90210 star AnnaLynne McCord roasted over ‘tone-deaf’ Putin poem: ‘Maximum cringe’
AnnaLynne McCord has been mocked after releasing a bizarre spoken word poem addressed to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The 90210 star left followers baffled with a spoken word piece released after Russian forces launched what Ukraine has called a “full-scale invasion”, igniting fears of a major war.
In the now-viral video, the 34-year-old stepped into the shoes of Putin’s mother and reflected on the “soul-stealing” pain he must have endured in his youth in order for him to grow up to believe that he “lived in a cruel, unjust world”.
AnnaLynne McCord’s poem to Putin began: “If I was your mother, you would have been so loved, held in the arms of joyous light.
“Never would this story’s plight, the world unfurled before our eyes, a pure demise of nation sitting peaceful under a night sky.”
Dear Mister President Vladimir Putin… pic.twitter.com/LbDFBHVWJf
— AnnaLynne McCord (@IAMannalynnemcc) February 24, 2022
McCord continued: “If I was your mother, the world would have been warm. So much laughter and joy, and nothing would harm.
“I can’t imagine the stain, the soul-stealing pain that the little boy you must have seen and believed and the formulation of thought quickly taught that you lived in a cruel, unjust world.”
The actor, also known for starring in Ryan Murphy’s Nip/Tuck, was immediately roasted over the poem by celebrities and fans alike.
Former The View host Meghan McCain stated: “I’m not sure if this is meant to be a parody or truly everyone in Hollywood is just out of their minds. But thank you to this actress lady for making me smile for the first time in 24 hours. Nailed it girl, wars over.”
I’m not sure if this is meant to be a parody or truly everyone in Hollywood is just out of their minds.
But thank you to this actress lady for making me smile for the first time in 24 hours.
Nailed it girl, wars over. https://t.co/T6saCYnEXM— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) February 24, 2022
That AnnaLynne McCord video 👀 it's bringing me back to the time all those celebs sang 'Imagine' at the start of the pandemic.
Maximum cringe level has been reached 🤣
Stop giving people what they haven't asked for. Save the performance pieces for the theatre.— Sonya (@sonyaoncesaid) February 25, 2022
the fact that AnnaLynne McCord hasn’t deleted that video yet either means she has the fiercest ‘DGAF mate’ energy I’ve ever come across, or she’s currently trapped at the bottom of a well with no access to her phone, blissfully unaware of the current ratio situation— Sorcha Ní Nia (@Luiseach) February 25, 2022
Others compared it to Gal Gadot’s ill-received “Imagine” video, released at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
“This is like 200 times worse than that Gal Gadot Imagine thing,” one person tweeted while another added, “Did y’all learn NOTHING from Gal Gadot’s ‘Imagine’ disaster?!?!?”
Others were not impressed by the implication that Putin’s mother, Maria Shelomova, was somehow at fault for the Russian president’s actions.
One person tweeted a screenshot of a book titled Why Women Are Blamed For Everything.
https://twitter.com/s4hana_ox/status/1496915596679815168
Can't believe I saw AnnaLynne McCord from being the 90210 queen to ProActiv girl in the 00s to white savior actress in the 2020s
— caroline polachek tea (@glitterysoylent) February 25, 2022
pic.twitter.com/GN8S2iW838— Dr. Jessica Taylor (@DrJessTaylor) February 24, 2022
Dear Ms. AnnaLynne McCord, I am sorry I wasn’t your mother https://t.co/uKtXD6YNLX— Vişne Karısı sadece askolasim (@visnevisnehatun) February 25, 2022
However, some fans attempted to stick up for the actor and claimed that people had missed the point of the poem.
One Twitter user wrote: “If you actually listen to her words rather than just making snap judgments, her point is that blind allegiance to a country and power is an ego’s attempt at a replacement for emotional needs that were not met. And she’s right.”
Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Thursday (24 February) in a massive assault that saw bombs rain down on targets near Ukrainian cities.
In an early-morning address on state TV, Putin announced a “special military operation” aimed at the “demilitarisation” and “denazification” of Ukraine.
Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba declared that Putin had “just launched a full-scale invasion” of the country, adding that “peaceful” cities are “under strikes”.
“This is a war of aggression,” Kuleba said. “Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now.”
Global leaders have condemned Russia, with NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg saying on Thursday: “This is a brutal act of war.”