US, WASHINGTON (ORDO NEWS) — It seems that “anti-white racism” is gaining momentum in Hollywood. White actors, screenwriters, directors and producers fear that they will remain out of work. The bosses of the film studios amid the mass protests of Black Lives Matter make it clear that only minorities, ethnic and sexual, will get the job, writes the Daily Mail.
Shops and movie sets are slowly opening after quarantine, but intense heat came to Hollywood out of season. Famous boulevards are buried in a forty-degree haze, and Beverly Hills mansions blow the stuffy winds of Santa Ana. Shocked by the #MeToo movement and the paralyzed covid-19, the $ 50 billion film industry is finally moving away from the four-month quarantine – and it sees a new, completely different world, where the voltage rises as confidently as the arrow of a thermometer.
The massive protests of the Black Lives Matter (“Black lives are important too”) split America, and their silent consequences have now reached Hollywood. The revolution is in full swing. White actors get fired. Movie studio bosses make it clear that only minorities — racial and sexual — will get the job.
Due to the new wave of anti-white, in the opinion of many, prejudices, screenwriters, directors and producers fear that they will lose their jobs. One of them called the current atmosphere “even more poisonous than Chernobyl,” with leading actors afraid to speak out so that they would not be called racists.
The first sign was one of the most influential black directors in Hollywood, the Oscar-winning Jordan Peele – the author of blockbusters like “Away” and “We” – he publicly stated that he did not want to take white on the main role. “I can’t imagine a white guy in the lead,” Peel said. “Not that I treated them badly.” But I’ve already seen this.”
As one studio director privately stated: “If a white director said such a thing about a black actor, his career would end in an instant.” Few people doubt it. He drank in his views more frankly than most, but he has more and more like-minded people. Dozens of producers, screenwriters and actors complain about the wave of “reverse racism” that has swept the entire film industry.
The head of the studio continued: “For all positions – scriptwriters, directors, producers, cameramen and so on – we only hire non-ferrous women or representatives of sex minorities. White is not supposed to speak out, otherwise you will immediately be branded as a “racist‟ and convicted of the “privilege of white‟. The pendulum has swung so far that everyone trembles with fear at the thought that any of your words could be misinterpreted, and then your career will end. Many whisper, but in public everyone wants to look like an advocate of diversity and they are afraid to speak out frankly. Everything is collapsing, it’s a complete collapse.”
In recent years, the lack of color actors in the lead roles has been considered a stain on Hollywood’s reputation. But there are fears that the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction – and that the film and television industries are “on the verge of a collective nervous breakdown.”
The most fashionable words in Hollywood are bipoc, the abbreviation for “black, root, color,” and menemy, a hybrid of the words “man” and “enemy,” an adversary of diversity. “Everyone wants to tick off every conceivable check mark,” said one Academy Award nominee. – Previously, the director could decide what his film would be. Not anymore. The main thing is to get more “beeps”. The heads of the studios insist on this, because they know that their work is hanging by a thread. White men have to sacrifice, they are enemies, “menemi‟.”
One 50-year-old actor, who starred in the most famous series of the last twenty years, said that at a recent casting, the director told him that he was “ideally suited for the role”, but he was instructed to “take someone colored.” “I understand everything,” said the actor. “I understand that Hollywood has a long way to go before the colors are properly presented on the screen, but how do I pay for a mortgage, where can I make a piece of bread?” Everyone is terrified. And you can not object, because otherwise you will be crucified on the air.”
Anticipating such complaints, no matter how quietly they speak out, the director of the film “Selma” Ava DuVernay, one of the most influential black women in Hollywood, tweeted: “Everyone has the right to their opinion. And we, the black producers, have the right not to hire those who humiliate us. So, to all the whites in this thread … if you do not get the role you were counting on, keep in mind … there are different prejudices. This is the year 2020.”
This may seem ironic, given that Hollywood is considered the heart of liberal America. Its main stars lecture the world around us on human rights, diversity and environmental protection: from George Clooney’s campaign to end the genocide in Darfur to Leonardo DiCaprio’s messages on global warming.
