Actor and 30 Rock creator Tina Fey has sparked a bit of controversy after calling out celebrities who have a "side hustle."
You know the type: Lizzo and her Yitty apparel line, Rihanna and her makeup brand Fenty, Beyoncé and her new line of something seemingly every week; the list goes on and on, and Fey isn't into it.
Fey's comments came during an appearance on pal Amy Poehler's podcast Good Hang. Poehler has joked for years that Fey should have a line of eyeglasses, given that spectacles were long such an iconic part of her look.
Fey joked in return that "I kind of hate money," and said that she just wants to earn enough to have a nice life. And she's not too keen on celebs who leverage their fame to continue stacking money long after they're already millionaires.
She told Poehler:
"I have a problem with rich people having a side hustle."
Poehler then jokingly said, "like having a podcast" but Fey differentiated this as "work" before clarifying that she means people who "already have $200 million" and then have a line of wines or cosmetics or apparel or what have you. "I judge it," Fey confessed.
Poehler countered that she needed to get with the times, however, noting that Gen Z doesn't care about this stuff. What used to be seen as kind of gauche and crass just isn't anymore, much like how the entire idea of "selling out" no longer really exists for celebrities.
Fey has become well known for appearing in commercials, however, with American Express and Booking.com being among the most notable brands she's repped.
Some people felt her take was hypocritical.
But others agreed with Fey's take that celebrity "branding" lines have gotten out of hand.
And some felt she might be calling out certain celebrities specifically.
Of course, many celebrities have become billionaires from their "side hustles."
But it seems Fey, with an estimated net worth of $75 million—pretty small potatoes by today's wealth standards—is among those who feel that billionaires probably shouldn't exist. Given the way they tend to hoard their wealth and wield their power, it's hard to argue with that.
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