Every Government Likes Its Own Artists, But Tusk's Government Wants Them Particularly

Sławomir Mentzen, leader of Poland's Confederation party, has ignited a debate with his strong criticism of actors. In a post on platform X, Mentzen asserted that acting is merely a skill of reading text written by others and pretending, without possessing any superior knowledge or abilities compared to other professions.

Mentzen directly challenged the perceived status of actors, stating, "If you are an actor, it means you can read a text written by someone else nicely, you can pretend to be someone you are not, and clown around on stage so that the audience likes it." He further argued that actors are "no better than warehouse workers, salespeople, waiters, and farmers," suggesting they often possess less real-world knowledge than these individuals.

The politician's remarks extended to the financial aspect of the arts. "If you want our money, then create art that we will want to pay for ourselves," Mentzen urged. He called on artists to "paint beautiful pictures, record good songs, create good films and performances," and to excel in their craft. He concluded by stating that people who work hard should not be expected to fund artists who, in his view, insult them with their own money.