Hollywood is hypocritical on a long list of issues, from gun control to #Metoo, our betters on the Red Carpet love to lecture Americans while they just ignore their sins.
Now a prominent Asian-American actress is accusing her industry of racism. Sandra Oh, who starred on Grey’s Anatomy for 15 seasons stated in an interview with Vulture that despite having five Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe she had trouble getting a lead role.
Finally she was cast as a lead in BBC America’s Killing Eve, which gave her a historic 6th Emmy nomination as the first Asian in the Lead Actress category (her others were for supporting roles.) Looking back at the Emmys it has “a pretty white history” with “only one Latina women” and “only six black women” nominated in that category. What happened to Hollywood not being racist?
Oh stated that “not only is shit hard, it’s extremely unfair. And racism exists.” Racism that she has seen throughout her career. To tackle the inherent racism and succeed she had to change the “mindset that being an actor of color, person of color” means “that you’re at a disadvantage in the creative life.” Instead of seeing no opportunity you have change the way “you see the opportunity.” Telling other minorities in the business that if “what you want is to be a great artist, I think you can find your way,” even in “this giant paradigm that a lot of times doesn’t include people who look like us.”
Because of past history she assumed that her Killing Eve role wasn’t the lead. After that she asked herself “how deep have I internalized this?” and “how does racism define your[her] work?” After “ being told to see things a certain way for decades” she realized she “was brainwashed!”
Oh can say it, but it doesn’t mean the industry will change. As shown on multiple occasions, Hollywood is guilty of the same sins that they accuse the right of doing -- like claiming to be pro-woman while having “a severe issues with ignoring rape and assault and celebrating the perpetrators,” as reported on NewsBusters by Corinne Weaver.
