Yahoo Movies Whoopi Goldberg thinks it's "ridiculous" to cut racist scenes from older movies
Whoopi Goldberg has shared her view that it's "ridiculous" to cut racist scenes from older movies.
The actress, who recently suggested her movie Ghost may have been more revered with an all-white cast, was asked about Gone with the Wind, which was recently temporarily removed from HBO Max over its depictions of slavery and Black characters.
The streaming service said at the time: "These racist depictions were wrong then and are wrong today, and we felt that to keep this title up without an explanation and a denouncement of those depictions would be irresponsible... when we return the film to HBO Max, it will return with a discussion of its historical context and a denouncement of those very depictions."
"You just want to say to people, 'Listen, it is what it is,'" Whoopi told Deadline when asked about Gone with the Wind.
Related: Star Wars' Mark Hamill revealed his actual phone number in A New Hope
"You know, keep it what it was. It's not going to change. You can't cut the scene. It's ridiculous, you know? You say, this is what it was."
She added: "There's a lot of stuff that's to explain why this was the prevailing attitude, but you have to give people context, and I think in a world where context is an art form now because people don't really recognise the reason for it, if you know why it's happened that way, then you don't make it happen again that way.
"We want everybody to calm down. You can't fix it all at one time. It's going to take a while, and the key, I think, for everyone to remember is: Whenever we talk about it, we have to talk about it as it was, as it is now, and how it will be.
"You know, you have to look forward to the change that's coming, and cop to the fact that it's slow."
Related: Hamilton's Leslie Odom Jr explains why he embraces criticism of the musical
Over recent months, old episodes of Little Britain, Fawlty Towers and The League of Gentlemen have all been removed from streaming services due to their use of blackface.
The introspection of the entertainment industry follows a surge in the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd.
Digital Spy now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.
Looking for more TV recommendations and discussion? Head over to our Facebook Group to see new picks every day, and chat with other readers about what they're watching right now.
You Might Also Like
