Martin Scorsese claims he was tricked into going viral on TikTok
The legendary filmmaker seems mildly befuddled by the entire concept of "the internet"
Martin Scorsese is not only one of our greatest living filmmakers, but he’s also a social media sensation—operating a popular account on Letterboxd as well as starring in a handful of funny TikTok videos posted by his daughter, Francesca. But in a new chat with The Los Angeles Times, Scorsese denies any responsibility for his viral fame. In fact, he claims to be unfamiliar with the concept of going “viral” and the idea of “posting” something online, saying that Francesca tricked him into sharing these popular videos.
He admits that the one he did with his dog, Oscar, was obviously planned (that one inspired a horrifically cringey response from Joe Russo), but another recent video where the Scorseses go through a movie bracket was just kind of forced onto him. “I was tricked into that,” he told the LA Times. “That was a trick. I didn’t know those things go viral. They say ‘viral.’ I don’t know.” In the bracket, Scorsese makes a couple of surprising choices (Birdman over The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly is the standout), but he says he didn’t know it was “going to go up.” Here’s his take, which sounds like an understandable position from a guy who only recently got into email:
“I was just doing it in the other room with her. I don’t know what they’re going to do. They always have those iPhone cameras in their hands. You’re not aware. I honestly did not know she was going to post it.” He pauses. “They use the words ‘post it,’ right?”
Scorsese ultimately landed on 2001: A Space Odyssey as the best of the bunch, something him and his daughter celebrate in the video, but it’s probably not worth putting too much stock in his choices. He says he wasn’t sure if he was picking the movies or the poster, but he also implies that he stands by at least some of his winners—perhaps to preserve some sense of mystery in his life now that he’s occasionally logging films on Letterboxd and getting roped into little TikTok games.
Honestly, it’s all very adorable. His daughter is having fun that is mildly at his expense, he’s being a very good sport about it, and he says funny things like “kids are always carrying these iPhone cameras around, doing something called ‘posting.’” We wish he could be our dad.