'Happy Days' Star Henry Winkler Posts Startling Answer for What Will Unite People Again

Daniel S. Levine

07/04/2021 04:19 pm EDT

Happy Days star Henry Winkler became a trending topic on Twitter Saturday, but it's not for a reason that would earn a thumbs-up from Fonzie. Winkler, 75, suggested that a "cataclysmic event" was the only way Americans could come together again. Many pointed out that several cataclysmic events have happened in just the past year, including a pandemic that has killed over 600,000 Americans, and the country remains as divided as ever.

"We are So divided as a country... only a cataclysmic event, that makes us depend on one another again, can bring us back together," Winkler tweeted Saturday afternoon. One of Winkler's followers quickly pointed out that there was a cataclysmic event and it "didn't work." Winkler said the pandemic only "pushed the world inside creating a world apart."

Most of the Barry actor's followers were disappointed in the tweet. The coronavirus pandemic is still raging across the country, and over 600,000 Americans have died after contracting the virus. This was a cataclysmic event that required Americans to think about each other, but it only left the country more divided. "There is a global plague and the ocean is on fire and infrastructure is collapsing and autocracy is rising and violent insurrectionists stormed the Capitol and none of those cataclysmic events united us so I'll just assume you know something new about the UFOs and call it a day," writer Sarah Kendzior tweeted.

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"I love that you are this idealistic, but over half 1 million Americans have died of Covid. If that didn't work, nothing will," another Twitter user wrote. "Well, the pandemic didn't work. Neither did an attempted Fascist assault on democracy. Fingers crossed for climate catastrophe huh," one user commented. "That event should have been the pandemic," another wrote.

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For comic book readers, Winkler's tweet reminded them of the Watchmen character Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias. In the story, later adapted into a film and inspiring an HBO series, Ozymandias plots to create a disaster that the U.S. and U.S.S.R. would unite against. Many, many people joked that Winkler was suddenly wishing for a new catastrophe that could unite the U.S., leading to several "Fonziemandius" tweets.

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The Arrested Development star usually makes headlines for much lighter reasons. Back in June, he went viral when he tweeted a photo of himself holding a photo of a fish. "OMG Finally," he wrote. At least we can all agree that the Fonz holding a fish on Father's Day should brighten up the weekend.

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"We couldn't get our government to get it together after Jan. 6th. I don't see us being united again," one person tweeted.

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"Millions of people died and are still dying from a global killer virus pandemic, like just how cataclysmic are you aiming for here anyway, you are starting to give off some serious Adrian [Veidt] vibes here pls don't do anything rash, Henry, I am begging you," another person wrote, referring to the Watchmen character.

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"The People's house was attacked by some of its own citizens and it only divided us more. Even those who were targets of the attack defended the criminal activity that took place on Jan 6," one person wrote. "It's pretty depressing, Henry."

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