When Ryan Reynolds answered the B.C. premier’s call to help fight the surge in COVID-19 cases among young people, the Deadpool actor’s audio message contained a nod to an ageless 1967 film that appeals to both sides of the generation gap.
In an audio recording posted to Twitter on Aug. 14, the Vancouver-born actor said he hopes that young people in B.C. don’t kill his mom, who he jokingly described as “insatiable” in her pandemic pursuits.
“My mom — she lives there. She doesn’t wanna be cooped up in her apartment all day,” said Reynolds.
“She wants to be out there cruising Kitsilano beach looking for some young 30-something Abercrombie burnout to go full ‘Mrs. Robinson’ on.”
He was alluding to a scene from The Graduate, a classic film about a college grad who is seduced into having an affair with an older woman.
His “Mrs. Robinson” throwback caught the attention of the son of B.C. Housing Minister Selina Robinson.
Aaron Robinson was quick to defend his mother’s honour with a tongue-in-cheek tweet to Reynolds that warned: “You leave my mother out of this, Mrs. Selina Robinson would NEVER!”
“She would not be cruising Kits beach!” he later told Global News, continuing with the gag. “She has a loving husband that she loves very much.”
His mother, who is a good sport and went along with the joke, confirmed she’s happily married and definitely not that shade of Mrs. Robinson.
“What surprised me, I have to say, is that millennials knew who Mrs. Robinson was,” Selina Robinson said with a laugh.
Aaron joked: “Anytime Mr. Reynolds is willing to apologize to my mother for the Mrs. Robinson reference I’ll take it.”
On a more serious note, the family said they are vigilant about doing their part to stop the spread of COVID-19.
“There’s a consequence for not following the rules right now and it’s pretty dire,” Aaron said. “Not only will we not be able to do stuff, but people die.”