I Think About Olivia Wilde’s Trump Tower Protest All Of The Time

It’s been more than five years since Olivia Wilde led a protest cry outside Trump Tower in NYC while inexplicably flanked by Mark Ruffalo and Michael Moore.

And yet, I’d be lying if I denied that I thought about this moment all of the time — and this clip specifically.

this is really the funniest video on this app pic.twitter.com/mnMqflPtmJ

— ´ (@ctrlvcrs) September 26, 2022

There are many reasons that this incident has now imprinted itself onto my brain. If you haven’t seen it, the context is actually pretty bleak: the protest came during the early days of the Trump administration, just days after white supremacists in Charlottesville attempted to assert their place as the rightful inhabitants of the United States (by hoisting up Polynesian tiki torches, lol.)

But when viewed out of context, during an aimless scrolling session, it’s hard to not find this clip deeply funny. One of the reasons for that might be this completely random assortment of celebrities who are in it. One of your first thoughts when watching the video might be: is that Mark Ruffalo? Is that Michael Moore? How are these three people connected? Does Michael Moore still wear that hat? What on earth is going on?

Then there’s Wilde’s little nod at about the 20 second mark, which perfectly seems to perfectly showcase the self-consciousness of the moment. Wilde knows she’s being perceived, and that the whole thing is a lot — two thoughts that are wholly visible on the actor’s face for everyone to see. Activism is embarrassing, it’s true!

Finally, celebrities appearing at protests; cosplaying as normals — it’s always going to be a confounding sight. Don’t get me wrong — I’m glad that they showed up! But in capturing white Hollywood celebs rage against inequality and the oppression of people of colour while also very much being beneficiaries of that inequality — while smiling very big, Mark Ruffalo! — the video says a whole lot more about the US than what first meets the eye.