Anthony Mackie’s all over the place promoting Black and White. He’s doing all the heavy lifting for this film, and it’s turning into a major disaster. He hit up Today and Jimmy Kimmel (where he talked about getting in trouble for signing some Falcon posters at a crafts store). Those appearances were breezy, light-hearted, and a PR agent’s dream.
(Note: I have an update at the bottom of this post about Mackie’s thoughts on gender roles. He’s very … old fashioned.)
No one’s talking about those talk shows right now. Mackie made sure of that when he gave an interview to the Grio. He said questionable things about Selma‘s Oscar snubs, racial profiling, and dreadlocks. Blowback happened, and now Mackie’s upset that everyone got upset at him. Mackie already distrusts the internet (he said so in this Philly Comic-Con video), and this won’t help matters.
Mackie followed up on the controversy by speaking with Electronic Urban Report. Mackie believes he was tricked by the Grio. He thought he was simply hanging out and talking on camera. That’s all! He didn’t expect to be quoted:
I felt that we could sit and have a candid conversation about race and he wouldn’t take soundbites. He would let the entire conversation live. And he didn’t. And that’s what frustrates me … Mr. Witherspoon really p*ssed me off because I trusted him and he lied.”
[From Electronic Urban Report]
His explanation makes no sense. Mackie knew he was being interviewed. He doesn’t deny saying those things and isn’t pulling the “out of context” card. He’s simply shocked the Grio reported his words, which is what happens when a celebrity does press for a movie.
The Grio is sticking by their journo, Editor Chris Witherspoon. “Nothing could be further from the truth” than Mackie’s claim of being “lied” to, and they produced the unedited video of the interview. BAM. Mackie forced their hand to his detriment. This video includes more awkward statements like, “We’re living in a society … I feel if you’re still focused on race, you’re a Beta machine in the world of DVDs.”
Here’s the interview where Mackie claims The Grio lied to him.
Update: Mackie just can’t stop talking about stuff other than his movie. Pajiba has his Wendy Williams appearance where he talks about how a woman’s place is to “make Daddy a sandwich.” Oh, Mackie. I thought we were tight.
Photos courtesy of WENN
Tricked or not he still said it. Those were his thoughts. Own it and move on.
Uh-huh. And what’s this I now hear about him making comments about preferring traditional gender roles and actually using the “get in the kitchen and make we a sandwich, woman” example? I suppose Wendy Williams tricked him into saying that? Those TV camera were pretend?
This guy is a jerk. I hope Falcon flies into a jet engine in the next Marvel movie.
No it wasn’t make ME a sandwich it was make Daddy a sandwich…Sooooo freaking disgusting. Idk how men can like being called daddy, and even if you do it’s always a bad idea to say it in public makes you look like a creep.
But, as the Pajiba article points out, is this really all that backward or sexist when compared to the attitudes of (some) women where the guy is expected to pick up the check when they go out on a date? I agree the “daddy” thing is cringeworthy, but it’s not like there aren’t plenty of women who still hold (IMO) antiquated opinions about what the man’s role is as well. [Aside – I have a friend who insists she will not go out with a guy again if he doesn’t pick up the tab for everything (dinner, the movies, the carnival, the whatever) because she believes that’s his role as a man. But on the flip side, her last two boyfriends have been live-ins, refusing to get a job, staying up all night smoking weed and playing videogames, then sleeping all day while she’s at work. She not only pays for HIS food, but also his housing, his clothes, his entertainment, the car he drives, as well as the gas in it, but God forbid he expects her to pull out her own wallet when they’re still in courtship mode and out on a date.]
Really Mackie?! REALLY?!
“I feel if you’re still focused on race, you’re a Beta machine in the world of DVDs.”
F-CK. YOU.
Ugh. I liked him and now I’m side-eying so hard I’m getting eye-strain.
DUDE. You said what you felt. Own that sh*t and move on instead of showing yourself.
Yes. Sigh.
Me too, I liked him as well but this is all just a mess.
He’s been in the business long enough to understand how interviews and quotes work.
OMFG, I Choose Me…the same. I thought he was oh so hot, and now he just needs to shut up before him being pretty can make me forget for a minute.
What I thought! He should shut up and just be pretty. God, I hate it when celebritys ruin their image by talking crap…
Oh! That explains my headache (eye strain!).
I agree, own your beliefs and stop blaming others. I watched the clip and it still made me shake my head.
I’m a bit sad because he’s sucking all of the hotness out of him. And I’m totally blaming him for that (he was HAWT before he opened his mouth).
He is attempting to gain additional fans with the black and white card – sounds like he wants to fit into the “establishment”.
His comments appear sad to me. Everyone needs to respect their culture and participate in media; but his comments seem disrespectful of his people’s journeying. Every individual (including women), have the opportunity to work with a guiding idea; that it is *self-evident* that all men/women are created equal. When you have diversity in your friendships, life is so much richer. This diversity makes the idea of equality most natural, when we have relationships with others from around the world. Humans have no difference – same emotions, same goals, the same loves…no matter how they look, high or low, young or old; this is the truth of life: from the east to the west, in our world. This is the nourishing water in the well, concerning the true richness of life!.
I see he attended a few semesters at the Kaley Cuoco School of Privilege and Tone-deafness. You think he got a scholarship?
LOL! Oh this guy was valedictorian!
Aw, Kaley’s not even valedictorian at her own school.
AHAHHA I was just about to say “he must go to the Kaley Cuoco School of Damage Control”.
Great minds, Kiddo 😉
Damn, he did the “make me a sandwich” thing? He seemed like such a sweet guy right after CA:TWS came out.
He really did.
http://www.pajiba.com/trade_news/anthony-mackie-believes-a-womans-role-is-to-make-daddy-a-sandwich-.php
And he should know its SAMMICH not sandwich. Geesh….
😉
I am still baffled how dreadlocks in their origin context was about Rastafarianism. Along with the dreads Rastas are meant to life as natural as they can by living off the earth but not it’s animals, smoke ganja and advocate Ja peace while high on weed. They are the least aggressive of religionists , Is it too much to ask for this guy to know that was meant to be spiritual black symbol was viciously stereotyped as another sinister black stereotype. Why doesn’t he know this?
Not just in rastafarianism, but in hindu and buddist religion too.
Messy word salad. I meant to type I am baffled he doesn’t know that dreadlocks originally came from Rastafarianism, a rocognised religious group.
Coupled with his comments about gender he now strikes me as not too intelligent.
I am still baffled by his comments about dreadlocks as most people i know with dreads tend to be arty types or in college.
…make Daddy a sandwich…
Are people really this dumb in 2015? Like really? It’s not just me suffering from a traumatic brain injury imagining this shit?
Uh no, no sandwiches and no not Beta machines. Tbcompletelyh I now think he’s less dumb and more so blind. He wants to see one version of the world and he’ll be damned if anothing including facts changes that. He doesn’t want to ‘blame’ anyone and since his acting is going nicely he feels like all those other people discussing race are shooting themselves in the foot.
He hasn’t hit the skids yet. He hasn’t gotten a peek into the underbelly. Whoo, he’s gonna be bitter when he finally sees it.
Dear Anthony, you suck, now please exit stage left. Ugh.
He is an idjit if he was talking infront of a camera and not expecting to be quoted.
I am so beyond disappointed. Maaaaackie. You were my fave. Don’t ruin it!