T.J. Miller is one of the stars of the upcoming Emoji Movie, and he’s got some thoughts to share the on effect of artists on the prevailing zeitgeist in Western capitalist societies.
Okay, Miller is also a standup who’s probably best known for his roles in Silicon Valley and Deadpool, but we couldn’t resist that opening sentence.
Miller recently quit Silicon Valley and made a point of igniting the Bridge to Relevance behind him, both insulting the intelligence of the show’s writers and expressing his disgust at his co-stars for not doing enough to prevent the election of Donald Trump.
Because, ya know, Thomas Middleditch, Kumail Nanjiani, and Martin Starr all weild a tremendous amount of political clout.
We guess it’s not surprising behavior coming from a guy who thinks the answer to the political strife in this country is to physically attack people who disagree with him.
Miller continued his amusingly un-self-aware career suicide this week with a thoroughly bonkers and unintentionally amusing interview with Vulture.
The only way to really do justice to Miller’s interview is to present his comments unedited, followed by our reactions, all of which will start with the word “dude,” because, seriously … dude:
On Women Not Being Funny: “They’re taught to suppress their sense of humor during their formative years,” Miller told Vulture. “Women want to be treated as equals, and we want feminism to be a thing, but it’s really difficult when every woman makes the same point about her vagina, over and over.
“I think shock value works well for women, but beyond that, there’s no substance. I want to see what else there is with such complex, smart creatures.”
Dude, it’s not the entire gender’s fault that the only female comic you’ve ever seen is Amy Schumer.
On Wanting to Be Lindsay Lohan: “After the election, I realized that there was a gap. Nobody right now is publicly the Lindsay Lohan–train wreck–but–not–quite person. If I’d just said it was an honor to work on ‘Silicon Valley’ and was thankful to Alec Berg, I would have disappeared. Instead, by being just a little authentic, I infected the news cycle.
Dude, if Lindsay Lohan is your PR idol, then you need to take several steps back and re-evaluate WTF it is that you’re trying to accomplish.
Offerring a Hilariously High-Minded Justification For Selling Out: “My goal is to distract people from the tragedy of the impermanence of everyday life. And I can do that best by oversaturating the market … In the American Zeitgeist, you have to recognize that there is no Zeitgeist.”
Dude, stop throwing around words like “zeitgeist” so damn much. You’re promoting The Emoji Movie.
On … We Don’t Even Know: “There’s no point in moderation. Every American’s job in this capitalist society is to consume content. If nothing means anything, then anything can mean everything.”
Dude, just … what?
The whole thing is worth a read.
At one point, Miller informs the interviewer that he “tricked” him into answering nicer questions, like he’s some steampunk goggle-wearing pick-up artist enveloped in a cloud of vape smoke.
Be sure to enjoy every unhinged word, because we get the feeling T.J. Miller interviews won’t be a thing for much longer.