Twitter Claps Back At Armie Hammer Over Stan Lee Tweet, Hammer Dunked On Other Celebs For Their Own Lee Tweets
Armie Hammer, who gained critical acclaim — though as Vanity Fair noted, not an Oscar nomination — for his role in last year’s indie film hit Call Me By Your Name, found himself on the receiving end of relentless Twitter clapback after he posted his own reaction to the death of legendary Marvel Comics writer and impresario Stan Lee, who passed away on Monday at age 95.
Hammer, 32, “invoked the ire” of his own Twitter followers, as Daily Mail reported, when he posted a message to his Twitter account Monday afternoon that was not exactly a tribute to Lee, but a sarcastic slam at other celebrities who posted tributes to the Marvel Universe creator that consisted of pictures of themselves posing with Lee, whose given name was Stanley Martin Lieber.
“So touched by all of the celebrities posting pictures of themselves with Stan Lee,” the Lone Ranger star wrote on Twitter “No better way to commemorate an absolute legend than putting up a picture of yourself.”
Numerous celebrities, including Robert Downey Jr., who portrays Lee’s creation Iron Man in the current series of Marvel Comics-based movies, and Hugh Jackman — best known for portraying the X-Men character Wolverine — posted their own tributes, with pictures taken alongside Stan Lee.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqF4sgmgDvH/
We’ve lost a creative genius. Stan Lee was a pioneering force in the superhero universe. I’m proud to have been a small part of his legacy and …. to have helped bring one of his characters to life. #StanLee #Wolverine pic.twitter.com/iOdefi7iYz
— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) November 12, 2018
Note that though Lee created the X-Men with artist Jack Kirby, the Wolverine character was created several years later by Marvel Comics writer Len Wein (see ComicBook.com).
Comic book fans and Hammer’s own fans related with sharp disappointment at Hammer’s snarky message, accusing the Social Network star — who is the great-grandson of billionaire oil tycoon and industrialist Armand Hammer — of trying to “police” other people’s expressions of grief.
The only person making his death about themselves here is you. Stop telling other people how to grieve.
— Calum McSwiggan (@CalumMcSwiggan) November 13, 2018
what else u supposed to do when someone dies armie pic.twitter.com/Q8n9rtnoAu
— •josie• (@_kikiwiwi) November 12, 2018
Aaaaaaaand just by telling people how to grieve, you've made this wonderful man's passing, all about you. I'm a fan of yours 100%, but this was just not right. Also some of those "celebrities" are your friends. And human beings. pic.twitter.com/FVzblhTWwK
— ??TRISHA?? (@MrsAquaman187) November 12, 2018
I find it disgraceful that THIS tweet is how you decided to acknowledge Stan Lees passing; rather than joining people in sharing their love of a man that was loved by many you saw an opportunity to “make a statement” that does nothing but make you come across insensitive and mean
— ????? ???????????? (@acklesdork) November 12, 2018
And in some communities they make a story board for the funeral of family and friends with the deceased so people can see how they lived.
Stan was more than his work…he was the people he touched and I think he’d be just fine with the outpouring of selfies— (((TearsOfRenewal))) (@BurgessPoet) November 13, 2018
I'm not a 'celebrity,' but here's a picture commemorating an absolute legend, with me in it.
I felt really cool taking a picture with him. pic.twitter.com/AhluYHOVia— Eddie McClintock ????? (@EddieMcClintock) November 13, 2018
Hammer, however, was tuned in to the negative response, and rather than apologizing, appeared to double down, as News.com reported.
In response to one Twitter reply that reads “Maybe they’re just remembering how it felt to meet him with those photos. That’s how I would feel. I never got the chance,” Hammer offered his own justification for his original Twitter posting.
“If Stan impacted your life (ie. All of our lives) with his work, post his work that touched you the most. Posting a selfie makes his death about you and how cool you felt taking a picture with him,” Hammer wrote.
As of Tuesday morning, after Hammer’s Twitter post had been online for about 15 hours, it had received about 18,000 “likes,” 2,000 retweets, and 1,900 direct replies.