But political correctness is not only becoming more intrusive – it is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate in it. Jodie Comer from Killing Eve, who became famous for her role as a bisexual killer, was heavily criticized on social media last week for meeting American athlete James Burke – for the simple reason that he Not only supported Trump, but allegedly has a party ticket.
And Halle Berry had to apologize for “pondering” the role of transgender in the upcoming film (instead of giving it to a real transgender).
The cultural shift is such that one studio is now preparing to shoot a film with a completely black cast and crew. This is usually celebrated.
But when the white woman, a highly respected leader, was instructed to “control” the work, she was warned that her name would not be in the credits. As the studio employee said: “The guys who make this film are fresh, wonderful, real talents. But they are children. They are not 25. Most of them haven’t been to the set either, not to mention the film, which is worth $ 20 million. “They don’t know the basics – how unions work, how often breaks should be taken, how much can be removed per day, and so on.”
“We need to protect our investments and make sure that they wake up on time and take off what is needed. Otherwise, this train worth several million dollars will go off the rails. We are sending this wonderful woman to manage real things. But in the credits it will not be. No one admits this, but reverse racism definitely exists. Someone will say that it is necessary that the pendulum swings in the other direction and that this is true after so many years of white privileges. But at what cost? Wouldn’t it be better to hire people for their talent and abilities? I can tell you that we have to take people solely for their ethnicity, gender and profile on social networks.”
“If you are brown, woman and gay, you are welcome. At conferences in Zuma, we are quieter than water below the grass. It got to the point that if there is at least one colored person at the conference, everyone is afraid to hang up first, no matter how they consider it an insult.”
One editor dared to speak out – and lost his career. Nathan Lee Bush, who shot commercials for corporations such as Budweiser and Nike, criticized a post in a closed Facebook group that said, “I’m looking for an editor! Only from a black union.”
Bush, white, called this ad “anti-white racism” and wrote: “Look at what we are forced to endure. The most outspoken and self-righteous racists are those who themselves scold the rest by racists and require a boycott. Anyone who dares to speak out against them will be deprived of their livelihood, and their evil dreams will be trampled upon by an evil mob.”
This post was a disaster for Bush. One of his main clients, the American restaurant chain Panera Bread, vowed never to work with him again, and since then Bush has to apologize. “I then chopped into a video game, and this post was written like,” he said later. – Is it possible to cure one discrimination by skin color of another – in revenge? That is all I wanted to say. I should know that now is not the time to raise this issue. Forgive everyone whom I offended ”
This perfect storm erupted after several tumultuous years. It all started with a scandal with Harvey Weinstein and the #MeToo movement. Now, as one informed source says, the film industry has survived the “tsunami that turned everything upside down.” Someone argues that the changes are long overdue, because, despite all the kind words, Hollywood remains a privileged enclave.
Just five years ago, the lack of diversity at the annual Oscars gave birth to the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite (Oscars are so white). Despite the resounding success of last year’s box office hits like Black Panther, Away, and Insanely Rich Asians, their actors, mostly black and Asians, were not awarded the main awards. This year’s winners – Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Renee Zellweger and Laura Dern – all were white.
Then came the Black Lives Matter movement – protests against the murder of George Floyd. He died in May when a Minneapolis police officer kneeled him in the throat for almost nine minutes. Demonstrations swept across America, people burned the flags of the Confederacy and destroyed “racist” monuments – while on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, protesters communicated with (mostly white) stars immortalized on the sidewalk.
Studios – including Disney, Warner Bros, CBS and Netflix – have reported support for BLM and have pledged to spend millions to promote diversity and integration. New York Times journalist Reggie Ugwu said: “The film industry is in the grip of a public identity crisis – because its fresh, multicultural image, which it aspires to, is refuted by indisputable evidence.”
But despite the undoubtedly good intentions, many fear that this will lead to the opposite effect. One white screenwriter, nominee for an Emmy Award, said: “I have never seen people so scared. The houses are for sale. People are leaving because even after the pandemic is all right, there will be no work.”
“It’s about justice,” said another writer. “For the last three years I have been instructing young black writers.” But now I’m sitting without work, and this is not connected with my abilities. People believe that Hollywood is where dreams come true, but for people like me, it’s a nightmare.”
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