
I really wish defensive, angry Boomers would match that same energy for their grandkids, who will struggle to afford college, kids, a house…
And I agree that the Boomer replies always feel very much in the same vain as “not all white people”— the incessant denial and deflection is really just more salt in the collective wound.
I am so over this miserly, unpleasant man, his one-note acting abilities, and his ludicrous hot takes. As an elder millennial (I think, I was born in 1988), I’m tired of these out-of-touch boomers blaming everything on the only generation that actually cares about the future.
@B2-🤣🤣🤣🤣u made my day!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I’ve re-read this twice and I honestly am still unclear what these two are on about. They basically sat around like “woke bad. Cancel culture bad Millenials bad” for an hour with absolutely no substance. It’s literally a live action version of an old man yells at cloud meme.
I haven’t watched Succession, and Brian Cox is the reason I never will. I know there’s a lot of talent on that show, but I can’t stomach seeing or hearing this bitter, overprivileged asshole.
In the immortal words of Logan Roy, “f*ck off.”
The old pale and stale folks really do miss the “good ole days” when you could marginalize racial minorities and women and laugh about it. They really resent anti-racist or and pro-women philosophy. They much preferred it when we had no choice but to put up and shut up about their abuse. Now that bigots aren’t as free to oppress as they once were, they’re big mad.
Like the dinosaurs, they too will someday disappear, only a distant memory of the Bad Old Days.
Poor little man. Maybe he should head home to Salty Isle so he can complain and mutter with kindred spirits?
Old men yell at clouds.
Old, rich, privileged white men.
He’s great on Succession, too bad he’s this kind of person in real life.
I really want him to stfu. Seriously. I’m so tired of this man and his useless opinions. Shut up and act.
Isn’t too much wrong in the Western world that isn’t down to tedious, selfish, complacent old white dudes throwing a collective tantrum over having to learn to share. Had it up to here with the tiresome old farts, and they can get out of the damn way.
Team Jeremy Strong looking smarter and smarter every time this old fool opens his mouth…
Rushed to the comments section and was NOT disappointed. I love you all.
Enough of the generation blaming. We aren’t in the place we are in due to one generation. It’s always been f’d up. Signed Gen X.
We actually are, though. It’s so strange to me how people make it seem like Boomers destroying our world for future generations is merely an opinion, and not an objective fact. Like, there have been thousands and thousands of articles written (and by people waaaaay smarter than me) about what one singular generation has done to destroy our collective future. I strongly encourage you to Google. Maybe start with “Boomers real estate” or “Boomers climate change.”
And I’m sorry if that makes you feel bad, but burying your head in the sand instead of learning from past mistakes isn’t helpful or progressive, and it certainly won’t change the impending doom that my generation and future generations will be faced with because of the astounding greed and selfishness.
Signed, an xennial
And it’s strange to me how some people are so eager to blame an entire generation for the “outstanding greed and selfishness” of corporations and politicians— who were and are, for the most part, wealthy, white, Republican men. As an illustration: Newt Gingrich, Erin Brockovich and John Lewis really aren’t the same. Generalizations make it easier to blame and froth at the mouth — while ignoring the practicalities of targeting those in power to actually bring about real change.
There have also been thousands of books and articles written that clarify not just critical concerns but changes to implement while it’s still possible. Robert Reich’s work would be an informed and accessible place to start for anyone who’s interested.
tldr: Millions of “boomers” had nothing to do with Reagan or Monsanto. Over generalizations are “not objective fact” and “certainly won’t change the impending doom” — but perhaps that’s the misguided point?
Wait what??? You don’t remember Reagan’s big push to win over the Boomers? Boomers (60% of them) are the people who put Reagan in office.
And given how defensive you are on this issue, I find it hard to believe that you follow Robert Reich closely. Because he’s the FIRST to acknowledge the unprecedented disaster that Boomers left behind.
Really wish more Boomers were like Reich–more accountability and solution-seeking and less whining about generalizations, hurt feelings etc etc. Like most Boomers, you purposefully focus on the actions of individuals and deliberately ignore the systemic issues that were created by your generation; systemic issues that will continue to plague future generations for decades to come. It’s very “my ancestors didn’t own slaves!!!” But here’s the thing: it’s not about YOU or politicians or CEOs or Republicans–its about an entire generation that slashed public safety nets while hoarding wealth.
Now, Robert Reich? That man GETS it. Here Reich writes about what Millennials can do to combat the Boomer dumpster fire: https://robertreich.org/post/171834286855
Well, we agree — partially — on something, at least. Robert Reich gets it. The article is nice. His many cogent books — which I’ve read — are even nicer.
And actually, my ancestors WERE slaves. That’s just one of the reasons I’m objecting to your over- generalizations.
Most of us weren’t hoarding wealth, slashing public safety nets, or voting for Reagan and his ilk. I’m hardly ignoring systemic issues — although I’m possibly prioritizing them differently from the way that you seem to be. To flip your comment: you’re deliberately ignoring both systemic issues and individual actions. That, of course, is something that you get to do. Railing about the failures of a generation — lumping many disparate groups and interests together with the racist and corporate interests who “won” the power to set policies is, though, IMO, shortsighted — if your goals include actual change.
As Boomers often say: Have a nice day!
My lengthy response to this comment has disappeared. My tldr version is:
-Thanks for the article. If you like the article, you might love Reich’s books — many of which I’ve read.
-My ancestors were enslaved. What my family and communities have fought for is just one of many reasons that I’m objecting to your easy over-generalizations about the Boomer generation— which is far more diverse and less cohesive than you seem to think. I / We have hardly ignored systemic issues — although it’s likely that my/our priorities are and have been very different from your own.
Says the tax exile.
Cox lives in the States for this & remains bitter that his days in the UK are extremely limited because he doesn’t want to pay taxes in UK.
Old rich white man!
Matthew MacFayden deserved that nod way more than Cox IMHO!
I don’t know if i made this comment in the past on this website but i don’t find it surprising anymore when an older wellknown male Brit actor suddenly comes out and talks about ” wokeness” and ” canceling” all the while put out a wordsalad how it’s all someone else’s fault. Robbie Coltrane, John Cleese and now Brian Cox added to the list. Keep it coming idiots…now we know who to side eye.