While promoting his new movie, Chi-raq, about gun violence in Chicago, during the 9 a.m. ET hour on Tuesday’s NBC Today, director Spike Lee claimed: “...it's easier for an African-American, a black person, to be President of the United States than to be president of a Hollywood studio or TV network cable.”
Co-host Tamron Hall replied: “Well, you're not afraid of controversy...” Lee pushed back: “Whoa, whoa, whoa, why is that controversial?” Hall explained: “Well, I think it is because some people don't realize that and they’re not ready to ingest that.” Lee argued: “That don’t make it controversial.”
Hall continued: “But controversy doesn't mean you're avoiding talking about it, but it certainly is something that people don't think about all the time....I get it. I've been black for a long time, for 45 years, I get it.”
Lee declared: “No, I'm just saying, though. I just think that people just use that word ‘controversial,’ just slap it on everything, like, ‘controversial, controversial, controversial, controversial,’ you know?” Hall pressed: “But sometimes applicable and true, right?” An awkward silence followed.
At the top of the segment, fill-in co-host and entertainment reporter A.J. Calloway gushed over the left-wing film maker: “Spike Lee is one of the most prolific writers, directors, actors, producers, and authors, with movies like Malcolm X and Do the Right Thing. Spike has never been one to shy away from subjects like race and politics.”
Hall chimed in: “And now he's taking on gun violence right here in the U.S. in a movie he co-wrote, directed, and produced called Chi-raq. It’s based on an ancient play – a Greek play – only though this time it's about the modern day crisis in Chicago.”
Moments later, Calloway observed: “And it couldn't be more timely with the tape of Laquan McDonald that came out and everything that's happening in Chicago right now. Who did you make this film for?” Lee responded: “Everybody, because I think gun violence affects all Americans.”
Wrapping up the interview, Hall noted how her Calloway would both be attending the New York City premiere of the film. Lee announced: “And also, I would just like to say for the first time since 1986...we're not going to have a party. We're having a march tonight, an anti-gun, anti-violence march after the – no party, no dancing, no drinking, we're going to march.” Hall touted how the activism would “Keep the focus.”
Here is a transcript of the December 1 interview:
9:41 AM ET
A.J. CALLOWAY: Spike Lee is one of the most prolific writers, directors, actors, producers, and authors, with movies like Malcolm X and Do the Right Thing. Spike has never been one to shy away from subjects like race and politics.
TAMRON HALL: And now he's taking on gun violence right here in the U.S. in a movie he co-wrote, directed, and produced called Chi-raq. It’s based on an ancient play – a Greek play – only though this time it's about the modern day crisis in Chicago. And Spike is here with us this morning. Good morning, good to see you. We had your star Nick Cannon on.
SPIKE LEE: Yeah.
HALL: The cast is tremendous. Sam Jackson, Wesley –
LEE: Jennifer Hudson.
HALL: Jennifer Hudson.
LEE: Angela Bassett.
HAL: Was this your dream cast? Because a lot of them have ties to Chicago and also are activists.
LEE: Especially Jennifer, John Cusack, so we got the people we wanted and everybody came through. From the get-go we told people this film – got to save lives with this film. That was the premise from the beginning.
CALLOWAY: And it couldn't be more timely with the tape of Laquan McDonald that came out and everything that's happening in Chicago right now. Who did you make this film for?
LEE: Everybody, because I think gun violence affects all Americans. And so sometimes we just think, well, it's just in the hood, it’s just black folks, but gun violence affects everybody in this country.
HALL: The name of the film "Chi-raq," I lived in Chicago for ten years and there's a lot of controversy behind that name. Why did you want it to be the title? And tell people what it means.
LEE: Well, first of all, I didn’t come up with that. The term "Chi-raq," local Chicago rappers came with that term because they felt that Chicago's west side, south side was more dangerous than Iraq, so it's a mishmash of Chicago and Iraq.
HALL: Well, your career obviously speaks for itself, but you recently got a big award. It's called an Oscar, I think. The honorary Oscar.
(...)
LEE: I was honored, and I really gotta give a shout-out to the president of the Academy, African-American woman, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, whose agenda is really to bring diversity to the Academy, to the voting members and everything else, so I was humbled.
CALLOWAY: And you spoke about that in your acceptance speech and a lot of people talked about that afterwards.
LEE: Yeah, and I said that – that it's easier for an African-American, a black person, to be President of the United States than to be president of a Hollywood studio or TV network cable.
HALL: Well, you're not afraid of controversy, but are you afraid of having an empty nest?
LEE: Whoa, whoa, whoa, why is that controversial?
HALL: Well, I think it is because some people don't realize that and they’re not ready to ingest that.
LEE: That don’t make it controversial.
HALL: But controversy doesn't mean you're avoiding talking about it, but it certainly is something that people don't think about all the time.
LEE: My sister, give me your hand.
HALL: Thank you. Oh, God.
LEE: I'm just saying.
HALL: I feel like I just got hands prayed on me. Oh, no, I get it. I've been black for a long time, for 45 years, I get it.
LEE: No, I'm just saying, though. I just think that people just use that word “controversial,” just slap it on everything, like, “controversial, controversial, controversial, controversial,” you know?
HALL: But sometimes applicable and true, right?
(...)
CALLOWAY: Tonight is the premiere.
LEE: The New York premiere.
CALLOWAY: New York premiere.
HALL: And we'll both be there.
LEE: Right. And also, I would just like to say for the first time since 1986 – I no we’re running [out of time] – we're not going to have a party. We're having a march tonight, an anti-gun, anti-violence march after the – no party, no dancing, no drinking, we're going to march.
HALL: Keep the focus. Thank you very much, Spike. It’s always a pleasure. The movie opens Friday.
