Update: Damon did “apologize” by issuing a non-apology. We’ll discuss it tomorrow!
Yesterday we reported on Matt Damon’s problematic argument to a female producer of color that diversity behind the scenes in Hollywood is not as important as diversity in casting. He said, while arguing against picking a particular directing duo on Project Greenlight, that “we’re talking about diversity, you do it in the casting of the film, not in the casting of the show.” I watched that episode and in context, I understand why he was arguing against hiring those particular directors. However that doesn’t make his later clarification, that they were “giving somebody this job based entirely on merit and leaving all other factors out of it” valid. The “merit” argument, as Kaiser pointed out to me, is one of the most common and fallacious objections to affirmative action, and Damon should know better.
Damon’s comments have been widely reported and were even picked up by People Magazine and The Washington Post yesterday. He’s an incredibly liberal person to the point where he narrated the documentary about historian and civil rights activist, Howard Zinn, You Can’t Stay Neutral on a Moving Train. In fact Damon may have been instrumental in helping popularize Zinn’s work by including a reference to Zinn’s seminal A People’s History of The United States in Good Will Hunting. (Zinn was a friend of Damon’s family. I thought the reference to his book was in the famous bar scene but I was mistaken.) Here’s a clip of Damon reading a 1970 speech from Zinn advocating civil disobedience.
So the way he explained himself on Project Greenlight seems to directly contradict what he professes to stand for and believe. He was speaking in the heat of the moment and obviously didn’t recognize how cliche he sounded. Will he recognize his own privilege and apologize or clarify himself? He tried to on the show, and he only dug that hole a little deeper according to some.
It’s worth noting that Damon could have had those comments edited out of the final cut of the show. To quote Kaiser “At some point, Damon realized that it was an important conversation to have, even if he looked like a jackass.” (I’m getting her help with this story because I’m a Damon-loonie and need the reality check.)
Damon is not on social media and can’t really issue a response until he crafts one and has his publicist release it. He has time to think about this and to make it right. Will he let it fade away with the news cycle or will he address it and admit his mistake? This is his biggest media faux pas since dumping Minnie Driver by proxy on the Oprah show in 1998.
Damon is currently promoting The Martian, out October 2, so I assume someone will ask him about this soon. Before this news broke they were mostly asking about his exercise and diet plan to get fit for Bourne.
photo credit: FameFlynet and WENN.com
#Damonsplaining
Hm….I do not know how to feel about the situation, but Matt does and should apologize soon
#damonsplaining
When watching the whole episode and taking into account what the project is about I understood what Damon was asserting. It wasn’t by any means artful but in the context of what they were trying to accomplish ( selecting the best/right director ) I don’t think he was in the wrong.
His explanation during the show made it worse. He doubled down on a fallacious, problematic argument. His only choice now is to backpedal, try to clarify and dig a bigger hole, or a full mea culpa.
People are wondering if Jon Hamm will win an Emmy this awards season, and I think his recent bad PR will work against him. He has not addressed the bullying/torture accusations that came to light and I think that hurts him. Any smart individual knows the faster you apologize, the quicker the public can move on and cease to rehash the incident. Damon’s publicist had better convince him of this. Especially since people WANT to forgive guys like this.
I don’t get it! His remark was simply to select the best director! He was responding to Moores assertion that given the tricky/ stereotypical material they should balance it out by selecting the diverse director team was more WTF to me?!?
I think the opposite, issuing an apology will give the story even more legs, especially since he would have to issue an official statement as opposed to a tweet, it might draw more attention from outlets that previously ignored it.
I just can’t look at him the same way:( I was going to see his new movie,not anymore.
+1
*SMH* sheep.
look who is talking! -_-
I am still not convinced that he didn’t edit that part out just because he is convinced he made valid points and was right in his argumentation. I could understand why he wouldn’t hire those directors in particular (especially if they didn’t see any issue with the problematic script), but when 9/10 directors in contention are white, the ‘merit’ argument totally collapses, because there is a huge disproportion. Have 5 white directors and 5 directors pertaining to another race and then we can talk about merits, since the odds aren’t clearly in someone’s favor. And how is it a comedy script if a PoC is a prostitute who gets beaten up? WTF? Also, you don’t talk over the only person in the room who represents the minority, thinking that you know better. It’s rude in general not to let people finish their thoughts, but it makes it worse when it’s a person who can directly relate to the lack of diversity you are trying to teach her about.
