From beloved icons who could do no wrong to instant career suicide – these household names dominated our screens with behavior that would have them trending for all the wrong reasons in today's social media age.
Remember those celebrities we all loved growing up? The ones whose posters adorned bedroom walls and whose movies we watched on repeat? Well, looking back through today's lens, some of their behavior would have Twitter in absolute meltdown mode.
Growing up in Melbourne, watching old reruns with my brothers, we never questioned why certain things were "just the way they were." But times have changed, and what passed for charm or humor back then would be career suicide now.
Here are eight boomer celebrities who were absolutely adored in their heyday but would face instant cancellation if they pulled the same stuff today.
1. John Wayne
The Duke was America's cowboy hero, right? Tough, masculine, the epitome of American values. But have you read his 1971 Playboy interview?
Wayne openly stated he believed in white supremacy and made shocking comments about Black Americans not being educated enough to hold positions of power. He also suggested that Native Americans were "selfishly trying to keep the land for themselves."
Today, those comments wouldn't just end a career; they'd spark nationwide protests. Back then? He continued making movies and remained a beloved icon until his death in 1979.
The contrast is staggering. What was once brushed off as "speaking his mind" would now rightfully be called out as blatant racism.
2. Sean Connery
James Bond himself. Suave, sophisticated, the ultimate ladies' man. But Connery had some views about women that would make your jaw drop.
In multiple interviews, including one with Barbara Walters in 1987, he defended hitting women, saying it was acceptable to slap a woman if she was being hysterical or wouldn't "let it go." He never really walked back these comments either.
In my book "Hidden Secrets of Buddhism: How To Live With Maximum Impact and Minimum Ego," I write about the importance of treating all beings with compassion and respect. The fact that Connery's comments were largely overlooked shows how different our standards were just a few decades ago.
Can you imagine any celebrity saying this today and keeping their career? They'd be dropped by every studio before the day was out.
3. Frank Sinatra
Old Blue Eyes. The Chairman of the Board. One of the greatest entertainers of all time. Also, allegedly connected to organized crime and known for violent outbursts.
Sinatra reportedly had journalists beaten up when they wrote unfavorable stories about him. He threw tantrums that would make today's "difficult" celebrities look like saints. There are documented incidents of him destroying hotel rooms and physically assaulting people who crossed him.
Yet he remained untouchable, beloved by millions, and continued performing to packed venues until late in life.
Today's cancel culture wouldn't tolerate a fraction of his behavior. One documented assault and his streaming numbers would plummet overnight.
4. Elvis Presley
The King of Rock and Roll had a thing for very young women. And when I say young, I mean Priscilla was 14 when they first met, and he was 24.
He reportedly had multiple relationships with teenage girls throughout his career. His entourage even had a name for his preference: he liked them "young and innocent."
This wasn't hidden knowledge. People knew. The media knew. Everyone just... accepted it as Elvis being Elvis.
In 2024? He'd be facing criminal charges, not screaming fans.
5. Alfred Hitchcock
The master of suspense was also, apparently, a master of workplace harassment. Tippi Hedren's accounts of his behavior during the filming of "The Birds" and "Marnie" are genuinely disturbing.
He allegedly became obsessed with her, sexually propositioned her repeatedly, and when she rejected him, he made her life hell on set. He had her physically attacked by real birds for days on end and essentially destroyed her career when she wouldn't submit to his advances.
This was Hollywood's worst-kept secret, yet Hitchcock remained revered as a genius director. His films are still studied in film schools worldwide.
Today, the #MeToo movement would have ended his career instantly. No studio would touch him.
6. Jerry Lewis
Comedy legend Jerry Lewis was known for his slapstick humor and telethons. He was also known for making incredibly offensive comments about women, gay people, and pretty much anyone who wasn't a straight white man.
In a 2000 interview, he said female comedians weren't funny because of "biological" reasons. He made homophobic jokes throughout his career and never seemed to understand why people found them offensive.
Reading about Buddhism and Eastern philosophy has taught me about the interconnectedness of all beings. The casual cruelty in Lewis's "humor" would be called out immediately today. In my book "Hidden Secrets of Buddhism: How To Live With Maximum Impact and Minimum Ego," I explore how our words and actions ripple outward, affecting others in ways we might not realize.
Lewis never seemed to grasp this concept, and in his era, he didn't have to.
7. Woody Allen
This one's complicated because Allen has faced significant backlash, but he was beloved for decades despite behavior that would have instantly ended his career today.
His relationship with Soon-Yi Previn, his partner's adopted daughter whom he'd known since she was a child, was public knowledge in the 1990s. The allegations from Dylan Farrow were also widely reported.
Yet he continued making films, winning awards, and being celebrated as a genius filmmaker for decades after these revelations.
The cultural shift we've seen means that today, these allegations would be taken far more seriously from the start. Studios wouldn't fund his films, actors wouldn't work with him, and streaming platforms wouldn't carry his movies.
8. Roman Polanski
Perhaps the most extreme example. Polanski fled the United States in 1978 after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl. He's been living in exile ever since.
Yet for decades, Hollywood continued to celebrate him. He won an Oscar for "The Pianist" in 2003, receiving a standing ovation from many in attendance. Major actors continued working with him. Film festivals honored him.
It wasn't until recent years that the industry finally began distancing itself from him. The fact that it took so long shows how much our cultural standards have shifted.
Today, fleeing justice for such a crime would mean instant and permanent exile from the industry, no exceptions.
Final words
Looking at this list, you might feel uncomfortable. Maybe some of these were your heroes growing up. I get it. Some of them were mine too.
But recognizing how much our standards have evolved isn't about erasing the past or pretending these people didn't create important art. Many of them did contribute significantly to culture and entertainment.
What matters is that we've grown as a society. We've raised our standards for how we expect people, especially those in positions of power and influence, to behave. We've decided that talent doesn't excuse terrible behavior.
The shift from then to now shows progress. Sure, cancel culture can sometimes go too far, but holding people accountable for genuinely harmful behavior? That's not cancellation; that's consequence.
And honestly? If losing celebrity status is the price for making others feel unsafe, unwelcome, or less than human, it's a price that should be paid.
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