Robert Downey Jr. Slams Influencer Culture, Compares It to 'Evangelical Hucksterism'

Robert Downey Jr. is making his views on social media influencers crystal clear, drawing parallels to religious con artists while questioning the future of celebrity in the digital age.

Speaking on the "Conversations for our Daughters" podcast, the actor reflected on how the entertainment landscape has shifted dramatically. He noted that during the late '70s and early '80s, aspiring performers faced less saturation in the field, creating more opportunity for those willing to take risks. Today's climate presents a starkly different picture.

"Nowadays, people can create celebrity without ever doing much besides rolling a phone on themselves," Downey Jr. explained, though he stopped short of labeling the phenomenon as inherently negative. Instead, he framed it as an escalating challenge for young people seeking authentic self-discovery.

"Hopefully the grosser part of our youth is going to say, 'Yeah, but that's not my thing. I want to go do something. I want to make something. I want to build something. I want to educate myself,'" he said.

When pressed on predictions about influencers becoming the entertainment industry's next generation of stars, Downey Jr. didn't mince words. "I don't know what world you're living into, but I think that that is absolute horses***," he stated bluntly.

The Iron Man star then offered a window into his personal experience with the trend. His 14-year-old son Exton Elias Downey became involved with influencer culture, leading to solicitations for donations from viewers interested in watching him play video games.

"And really it becomes a religion," Downey Jr. observed. "There's something about the influencers today [that] are almost like the evangelical hucksters of the information age."