+1000000000000!!!!
Why does everyone assume he was heavily involved in editing a reality show? If there was a longer discussion at the time and he thought he’d made a valid point, he wouldn’t have asked to have it cut right after it happened. And I don’t see him sitting there in the editing bay with the grunts weeks later.
I’m thinking either some producer misjudged this as any-good-publicity-is-good-publicity, or one of those editors was appalled (by Matt or Effie*) and ended up shanking Matt Damon either way.
* I mean that someone could conceivably have thought this made Effie Brown look bad. Someone who’s been in a cave for the last 30 years.
I think it’s because everyone remembers how Ben was able to remove a whole episode of being aired, just because it showed that his ancestors were slave owners. It’s not that he is editing the material himself, but he has power over what should or should not be aired, as a producer.
If he does apologize it will be a typical non-apology that celebs are known for. The reality is that he doesn’t feel he was wrong. That was why it was included in the show. He wanted to show how knowledgeable he was about diversity. But all he did was show that he is just as big a douche as Affleck.
Of course. Matt is above it all. Smug and arrogant.
IMO, it was included in the show because they knew it would stir up controversy and end up being discussed on on the Internet. These people know what they’re doing and why, each and every time.
Whoa, you called it – non-apology indeed. Basically: “I am not sorry for what I said, because I just helped open a discussion, so if you are offended, whatevs!”
I wasn’t a fan before this.
How this guy was once named a Sexiest Man Alive….smh
I don’t get it either. I know these things are subjective, but I find him (and Ben) to be two of the most boring and vanilla people in the industry.
Because the real sexiest men alive wouldn’t accept such a ridiculous “honor” from People magazine. Adam Levine? Gwyneth Paltrow Most Beautiful Woman? Give me a break.
I dispise People mag and their sexiest/most beautiful whatever.
But in response to “because the real sexiest man alive wouldn’t accept such a ridiculous honor.” Does that apply to the women as well? Because some beautiful women have accepted that honor. Angelina and Halle made the cut.
He could’ve chosen to leave it in the show to take some of the media heat off his best friend.
Lainey had a post about this yesterday. Ben chose to have his unlikeable stuff edited out of the genealogy show, but Matt let the editors keep his in. I don’t know why he made the decision, but its interesting that he did instead of having it removed. He is image conscious enough to be aware of the fallout.
Or is it possible he just doesn’t get it guys? Everyone wants to give Matty D the benefit of the doubt. My god. Soooo many people on these boards will go after actresses for saying MUCH less than what he said here and refuse to give them the benefit of the doubt. But with Matty D it’s all about giving him noble reasons for why he would possibly do this. People want to reinterpret everything he says as him just really getting it, but really maybe he doesn’t.
You know guys. It’s just entirely possible that he just does not effing get it and he was blinded by the idea that this would be an issue at all because he hasn’t taken a deeper look into his arguments and how they could be offenseive from his position of privilege and power (that he’s had a good majority of his life).
I do not get the worship for this man.
This right here.
This.
Exactly. He didn’t think he was wrong. And in his Hollywood, his words ring true.
“But with Matty D it’s all about giving him noble reasons for why he would possibly do this.”
Here’s what I find to be the genuine ignoble reflex behind his comment: the people behind the scenes have far more power than the mere actors upon it. So let’s toss them a placating diversity bone in the casting (because actors don’t matter as much), but keep the power behind the storytelling to those who can handle it/know what to do with it.
Perhaps this is so buried in his psyche that it was indeed a subconscious faux pas or an id blurt. But it’s such a typical, telling, old-school, old boys’ network precept that I don’t see anyway for him to ‘splain his way out of this one.
Bingo.
What were people expecting that he was some kind of super great guy? he is friends with Affleck.
as a poster on ONTD put it: all straight white males are the same.
All white PEOPLE are the same.
These two racist comments are worse than anything Damon said.
News flash: it is impossibe to be racist against pinky-people (I refuse to use the term white) because they run the world and are responsible for every bit of viloence and hatred in it.
Ohhhh Wow. Are you trying to fight ignorance with bigotry and hate?
Haha, Vena! I do feel sorry for you if you really think like that. There’s more to the world than literally black and white.
