There’s always that one title on Netflix that manages to go viral, monopolize conversations, and create a frenzy around its plot, actors, and when a second season will hit our screens. If 2021 was all about the very anxiety-inducing Squid Game, 2022 was Tim Burton’s year, as his latest release, Wednesday, got viewers glued to their screens, quickly hailing 20-year-old lead actress Jenna Ortega as this year’s bonafide “it” girl.
Made available on the American streaming giant’s catalog in November, the fantasy-horror, packaged into eight-hour-long episodes, recounts the tale of a high-school student, Wednesday Addams, played by the Mexican-Puerto Rican actress, who attempts to solve a monster mystery taking place at her school. In the month following the release, the Addams Family-inspired program garnered a record-breaking 1.02 billion watch hours, knocking Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story off Netflix’s podium of all-time most-watched titles. What’s more, Wednesday also managed to snatch two Golden Globe nominations for best television series, musical or comedy and best actress in a TV show, musical or comedy for Ortega.
Sinking in praises and accolades since the launch of the first episode, Burton’s newest audiovisual endeavor has repeatedly been seen trending on social media platforms. And, given the unapologetic heroine’s history in advocacy and awareness raising, Wednesday’s hype can only be expected to get bigger, spread further, and last longer in the times to come.
And, in case anyone needed a reason to love Ortega even more, it appears that the breakthrough star is a Palestine ally. Clearly aware of the importance of her heightened voice, the platform she has, as well as the reach she can appeal to, on her official Twitter account, the Scream 5 actress constantly sheds light on some of the world’s worst injustices and most persecuted populations to her one million followers, while also calling users of the social media platform to suggest reliable resources for people to educate themselves and help in any way they can.
In a Tweet posted in March, that has since been pinned to the top of her profile, the actress vocalized her support towards “Ukraine, Yemen, Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq, and Syria,” adding that the list of countries needing solidarity and assistance unfortunately doesn’t end there.
We must never give up on the people of Ukraine, Yemen, Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq, Syria… the list goes on unfortunately. For anyone who is willing & wanting to contribute any way they can, I want to form a thread with information. Does anyone have resources/links they could add?
— Jenna Ortega (@jennaortega) March 6, 2022
In the following tweets, Ortega included links and shared websites of specific organizations dedicated to taking action toward those in need. She even made her stance on the Palestinian question loud and clear, explicitly calling for the decolonization of the embattled piece of land.
“I don’t think people realize how many people are suffering in Gaza,” she wrote in a previous Tweet. “It’s heartbreaking that anyone has to live like this. Too many people suffering for people with power to be able to sleep at night,” she added.
Decolonize Palestine. https://t.co/MlI5Gpr2QN
— Jenna Ortega (@jennaortega) March 6, 2022
Whether it’s a trend or genuine compassion, more and more A-listers have been using their influence to cast a light on marginalized communities from Bella Hadid and Dua Lipa to Selena Gomez. Regardless of the intention behind the wind of sympathy that is seeming to blow through the entertainment industry, we’re happy to see it happen, finally passing the microphone to those that adamantly need it most.
