Seth Rogen — actor, writer, producer, pottery maker and weed enthusiast — came under fire for this week after dismissing the recent rash of car burglaries in Los Angeles as just the result of “living in a big city.”
“Getting broken into 15 times is something you should get used to and expect?” Twitter user @JonesSteeze replied.
Others called out the Canadian-born actor’s privilege for being able to absorb potential losses from crime. “When people talk about celebrities being disconnected from the reality of normal people, this is what they are talking about, @Sethrogen. I get it, you’re trying to be Mr. Nice Guy, but you’re really being Mr. Snootypants,” @DBCWriter posted.
The online firestorm erupted after Rogen responded to YouTuber Casey Neistat complaining about a break-in of his car. Canadian-born Rogen responded with a defense for the City of Angels.
“So our cars got robbed this morning because Los Angeles is a crime riddled 3rd world s—hole of a city but tremendous appreciation and gratitude to the hardworking officers at the @LAPDWestLA who not only arrested the motherf—er but they got all of our stolen goods back,” Neistat wrote.
“Dude I’ve lived here for over 20 years. You’re nuts haha. It’s lovely here,” he tweeted back. “Don’t leave anything valuable in it. It’s called living in a big city.”
While Rogen’s first comments were met with mixed reaction from people who agreed about the “big city” risks, and others who blasted Los Angeles’ crime rate. His second response to Neistat (who’d written back, “i can still be mad tho right? feel so violated”) also caused a kerfuffle on social media.
“You can be mad but I guess I don’t personally view my car as an extension of myself and I’ve never really felt violated any of the 15 or so times my car was broken in to,” Rogen tweeted back. “Once a guy accidentally left a cool knife in my car so if it keeps happening you might get a little treat.”
While the reactions to Rogen were again mixed, more seemed to be left puzzled by the actor’s opinion.
“Defending the quality of life in your city by referencing the 15 times your car was broken into and the possibility that you may get a free weapon left by a criminal, is not the defense you think it is. Nobody should accept lawlessness. Not celebrities like @Sethrogen or anyone,” @Joelmpetlin tweeted back.
“Must be nice to have this kind of privilege,” @WisdomOfDan commented.
Others, though, seemed to have similar views to the actor.
“Had my car stolen in Hollywood. They found it in Inglewood a couple days later. Someone took it for a joy ride to a Rams game. LA is just one big ‘ol adventure all of the time. Sometimes you just gotta roll with it,” @KrisMcPikeMusic tweeted.
“What can you do besides learning to live with it?” @TaritaC wrote.
The Twitter conversation between Rogen and the YouTuber continued, with Rogen explaining his car’s many break-ins happened over a two-decade period of living in West Hollywood, and using street parking. His point, though, he stressed, was a defense of L.A.
“Also it sucks your s— was stolen but LA is not some s—hole city,” Rogen wrote. “As far as big cities go it has a lot going for it.”
Los Angeles has been a political hotbed due to its crime rates, homelessness and more recently, smash-and-grab incidents at malls and retail stories in the region.