He might apologize, especially because people are upset. But it still won’t prove that he actually “gets it.” His thinking has been revealed to be very problematic. He needs to take a good look and himself and reevaluate.
As i read it is Matt’s coments were essentially that film-making was a meritocracy. You choose the best person for each job based on their ability, not their skin color.
Candidates for the director’s job were chosen on the basis of films they submitted, again, not the color of their skin. Ms brown was arguing for a director of color to provide diversity to the project. No one was arguing that that person was the best choice based on the merit of his film.
In my honest opinion Matt Damon was using the correct criteria for the project at hand.
It also seems that minorities won’t allow white voices to be heard in discussion on race without attacking them. So nothing ever gets resolved and they just go in circle because change without working with the majority will never happen.
You will not be the majority for long. We’ll soon see how you like it. 😉
I am not speaking from a majority point of view. It’s just common sense.
Pinky is right! White people have got a lot of pain coming to them! Ha ha ha. Social justice NOW!
White people are already a minority worldwide. Nothing has changed.
I know. This is why I am so happy about all the brown people coming to Eurpe now. Colonial ism coming back to haunt them they all be gone within a generation. How’d ya like them apples?
Vena,
Why it has to be one or the other?
Can’t we all live happilty together?
I’m glad people like you have no power over other people’s lives.
Edit: Nvm. I’m tired of talking of talking to Matty D fans. It’s effing exhausting.
+1 to Vena, Pinky, etc. I laughed.
Are you serious? White voices are always heard loud and clear. And as in this case, they usually shoot down what minorities have to say as if their voices don’t even matter. Place the blame where it really lies.
“White voices”=see 98% of historical record. Learn to read; get perspective.
@almondjoy, I agree with your comment
This same concept of “meritocracy” is used to keep qualified women and minorities out of jobs all the time.
Amen.
People misunderstand what a real meritocracy is. Meritocracy is blind to prejudice; it selects people who are best qualified for a job, based on merit. I support this.
People who use “meritocracy” to justify not hiring women or minorities even when they deserve the position are not practising meritocracy; they are just using it for their disguised racism/sexism.
The word meritocracy has been misused and abused to the point that some people actually take it as a dirty word now. A pity.
And older people. At age 53, I cannot believe the ageism I see in the US now.
For what it’s worth, I heard Damon to be making a reasonable point, also. (He, like Effie, had a problem with the representation of the one African American character in the script and he argued for a directorial team who would share their concerns with that characterization.) I do think his comments were poorly worded and left room for misinterpretation, which has left room for them to tap into the deep well of justified negative sentiment that surrounds the issue of minority representation in the film industry.
@ Paola THANK YOU! This has been my assertion since this story reared its ugly head!
I think the majority of people responding and inflating the debate didn’t see the episode!
In the context it’s presented and the selection process used by Project Greenlight ( Facebook responses narrowed the field to the final 20) Damon’s taking it on the chin unfairly!
I completely agree. I don’t think he should apologize. The objective of the competition was to select a winner based on how they solved creative problem, not on race. It was obvious that the director duo did not have the best film and they were not even in the top three for best work. The producer’s only argument for selecting them was based on race and not creative results. As a Hispanic who grew up during affirmative action, I was continually offended by how the standards, like entrance exam scores, were lowered for me solely based on my ethnicity, and without knowing anything else about me. Somehow because my parents are from Latin America, I am not as competent — THAT’s offensive. In this case, the standards would have had to be lowered. They did the right thing.
@DMM
First of all the last person who should be talking about “meritocracy” in Hollywood is Ben Affleck’s BFF. Affleck can’t act his way out of a paper bag but will be hired for ANY role he wants over much more qualified actors.
Second that is not how affirmative action works. It’s set up to right historical institutional discrimination and create a level field for disadvantaged persons of color and women. Unfortunately many ADVANTAGED persons of color or say wealthy foreign POC who didn’t grown yo disadvantaged use those spots. Just like ALL research has shown that White Women are by far the most to benefit from Affirmative Action.
It is even in Hollywood today it is hard to be political correct, the president is black, but there most of the series and movies alway show white protagonists.
So we all hate him and think he’s a scumbag? You people are fickle as hell.
Plus he didn’t even dump minnie on TV did he? Are we twisting this story again to make him look bad, now we all hate him?
