Fans Defend Matthew McConaughey After Podcast With Jordan Peterson Shamed as 'Alt-Right Flirting'

Matthew McConaughey has found some support among fans after witnessing a wave of criticism and accusations of "alt-right flirting" in recent days following his interview with public lecturer Jordan Peterson; the two talked about the actor’s new book, “cancel culture” and some of the pitfalls of fame.

As such, on Wednesday, The Daily Beast published an article titled “Matthew McConaughey Keeps Flirting With Alt-Right Darlings”, that discussed the actor’s online conversations with Peterson and earlier, comedian Joe Rogan. The hit piece  slammed McConaughey for his political inclinations and defence of some “cancelled” Hollywood figures, including comedian Louis C.K.

While the Daily Beast did not directly call to “cancel” the ‘Interstellar’ star, the piece advised the actor to “engage a little more deeply” with viewpoints he doesn't necessarily share. However, many found the article hypocritical, as it seemed to reject the freedom of belief of anyone not on the political left.

“‘Flirting with alt-right darlings’ because he dares to think outside the bubble. This is such a disturbing warning to McConaughey to ‘get in line’ with elitist liberal think or else be publicly castigated and cancelled,” one person raged on Twitter, commenting on the Daily Beast’s piece.

​"This piece is basically *Cancel culture doesn't exist but let's cancel Matthew McConaughey just in case*," New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz suggested. 

Many were simply outraged by the fact that Peterson, who always publicly spoke against right-wing nationalism, was indirectly dubbed an “alt-right” figure.

​The professor, who has just returned to public life following an extensive bout with health issues, has been an outstanding critic of identity politics and Canadian legislation which dictates that people must use gender-neutral pronouns in relation to non-binary people. However, Peterson has maintained that attempts to peg him as right-wing had always been a mistake.  

During the podcast, Peterson revealed that he and McConaughey have been corresponding for about a year now, as the actor admitted that a lot of the professor’s thoughts had given him “confidence” to go on with his book.

“Many of the things you said I had been thinking about, but I heard you putting them into words and contexts, I was like, ‘Wow, that’s what I’m talking about, that’s what I'm trying to get to.’ And a lot of it goes back to self-determination, which we've talked a lot about. Self-authoring,” McConaughey told Peterson during their conversation.

In a bid to write his ‘Greenlights’ manuscript that was published in October, McConaughey had spent five periods, 12 days each, in a solitude in the desert with nothing but food, water and his journals, which he had been writing since 14 years old.

The actor has been an occasional critic of the “illiberal left” culture which dominates Hollywood. Previously he came under fire in 2017 for his call on colleagues to admit that “very dynamic” Trump was “our president".

“At the same time, it’s time for us to embrace, shake hands with this fact, and be constructive with him over the next four years,” he said at the time. Many considered his words divisive, but they resonated with others, who urged Trump’s haters to accept the reality.  

His appearance at Peterson’s podcast has seen many applauds among viewers who defended the duo’s message advocating for variety of opinions and freedom to make mistakes.