Sony Pictures leaked emails are being called racist forcing executives to apologize and seek forgiveness.
An e-mail exchange between Sony Pictures chair Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin turned into what many people are calling racist.
Obama praised Hollywood’s ability to illustrate diversity and share it with the rest of the world. “If they’re watching an old movie — Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,The Mary Tyler Moore Show, or Will and Grace and Modern Family — they’ve had a front-row seat to our march towards progress. Even if their own nations haven’t made that progress yet.” However, Sony Pictures’ executives take the President for a joke.
Yesterday, Buzzfeed revealed emails where Sony Pictures executives poked fun at Barack Obama, Kevin Hart, and Django.
From Buzzfeed:
In what has become the latest embarrassing email uncovered in a trove of messages leaked by hackers who attacked Sony, Pascal wrote Rudin: “What should I ask the president at this stupid Jeffrey breakfast?” She was referring to a breakfast hosted by DreamWorks Animation head and major Democratic donor Jeffrey Katzenberg.
Rudin, a top film producer responsible for films like No Country for Old Men andMoneyball, responded, “Would he like to finance some movies.” Pascal replied, “I doubt it. Should I ask him if he liked DJANGO?” Rudin responded: “12 YEARS.” Pascal quickly continued down the path of guessing Obama preferred movies by or starring African Americans. “Or the butler. Or think like a man? [sic]”
Rudin’s response: “Ride-along. I bet he likes Kevin Hart.”
Since the emails were released Sony Pictures CEO Amy Pascal apologized for the contents of the emails, in a statement published by Variety:
“The content of my emails were insensitive and inappropriate but are not an accurate reflection of who I am,” she said. “Although this was a private communication that was stolen, I accept full responsibility for what I wrote and apologize to everyone who was offended.”
In addition, Scott Rudin apologized for what he said the emails:
“Private emails between friends and colleagues written in haste and without much thought or sensitivity, even when the content of them is meant to be in jest, can result in offense where none was intended,” he told Deadline. “I made a series of remarks that were meant only to be funny, but in the cold light of day, they are in fact thoughtless and insensitive — and not funny at all. To anybody I’ve offended, I’m profoundly and deeply sorry, and I regret and apologize for any injury they might have caused.”
Shonda Rhimes, the creator of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder revealed that the emails were “racist” and not “racially insensitive.
“Calling Sony comments”racially insensitive remarks” instead of “racist”? U can put a cherry on a pile of sh*t but it don’t make it a sundae,” the Scandal showrunner wrote on her Twitter account on Thursday afternoon.
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