@Mark …
Not all hate him, but many here scorn him for not marrying someone famous and for being a decent, normal guy. I know, I don’t get it either, but for some reason the fact that Matt Damon loves his wife and kids and basically keeps to himself and stays out of trouble just seems to annoy the heck out of people. I just don’t understand how being a normal guy with a non-famous wife is somehow considered ‘smug.’
Emma
You like Matt fine, but that doesn’t mean everybody else has to, He rubs some people the wrong way just like Ben. I sure there are some celebrities that rube you the wrong way while other people believe them to be nice and normal.
There are none famous people that are “smug” so I’m not sure what Matt’s being married to none famous wife has to do with anything. Clooney has a none famous wife and he very smug about it.
He said what he meant and meant what he said.
Weighing in here on the ‘merit’ argument – specifically the link that CB gives. The article is about AA for universities, which is VASTLY different than AA in the workplace. Universities (some of them) have quotas because there is a recognition that college tests are biased toward certain groups, and that access to extracurricular activities, etc. is an issue.
Quotas are illegal in the workplace – per Federal Regulations. It is ILLEGAL to make any sort of employment-based decisions based on race, gender, religion, etc. The point of Affirmative Action in the workplace is that an employer takes Affirmative Action to ensure that the best person for the job/promotion/whatever is chosen, irregardless of race.
Just wanted to put it out there that the ‘merit’ argument is not in fact a fallacious argument in this scenario as it is a workplace. In other words, using the (IMO justifiable) argument about merit in college admissions is not appropriate in this scenario.
Flame away. I am ducking.
I understand you point in terms of policy application, but want to open it up a bit more for reflection, if you are down with that? Don’t duck, you totally highlighted policy. Bare with my length:
As a college professor, we worry about diversity in both our student body AND faculty for the very reasons that Effie Brown, the WOC film producer expresses…diversity is more than tokenism or representation—it is actually about broadening perspectives and contributing to knowledge production (creative and intellectual)—whether we are in an artistic or educational space.
If one point of view–mainstream, white, male, straight, Judeo-Christian hegemony is the only artistic or intellectual perspective being presented as “the best” or “truth” we end up re-asserting those same values ad nauseum. Every thinker–academic scholar, producer, artist–brings their perspective to how they analyze and present information.
Hollywood is a perfect case of this–if you perpetually have white hetero men getting the cash to make films that express their point of view/creativity/ontology we have the same films being made over and over again. We don’t create new thought about other people, because we have the Afflecks and Damons deciding what has “merit.”
These are really subjective fields and words like “merit”, “quality”, etc. need to be deconstructed and defined. For example, if we say Hemingway has more merit/more classic writer to literature than Toni Morrison, we actually have to define the perimeters of what constitutes “merit” or “classic.” When we do that and go to the roots, we see that these symbols of culture, what is “best” are just as subjective and have a specific politics to them. Hegemony is all about classifying what defines the “majority” values of a culture and within that perimeters for what has merit and what doesn’t are drawn. Damon totally seems like a smug power holder in this discourse and i wish the teacher lover in him had actually listened to his female colleague and said, okay, lets stop and open this up because she has a point. I think Effie Brown rocks and is crazy brave to have said that to all those white male faces. It’s a hard thing to do, as a prof or a film producer.
jmacky, thanks for a thoughtful and comprehensive response. I agree the judging criteria is subjective and opens the process up to personal biases and learned institutional isms. It is frustrating that Matt Damon’s judgement is universalized even though he does not represent a diverse range of work/characters/stories.
I often wonder about all the interesting stories we are missing out on because of we have such a narrow demographic of cultural producers.
For example, I used to watch Issa Rae’s http://awkwardblackgirl.com/ on youtube. It is so funny and the cast reflects the population of a big US city and therefore depicts the experiences of a wider range of the population. I want to hear more of these stories because I am soooo fatigued by the Walter Whites, Dan Draper and the Francis Underwoods etc. This well is running dry.
Here is an interesting article about Issa Rae trying to get her show off the ground on HBO.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/magazine/the-misadventures-of-issa-rae.html?_r=0
Thank you. You’ve thoughtfully put together why diversity is a necessity in our world and why we actually do need to embrace it.
That was a wonderful explanation- thank you for posting that. I didn’t entirely understand the argument until your post, and you summed it up beautifully. Many Thanks!!!
Great comment, highlights the issue for me. Thank you.
This is a beautiful comment, jmacky. Spot on.
Nice.
