Matt Damon may be in hot water after interrupting a black filmmaker to explain diversity.
HBO kicked off Sunday night with their fourth season of Project Greenlight, their reality series centering around the filmmaking process. However, the return of the show was overshadowded by a moment that many viewers are calling racist, awkward, and ultimately, an example how white privilege exists in Hollywood.
In the season premiere, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck gather themselves around a team of producers, which incidentally is several white men and one white woman, to find a director for the new comedy Not Another Pretty Woman.
The finalists in the competition were then flown to Los Angeles to meet with the team to dicuss the next steps in the filmmaking process. During one of these interviews is Effie Brown, an experienced black filmmaker who has produced over 17 movies including the film festival hit comedy, Dear White People.
Considering the plot of Not Another Pretty Woman is described as a classic “girl leaves boy at the altar, boy falls in love with a black prostitute” story, Brown suggests it would be wise to include diverse directors in the group of potentials. She also points out that having the only black person in the movie be a prostitute who is slapped by her pimp could be viewed as racist, sexist and just a very bad idea.
Given the whole current racial social climate, her advice is quite reasonable. However, Matt Damon quickly disagrees and explains to her what it means to be black in Hollywood.
“When we’re talking about diversity you do it in the casting of the film not in the casting of the show.” To which a clearly taken aback Brown responds with “Wow. Ok.”
During this confrontation the thing many viewers found particularly disturbing was the way Matt Damon over talked Brown and tried to shut her up. One can only image why the editors of show decided to show this exchange in the final cut.
Twitter was able to catch this misstep.
Matt Damon speaking over the only black person in the room so he can explain diversity to her is SO WHITE it hurts pic.twitter.com/iaQStYZ0ij
— Glen Coco (@MrPooni) September 14, 2015
What do you think?
Image Credit: HBO
