California politician Spencer Pratt, formerly known for reality television, publicly criticised actor Ryan Reynolds after Reynolds described the 1980s as "brutal" and a "f—ing mess" while promoting his new film "Mayday". Reynolds' comments, made in a Variety interview, had already drawn backlash for contrasting with the nostalgic tone of his own project, and Pratt's response has widened the row into a broader debate about how Hollywood portrays heroes and villains. Commentators say the exchange highlights a deeper cultural split over whether modern entertainment's fondness for anti-heroes reflects, or has contributed to, a decline in clear moral storytelling.

Pratt argued that 1980s films offered clearly defined heroes and villains, unlike today's culture, which he said often "redeems" wrongdoing, and pointedly contrasted "Top Gun" with Reynolds' own anti-hero role as Deadpool. Film critic Christian Toto backed up the idea that modern cinema increasingly humanises villains, citing "Bullet Train", "Hit Man" and the "John Wick" films, while also noting the 1980s had genuine hardships including the AIDS crisis and the Challenger disaster. Former Trump administration official Theo Wold added a political dimension, claiming the 1980s brought greater social cohesion and economic prosperity than today, while suggesting Reynolds' Canadian upbringing may have shaped a different view.