Ashton Kutcher — unlike his That ’70s Show character Michael Kelso — is much more than just a pretty face. Three months ago, at the 2013 Teen Choice Awards, the Jobs actor made headlines for his surprisingly heartfelt, mildly philosophical acceptance speech. Now, in a new interview with Ellen DeGeneres for an episode of her show airing Wednesday, Nov. 6, he’s sharing more deep thoughts about celebrities and fame.
“I think that so much of what we see in the world today is this sort of propaganda machine around fame and around celebrity,” he tells DeGeneres when asked about his Teen Choice Awards speech. “I actually think there are some kids in the world that grow up today and think, ‘I want to be famous,’ instead of ‘When I grow up, I want to do something, I want to build something, I want to create something.'”
The 35-year-old star — also a successful tech entrepreneur — says celebrity isn’t necessarily synonymous with success. As he said in his speech in August, young people should aspire to “build a life, not live one.”
“I thought it was a valuable moment to actually let them know that all that [fame] is kind of crap, and that working hard and being thoughtful and generous and smart is a path to a better life,” he explains. “Usually when you go to those shows, it’s people propagating the fame machine over and over and over and over again, so I thought it was an opportunity to do something different.”
Kutcher, currently dating his former That ’70s Show costar Mila Kunis, also offers his opinion on celebs who are “famous for the sake of being famous or famous for the sake of being second-generation wealthy families.”
“I think it shifts a dynamic in society, and I also think there’s an entitlement that’s starting to emerge that I think is unhealthy for people and unhealthy for our country,” he muses. “And it’s funny — I talk to some of my friends and they don’t want to get a job at Starbucks, or they don’t want to get a job at wherever, because they feel like it’s below them. And I think the only thing that can be below you is to not have a job! Go work until you can get the job that you want to have.”
This was Kutcher’s first appearance since news broke that his divorce from Demi Moore is nearly finalized. The former couple announced their separation in November 2011 after six years of marriage. On Oct. 41, The New York Post’s Page Six reported that Kutcher and Moore, 51, have signed the paperwork and are set to file the documents this week.
