First off, congrats to Julianne Moore and Aaron Paul for being the only two celebs in the clip below who are so famous that even I recognized them.
I probably should have spotted Debra Messing, admittedly. And I do know who Sarah Paulson is, although at first glance I thought she was the woman who played the snarky hotel clerk in “Schitt’s Creek.”
Anyway, celebrity racism is over.
https://twitter.com/_juliannemoore/status/1271093436872101888
“Terrible lack of diversity in this video,” sniffed Ricky Gervais. Aaron Paul really got into it, though, huh? Everyone else phoned it in, but if you get Aaron Paul for a role — Jesse Pinkman, the annoying new guy in “Westworld,” a celebrity-montage PSA — you’re getting 110 percent. Overacting guaranteed, every time.
The Onion knows what’s going on here:
White Ally Willing To Do Whatever It Takes To Make Sure People Won’t Be Mad At Him https://t.co/lyrijrNCrM pic.twitter.com/ivOyWf2og3
— The Onion (@TheOnion) June 11, 2020
The best thing you can say about the clip is that it’s not the most embarrassing celebrity gesture towards racial healing today. That distinction goes to the country trio who decided that having the word “Antebellum” in the name of their band was holding America back from progress:
“As a band, we have strived for our music to be a refuge… inclusive of all,” the band wrote in its statement. “We’ve watched and listened more than ever these last few weeks, and our hearts have been stirred with conviction, our eyes opened wide to the injustices, inequality and biases black women and men have always faced and continue to face everyday. Now, blindspots we didn’t even know existed have been revealed.”
“When we set out together almost 14 years ago, we named our band after the Southern ‘antebellum’ style home where we took our first photos,” the statement adds. “As musicians, it reminded us of all the music born in the South that influenced us… Southern rock, blues, R&B, gospel and of course country. But we are regretful and embarrassed to say that we did not take into account the associations that weigh down this word referring to the period of history before the Civil War, which includes slavery. We are deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused and for anyone who has felt unsafe, unseen or unvalued. Causing pain was never our hearts’ intention, but it doesn’t change the fact that indeed, it did just that. So today, we speak up and make a change. We hope you will dig in and join us.”
“We understand that many of you may ask the question ‘Why have you not made this change until now?’” the statement continues. “The answer is that we can make no excuse for our lateness to this realization. What we can do is acknowledge it, turn from it and take action.”
That reminds me of the Onion’s story after 9/11, “Not Knowing What Else To Do, Woman Bakes American-Flag Cake.” Sometimes a well-meaning gesture can be so lame that its sheer lameness obscures the good intentions.
Instead of “Lady Antebellum” they’ll now be known simply as “Lady A.” Or “Lady Antifa,” once the president inevitably hears about this.
In slightly more serious celebrity-activist news, LeBron James and other NBA stars have just launched a new group dedicated to fighting for voting rights and registering black voters, a sign that American sports might be starting a new of political activism. I’ll leave you with this reaction from Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong, who has a long memory.
Defending democracy is vital, but @KingJames only talks loud in the US. On China, not only is he silent, he actively shuts others up. He called @dmorey "misinformed" and "not really educated" for supporting #HongKong. All he cares about is money, not human rights. Hypocritical. https://t.co/vxVMWIjsjY
— Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 😷 (@joshuawongcf) June 11, 2020