Beautiful comment.
jmacky, thank you for your commentary on this issue. You write that diversity, is “actually about broadening perspectives and contributing to knowledge production (creative and intellectual)—whether we are in an artistic or educational space.” As it turns out, the Director for the Center for the Study of Women in Television issued a report just yesterday, which refutes Mr. Damon’s claim that diversity behind the camera is immaterial to the content of the film or television program, and to the representation of women or minorities in those programs. That report followed a still-pending ACLU investigation into discriminatory hiring practices in the entertainment industry:
http://deadline.com/2015/09/female-show-runners-instrumental-to-increasing-tv-jobs-for-women-1201527154/
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-aclu-gender-discrimination-hollywood-20150513-story.html
Aside from that, Matt Damon presumes that the term “merit” encompasses objective criteria for selection. The content of that first episode, however, indicated that the selection of the qualifying director depended upon subjective factors, such as a director’s ability to “lead” a production team, to “get along” with the other members of the crew, and to articulate his/her vision to directors of photography, screenwriters, and editors. In this context, and in other employment-based contexts involving so-called “objective” hiring criteria, the employers inevitably choose prospective employees who share similar perspectives to them, rather than choosing an unusual “employee” who falls outside the box.
Finally, I have to question the “objective” criteria used in this program, to the extent that such criteria for hiring exists. Perhaps it’s just the editing, but the producers appeared to rely far more upon the winning director’s technical proficiency than other necessary skills, such as multitasking and the ability to collaborate with other creative agents on set. If the latter were critical criteria for selection, I doubt that the jerk who won the contest would have gone far.
“As a college professor”
Oh gawd. Give me a freaking break.
@korra @sanders @Dal @laurabb @AJ @Jo ‘Mama’ Besser @IChooseMe @Lori wow, your insights really took this conversation to the next level! thank YOU for your wonderful words and making this conversation better @Misprounounced Name Dropper i understand an aversion to snobbery i was merely situating my argument in relation to the OP’s citation of higher ed policies…otherwise, my job IS irrelevant. best to you.
Irregardless isn’t a word.
Every policy that didn’t have an explicit color connotation implicitly applied to white males, when it benefitted them. See “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”=not for women, slaves and the colored.
When your entire applicant pool is white males, that doesn’t mean white males are best suited for the job. It means white males have the most access to it.
Take a close look at the word “INSTITUTIONALIZATION” and what it means. Note: there are no cross references to the definition of merit.
This is just such a one dimensional, stilted argument. I genuinely feel sorry for you if this is your depth of understanding about racism and the workplace. First of all, there are quotas in the workplace particularly among police. Second of all, do you really think every white male who ever succeeded somehow “merited” it? You don’t think a former President or teacher or cop or astronaut maybe took the spot of some much more deserving black or native or other minority kid–because he could? Because he was operating in a system that weeded people out by gender and color, REGARDLESS of merit? Don’t you get THAT’S HOW RACISM WORKS? Please, do the Internet a favor and spend a little more time thinking about your opinion before arriving at it.
(Greenieweenie – you caught my ‘irregardless’! I was going to edited it, but figured it could slide…)
My argument is not about the existence of institutionalized racism. I simply wrote that the article CB linked is not applicable here – it discusses affirmative action in university admissions. A large part of my job is doing Affirmative Action plans for federal contractors, and it’s a personal pet peeve of mine that everyone has an opinion about AA issues, and most people don’t know what an Affirmative Action Program is actually about (I’m looking at you, Vince Vaughn).
I had forgotten about police departments, etc. You are correct. I was writing about non-governmental workplaces, where it is illegal to make any employment decisions based on skin color, gender, sexual preferences, religion, etc. That’s all. I am not giving my personal opinion on racism in American. I am giving my two cents about using an inappropriate argument – which demeans the overall discussion.
I am not denying the issues everyone else has brought up, and I never said I agreed with meritocracy in the workplace or that meritocracy doesn’t ultimately circle back to already privileged groups.
Here’s what I do think:
*Damon was glib, dismissive and showed himself out as not being open to discussion on an important matter.
* If you are blogging about this subject, you have a responsibility to get your arguments right.
*Because most people don’t understand how AA affects many American workplaces – they misdirect their energies. If you don’t think meritocracy should drive employment decisions, you should take it up with your Congressperson, because it is literally the law of the land.
