It’s a bit uncomfortable sometimes when celebrities who have only been known for one role that was about twenty years ago suddenly lash out on their Facebook page. But in Janet Hubert’s–better known as Aunt Viv from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air–case, the result has been quite eye-opening.
In the wake of the rage incited over the standard lack of “black movie” presence at the Oscars, the #OscarsSoWhite hash tag that continues to prove Twitter activism is pathetic has been spurred on by the official “boycotts” of Jada Pinkett Smith and Spike Lee (accustomed to causing a stir with his comments about white overpowerment). But their boycotts have prompted a separate, more unexpected boycott: Hubert’s ire over a person she calls “somebody who has made their living and has made millions and millions of dollars from the very people that you’re talking about boycotting just because you didn’t get a nomination, just because you didn’t win… That’s not the way life works, baby.”
Calling out the hypocrisy of the Smiths, Hubert displays no sympathy for the couple–least of all Will (who she still sees as an integral part of her ousting from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air back in 1993 after raise negotiations became heated). She imbues her argument with some admittedly solid points, like, “You ain’t Barack and Michelle Obama. And y’all need to get over yourselves. You have a huge production company that you only produce your friends and family and yourself. So you are a part of Hollywood, you are part of the system that is unfair to other actors. So get real.” You can’t say fairer than that–black, white or otherwise. In any case, Spike Lee got off lucky this time and, on the plus side, Chris Rock is hosting the show, which means retaliative white jokes galore.
[…] than usual this year, but one of the lesser paid attention to ones as a result of it not being race-related is Linda Perry calling out the injustice of Lady Gaga being nominated for the song “Til It […]
[…] Of course, this succinct expression will undoubtedly be seen as lacking in forward-thinking logic. More courageous than Caine’s statement, however, is Charlotte Rampling, nominated for Best Actress for her role in 45 Years. When commenting on the controversy surrounding this year’s ceremony, she noted, “One can never really know, but perhaps the black actors did not deserve to make the final list.” Cutting and to the point, Rampling might be making a fair point as she adds, “Why classify people? These days everyone is more or less accepted.” While some will see her statements as naive and offensive, Rampling is commendable for speaking frankly on the matter, whereas everyone else is too afraid of how they might be perceived (read: bigoted) for expressing their true opinions. The fact that both Rampling and Caine are about as white and old guard as it gets, unfortunately, won’t validate their opinions to most. Some might call that ageist. And so the vicious cycle continues. But at least Aunt Viv is on their side. […]