More than one generation has grown up with Stallone as an inspirational figure, an everyman turned super hero. He has always been underestimated, a favorite target of the Razzies and treated as an idiot, but following failures with greatness as recently as 2015.

Even setting aside his entire varied body of fun, ridiculous, sometimes great (see: FIRST BLOOD) action movies, the ROCKY series is a miracle pop culture creation that spans more than 40 years, from raw dramatic roots to the most crystallized possible artifact of 1985 excess.

I think even its only kinda bad entry (part V) is still worth watching, because we're so invested in this character and Stallone's attempts to do different things with the series. As slick as they can be on the surface these movies have heart and they have burrowed deep into us.

So when Adonis calls Rocky "Unc" in the CREED movies it's cultural and it has to do with his family history that we've witnessed in these movies but also many of us feel it deeply because Stallone in all his personas feels like he's an uncle to us too.

So yes, of fucking COURSE we are crushed when he seems okay with the despicable lunatic who tried to overthrow our country after letting half a million people die because he didn't want to bother dealing with a pandemic. It feels like when our actual relatives do it.

Which is to say please keep your "can't you separate the art from the artist" or especially your "I never liked his movies anyway" takes to yourself for this one.