I love it when liberals eat each other.
I love it when morons try to act cute.
Awww poor butthurt baby. SJWs are so stupid they go after their own on a daily. It’s amusing to watch.
You know what Bridget I love it too! It shows us liberals aren’t tolerating the problematic stances that have plagued this world. I love when liberals call each other out on racism, sexism, homophobia etc. And I love that liberals can love this country like adults, admitting that we have problems and should work to fix it.
With Nebby on this. I don’t like putting people on pedestals and I’m glad that liberals are willing to be critical of those they “put in power” unlike many of the head in the sand conservatives I know. I mean it’s cute to see those conservatives try so hard to make some sorta story or explanation, but it’s also so sad.
I always think it’s humorous that liberals spend a lot of time arguing about who is “problematic” and which word to use for which type of person, and hardly any figuring out how to manage a global economy in a time of excess unskilled labor and how to distribute resources in a fair but efficient manner. Lots and lots of talk, but so little action.
I always laugh at conservatives that think they are actually taking on that noble task. Here’s the thing Junior. People can care about multiple things at once, but racisim and sexism are also a part of these issues that you apparently seem so passionate about. Please lead me to your think tank or fund me page so I can help you in your much more worthy cause that apparently exists outside any of these spheres. Why are you wasting your time on a gossip site my love if you spend so much of your time on figuring out how to fix our global economy? Lmao. If you have the solution you should let all those politicians know. They’d love to hear from you.
Liberals are not afraid to criticize each other, highlighting the fact that we are critical thinkers. Conservatives do not criticize other conservatives – they will get serious cognitive dissonance trying to excuse conservative behavior (see: Sarah Palin and her trashy brood) or trying to hold two opposite beliefs at once: we care for fetuses, but once born, screw you.
I love that liberals take on nonsense from another liberal. Critical thinking is what separates us from conservatives.
Damage control! He probably make a movie about the civil rights movement down the line to keep everyone coming to his movies.
I get all worked up about racism but honestly, idk if I even care here. Wasn’t this show from years ago? I feel like we can all grow over time. Damon gets it now and defends it now. I just don’t find it all that offensive–especially if the show is cut in a way that doesn’t try to make him look good. I guess I just save my outrage for the people who don’t grow at all, who insist that they’re one thing while blatantly being another…I find that pernicious.
The comments are from the current season of Project Greenlight.
As a separate comment from what he said–I do think there’s a separate point to be made about greater diversity in the casting process and this largely includes having more minority representation in the ranks of casting directors. It may seem like a minor point but casting can be huge in a movie–even in smaller roles–and it’s an area not discussed much when talked about minority representation in the non-acting movie ranks.
I wonder if Damon was trying to mount a defense against accusations of racism by not hiring these specific directors and just ended up making a mess of things.
Art is a subjective field so its hard for me to gauge whats the best. Also these are finalist that they were choosing from, not random applicants. I would imagine if the minority group made it that far they had to have some kind of merit or qualifications to be there. At this point it should just be who they believe can do it better, not “oh the diverse group doesn’t have the merit to do it”.
Previously I never understood how subtle racism can be, even as a minority I would always give the benefit of the doubt that ” they didn’t mean it like that”. But as I’ve began to listen more rather than talk, I get it!!
Matt ( whom I’ve adored forever) didn’t let Effie finish what she was saying, interrupting her and basically ” putting her in his place”.
I cannot stand people who think what they have to say is so important that I can’t finish my thought, they just speak over me. I go quiet and resent the fact that I’m not being heard.
I honestly don’t care about “merit” it is extremely subjective. I just cringed at the fact that he thought it was ok to interrupt Effie speak down to her and letting her know where diversity should be present. And she had to say “I’m not mad, I have love in my heart”, why do we as women do this we have this apologetic tone before we start giving our opinion?
Men in general tend to interrupt women much more than the other way around. And I would agree, entirely outside the context of race, that women need to stake their claims to attention and resources with much more confidence.
Yep, interrupting is definitely something that men do more often to women than the other way around. Having a loud voice by genetic merit helps, too. (Bigger chest and bigger lungs and longer vocal cords).
Junior, I agree. Perhaps it’s because I was raised to speak up or had more boys as friends than girls in my childhood, but when I have a strongly held opinion or belief, I don’t back down or let anyone interrupt me.
