JOIN
OUR EMAIL LIST!
SIGN UP

Stephen King Walks Back Comments About 'Diversity In Art' After Twitter Backlash

Leigh Vogel/WireImage/GettyImages

The Academy once again failed to recognize a significant number of diverse artists in major categories when they announced the 2020 Oscar nominations on Monday.

Cynthia Erivo was the only person of color to be nominated out of the four acting categories and not one female director was nominated despite high expectations that Greta Gerwig was a shoe-in for her critically-acclaimed direction of Little Women.

Amidst the backlash the Academy received, horror novelist Stephen King commented that he would "never consider diversity in matters of art."

On Monday, the Doctor Sleep author explained that writers are allowed to nominate in three categories, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Screenplay.

He continued:

"For me, the diversity issue--as it applies to individual actors and directors, anyway--did not come up. That said, I would never consider diversity in matters of art."
"Only quality. It seems to me that to do otherwise would be wrong."


His take on unbiased voting was met with immediate criticism, with filmmaker Octavia Butler clarifying that the work of women and people of color do, in fact, produce compelling contributions of quality.


Others agreed and emphasized the importance of recognizing marginalized demographics.

They also acknowledged the fact that as a White male, King has had an easier career path than women and POC.




A couple of hours after his initial comment, King responded to the backlash and attempted to save face with a followup tweet, explaining:

"The most important thing we can do as artists and creative people is make sure everyone has the same fair shot, regardless of sex, color, or orientation."
"Right now such people are badly under-represented, and not only in the arts."

He concluded the conversation by declaring:

"You can't win awards if you're shut out of the game."

Selma director Ava DuVernay, who advocates for inclusion in Hollywood, expressed her disappointment for the revered writer.

King deflected the social media censure by praising DuVernay's work on When They See Us.

But DuVernay—who in 2014 became one of five women in the 77-year history of the Golden Globes to be recognized for Best Director for Selma— emphasized the conversation was not about scratching each other's backs.


The conversation continued, with many suggesting how the author could incite change for a level playing field for other writers.





But hey, his final tweet was a noble start.

BuzzFeed News reached out to King's reps and have yet to hear back regarding the backlash.

oscars

People Explain Which Small Things Immediately Make Them Dislike A Stranger

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

There's something seeing a person litter that drives me up the wall. I remember being a kid and being explicitly told to hold on to my trash and not just throw it in the street. As a kid, I distinctly remember being made fun of for not just throwing the bag of chips I'd just eaten or an empty soda bottle into the gutter.

I can't imagine doing that. Why?! We truly treat this planet as if we have somewhere else to go.

After Redditor pnrddt asked the online community, "What small action immediately makes you dislike a stranger?" people shared their observations.

Keep reading... Show less

Doctors Share The Weirdest Facts About The Human Body

Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay

When you're in the market for a slew of very specific facts that all fall under the same general theme, the internet really delivers.

Forget streamlined public health capabilities and revolutionized human communication, the true beauty of the internet is all the random, barely useful information you can find when a bunch odd people decide to assemble and swap info.

Keep reading... Show less
human body

Doctors Describe The Dumbest Injuries They've Ever Seen

Image by Alterio Felines from Pixabay

Working in a doctor's office means helping people when they're at their lowest. Sometimes, that leads to wonderful moments when the patient is thankful for all the advice and care you provided. Other times, it means taking something out of someone's bum.

Turns out, that second one happens a lot more than you might think.

Keep reading... Show less

People Break Down Subtle Red Flags That A Movie May Not Be Worth Watching

Image by Sammy-Williams from Pixabay

I love movies. The cinema has long been a savior of mine and has given me some of my greatest inspirations. But being an avid film watcher has also made me quite the critic. I can always tell when a movie is worth the money to see in theaters or wait until it's on basic cable with commercials. The signs of mediocrity abound, and sometimes they aren't that difficult to spot.

Redditor u/fjv08kl wanted to know what is obvious about mediocre cinema by asking.... What are some subtle 'red flags' that tell you a movie is not worth watching?
Keep reading... Show less
movies