Jimmy Kimmel’s ‘Celebrities Read Mean Tweets’ Is a Glimpse at the Other Side of Fame

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Insulting a celebrity is basically a victimless crime, right? Perhaps, but it’s hard to look at Jennifer Garner as she reads a particularly rude tweet without cringing and feeling some sympathy. A HuffPost about the sixth Jimmy Kimmel Show‘s “Celebrities Read Mean Tweets” (many are NSFW) reminded me that I’ve wanted to mention this series for a while.

jennifer garner reading jimmy kimmel mean tweets

Watching celebrities read things about themselves that no person in their right mind would ever say to their faces coupled with their reactions to those tweets is television gold, but it is also a reminder that it doesn’t matter who you are — there will always be people with nothing better to do than insult you or try to detract from your success.

Not that it stops me from laughing as I watch.

The celebrities’ reactions are awesome; some laugh it off, some respond with mock outrage, and some can’t help but look a bit bewildered. I’m sure that they are wondering “what is wrong with you people?”

john goodman reading mean tweets on jimmy kimmel

Yeah, I know that the opinion of some random stranger doesn’t mean a thing to any of these celebrities in the grand scheme of things, but I’m still blown away by some of the nasty comments people feel the need to share with Twitter.

bob-balaban-reading-mean-tweets-jimmy-kimmel-live

Is it still bullying if you are mocking a celebrity? Or are they fair game, just because they are celebrities?

tom-hanks-reads-mean-tweets-jimmy-kimmel

There are even special Mean Tweets editions for musicians …

… and NBA players.

At least all of the celebrities shown were good sports about it, but dang. Some of those tweets were harsh! =P

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About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She started in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie is best known for her device-agnostic approach, deep-dive reviews, and enjoyment of exploring the latest tech, gadgets, and gear.