Just yesterday, another (white) woman who’s been harrassing people accused me when I confronted her of being “emotional”, something I’ve often heard here on CB as well. My response: “Emotional?! Try PISSED OFF!!!”
So it’s not just men who dismiss and shut others down in this passive-aggressive way. It won’t work because I don’t care what others think. I also know that those too shy to speak up have often thanked me for this.
@Sarah
I used to be the same way. I’m biracial, I’ve always been used to obvious racism. But as I grow older, the subtle and sometimes unintentional things have become more clear to me. Do I think Damon meant to sound like a whitesplaining jerk? Probably not. But that doesn’t excuse what happened and it doesn’t change that he and others like him could learn from this situation. People like Damon are blind to their own privilege.
I fully subscribe what you said but I would like to make one addition:
Generally Damon seems like somebody who cares about many social issues and he is very much capable of learning.
As an example for the opposite attitude (non-improving and non-caring) I would like to name Donald Trump.
“let us tell you how to film your movies and whom to cast or you will face lash”
My youth is showing, but what happened with Minnie Driver in 1998?
@Elizabeth …
Not a damn thing.
They were dating. She thought they were still going strong. They weren’t. He was either dating someone new and introduced that person on an entertainment show or informed Minnie while they were both scheduled to appear on a talk show. Can’t remember the exact deets, but he came off like a jerk.
I thought it was that he went on Oprah as part of the promo tour and when she asked whether he was dating, announced he was single. Which came as news to Minnie Driver when someone called her for a comment.
As explained just about every time there is a Damon story – they broke up before the show and Minnie carried on like it was new to get sympathy and an Oscars push. Damon wasn’t the bad guy.
ok, unrelated, Matt and Ben have the same color and texture of hair now – vrry suspicious.
This is not an issue. Why make an enemy of an ally? There are so many more egregious things to get up in arms about. This site may actually be too liberal for me, a very liberal democrat.
Maybe antagonizing an ally, tops. Was he making an enemy of an ally when he shut down Effie Brown?
I don’t know why our culture seeks out these superman (usually white and male) savior types everywhere, then makes it out that they can’t withstand the slightest critique, while everyone else should take it on the chin?
It was a conversation. He did not shut her down.
As the person with more power in the room, he interrupted her and made it known that her points had already been considered or were not valid. He did not re-examine his preconception or consider her views. I call that shutting down.
I don’t think there is any need to apologize. What he said is fine.
Well he just released a statement and he is sorry his comment offended some people
As with Ben’s apology, I wish Matt delved a little more deeply here…
While it may have been part of a broader discussion on diversity that was then cut in editing, I think he should’ve addressed his interruption of Effie and explained what “merit” means for PG.
They may seem like small points, but I believe that these two things are what really offended people.
Damon phrased his point somewhat clumsy and inarticulate. The point is that the actors are SEEN whereas the producers are HARDLY SEEN. So from that point of view it is more important to cast actors with diverse backgrounds because the actors are the ones who make a bigger impact because they are seen on TV / in a movie.
On a general note: yes, quota regulations and such are important as long as hiring isn’t entirely based on merits.
But those who are hardly seen are the ones creating the characters and stories we do see. When that is limited to such a narrow perspective (straight white male, for example), generally the characters are limited as well. If art, particularly film and television, is to be a reflection of humanity and society, it needs to truly do so at all levels of the creative process, including the writers, the directors, and anyone else involved in the decision making process.
It’s a bit sad that as soon as someone says something we disagree with they cease being a person and become part of an evil monolithic entity called “the white male.”
If anyone is interested in examining their white assumptions, take a look at the excellent essay, “Unpacking the backpack of white privilege.” My students, 99% white, hate it because it calls us out on things we never even think about.
He is aging quite deliciously. Yum.
These are the comments from his “non-apology” : “I am sorry that they (the comments) offended some people, but, at the very least, I am happy that they started a conversation about diversity in Hollywood. That is an ongoing conversation that we all should be having.”
Contrast this to a recent statement by Arianna Grande regarding Donut-gate : “my behavior was offensive and I apologised”.
See, Matt, this how you apologise. Not by putting the blame on anyone who dared to be offended by your careless statement but by putting the blame on YOU for doing the offending. I too am sorry that people were offended but I am even sorry that someone in your position of influence doesn’t get what was being discussed i.e. diversity. Not so pro-Matt now.