It was a lazy Saturday afternoon and actor Jim Carrey decided, as one does, to post a painting of the bodies of Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci strung up upside down after their execution. “If you’re wondering what fascism leads to, just ask Benito Mussolini and his mistress Claretta,” wrote the star of Mr. Popper’s Penguins, using one of Petacci’s nicknames.
https://twitter.com/JimCarrey/status/1112036866381930496
It wasn’t a terribly controversial post. There’s been much worry over the last handful of years that America may be leaning towards fascism. In fact, it seems the only person who took true umbrage with it was Alessandra Mussolini, the granddaughter of Italy’s fascist Prime Minister from 1922 to his death after World War II.
Twitter is cool it's a place you can see Benito Mussolini's granddaughter get really mad at Jim Carrey for smearing her grandfather pic.twitter.com/rKLTC3GF6t
— Wild Geerters (@steinkobbe) March 31, 2019
First, Alessandra Mussolini called Carrey a “b*stard” for smearing her genocidal grandfather. She then dared Carrey to paint American atrocities, such as the genocide of Native Americans and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. She clearly didn’t like Carrey singling out her grandfather, just because he’s responsible for at least half a million deaths (though probably far more).
Mussolini’s granddaughter also got in it a bit with those who challenged her. When Evan O’Connell nipped in to say, “I think you’re confusing Jim Carrey with your murderous grandfather,” Alessandra replied, “Or maybe with some of your family…” O’Connell informed her that his own grandfather “fought to liberate Europe from people like your grandfather.” Alessandra brazenly retorted, “do you want applause?”
Oh, and she also brought up Rosa Parks.
Hi @JimCarrey do you know the history of #RosaPark? pic.twitter.com/tVbvqISt2N
— Alessandra Mussolini (@Ale_Mussolini_) March 31, 2019
It was just another surreal day on social media, and many on Twitter were ready to unpack the myriad ways in which everything is awesome.
https://twitter.com/joeyayoub/status/1112396909115858944
You know it's 2019 when Jim Carrey paints a picture of Mussolini being hanged and Mussolini's granddaughter replies calling Carrey a bastard pic.twitter.com/7tpJspGK5P
— GT 🐀 (@granitetide) March 31, 2019
In case you have missed this Mussolini's granddaughter is screaming at Ace Ventura in two languages
— Vincent Bevins (@Vinncent) March 31, 2019
Some had to remind Alessandra that Carrey isn’t even an American.
Benito Mussolini's granddaughter is angry at actor Jim Carrey for criticizing her fascist family, so she responds by tweeting at him examples of bad things the US has done. Jim Carrey is Canadian. This app is wild. #RosaPark pic.twitter.com/tebmfthEeQ
— onagapnotsew (@westonpagano) March 31, 2019
https://twitter.com/sunraysunray/status/1112391129905942529
https://twitter.com/jongraywb/status/1112393310876897281
Meanwhile, others took a much different approach.
Jim Carrey should just tweet at Mussolini's granddaughter "I heard the trains didn't even run on time."
— Andrew Woods (@JimJarmuschHair) March 31, 2019
https://twitter.com/shocks/status/1112345086245900288
can't believe mussolini's daughter got fired from the federalist
— Ashley Feinberg (ashleyfeinberg.bsky.social) (@ashleyfeinberg) March 31, 2019
We are precisely 11 minutes from Bret Stephens defending Mussolini from left-fascism
— Kate Aronoff (@KateAronoff) March 31, 2019
https://twitter.com/RafiLetzter/status/1112383064519442432
https://twitter.com/melvillmatic/status/1112389460786929664
The fact that Mussolini's granddaughter is on Twitter is just way less depressing than the fact that she's a member of the European Parliament
— Kate Aronoff (@KateAronoff) March 31, 2019