Surprisingly, Robert De Niro, the famous actor, has reportedly declared bankruptcy and issued a statement apologizing for his behavior, stating, “I’m ashamed of my actions.”
The famous phrase “Go Woke Go Broke” is sometimes used by detractors to insinuate that adopting progressive or “woke” viewpoints might lead to financial ruin, and this hypothetical situation plays into that.
This particular episode involving De Niro is fake, but it serves as a good prism to look at the larger cultural discussion that this tagline represents.
The slogan “Go Woke Go Broke” has gained traction among some who think that public personalities,
businesses, and celebrities that support progressive social justice issues run the danger of losing support from a large section of their audience.
This theory is based on the assumption that embracing a “woke” attitude would hurt one’s career since mainstream audiences are against or unsupportive of such positions.
