MSNBC’s Joy Reid torched musician Eric Clapton in her “The Absolute Worst” segment on Monday night, tearing into him for his anti-vaccine stance and for comparing lockdowns to slavery.
“Celebrities have the power to sway millions of people, which is why it’s so alarming when, particularly, the ones with huge platforms publicly spread vaccine misinformation,” she said, using the same argument she made when she attacked Nicki Minaj for her vaccine skepticism last month.
Reid went on to point out that Clapton donated a van and £1,000 to a British anti-vax band, as reported in a Rolling Stone article on Sunday. She also noted that he participated in Van Morrison’s anti-lockdown songs last year and has said he experienced negative effects from taking the vaccine.
“Now what really stands out about white anti-vaxxers in particular is they act like their freedom has been taken from them and they have this weird habit of trying to do that by co-opting the history of actually oppressed people,” Reid said, explaining that comedian Jim Breuer blamed the cancelation of his recent shows on “segregation,” citing vaccine requirements for audience members. He also said he would be “enslaved to the system.”
“Yeah,” mocked Reid, “because getting a free vaccine is exactly like slavery and Jim Crow.”
Reid then noted that Clapton’s anti-lockdown song asks listeners, “Do you want to be a free man or do you want to be a slave?”
The “ReidOut” host then reviewed some of Clapton’s past racially insensitive comments, musing, “Maybe he’s just a jerk.” Watch it all below.