I swear, I actually watched like 80% of the MTV Movie and TV Awards on Sunday night. I actually paid attention and I continue to be confused about that Noah Cyrus performance. I paid attention when Allison Williams came out to present an award with Lil Rel Howery, her costar in Get Out. They did a bit where they talked about Get Out and what Allison could do, as a white person, to get back in the good graces of the African-American people. Allison’s character in Get Out is (spoiler) a dangerous villain and a terrible racist, of course. Anyway, the bit Allison tried to do with Lil Rel did not go over too well. The video isn’t online, but this is what happened:
On stage together, Lil Rel kept moving away from her and giving her a weird side-eye as part of their presenters shtick. In response, Williams asked Rey if he was scared of her because of her role in as Rose Armitage. He clarified that he was not scared, but that he was more “afraid” of her. And then, things took a turn. Williams starts asking Rey what she could do to win back the affection and trust of Black men and offers out a few ideas. And these ideas, ladies and gentlemen, were all very bad — and sort of racist? This is just a great reminder that a white person joking about racism and how to “fix it” by offering up Beyoncé’s Lemonade. It was uncomfortable to watch because the skit isn’t funny and comes off as pretty tasteless.
“What do I have to do to get back the trust?” Williams asks Lil Rel, who looks over at her with heavy skepticism. First she suggests she makes it “illegal to ask ‘Can I touch your hair?'” To which Rel says no. Then she says she would arrange for George Washington’s face be replaced with Denzel Washington’s face on Mount Rushmore. Again, a no from Rel. And then, she finally says she will just get Lemonade on Spotify, to which Rel shrugs and says sure.
Like, I remembered this bit. I remember thinking to myself, “Those are some awkward and problematic jokes” but I blamed MTV more than Allison Williams. Granted, she’s an adult woman and she could have said “no, those jokes are stupid.” But are the jokes flat-out racist? I’m really asking. It’s like Allison thinks she’s making fun of racist tropes by using racist tropes. Obviously, Twitter had some sh-t to say:
Allison Williams saying yes to the "lets make playful racist jokes" bit for the MTV awards BLOWS ME AWAY
— Kelly Keegs (@kellykeegs) May 8, 2017
Update: am now sitting on the floor watching Allison Williams make race jokes https://t.co/holn7Fm5In
— Richard Lawson (@rilaws) May 8, 2017
Photos courtesy of WENN.
*the Deepest Continuum of sighs that ever sighed in the galaxy and beyond At This, and what surely this post is gonna turn into*
I won’t even entertain this ish. This post is just calling for the trolls and racist. I’ll make like Viola Davis, take my purse, and exit this post before it even starts
http://www.melaninmakeup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Annalise-KEating.gif
COMING WITH, My sanity is gonna need for me to stay away for the rest of today probably
Hold the door, I’m right behind you…
I will say I checked out Lil Rel’s stand up during a bout of sleeplessness and I don’t know if I was just delirious from fatigue, but it was very funny.
THAT IS MY FAVORITE MEME I SWEAR😭
But seriously this day is gonna take me to the grave. Between the stuff I’m seeing online and the stuff happening at work I’m like lawd take me now
Lol agree this post will likely get messy, not sticking around today. *Exits stage left*
I mean….what?! Who wrote these pathetic jokes & more importantly why did Allison Williams agree to read them?? I can’t figure out who thought this “shtick” was a good idea.
clueless like her dad
SO BAD.
I continue to be shocked by white people being unable to check themselves re: racism. Like, why was there no voice in her head telling her “this is wrong”, why didn’t she FEEL weird when she (presumably) did a dry run of the “jokes”?
Just how can you be this tone-deaf and clueless?
Right?!
And at the same time, I’m like… Oh, so someone from the Lena Dunham girls orbit is privileged and clueless and problematic?! Color me shocked.
Yeah that was my first thought too, Shamby: birds of a feather…
I had to watch just now. Whoa… no body saw this as an issue? It was immature at best.
She was not a great actress in Get Out….havent seen her in other roles but she was unremakable imo
That whole Williams family is weird and problematic.
Haha yes.
I’m black and I’m not getting where the offensive part is??
Alison was probably just given those lines to say so it’s probably not her fault
I don’t agree that she has no fault in this. As a white woman, I steer clear of racist jokes of all kinds (except with my husband who is Puerto Rican, in the privacy of our own home we sometimes joke about each other).
I would have flat out said no. Those jokes are not for me to make. In this day and age I can keep my mouth shut and listen, that’s all I feel entitled to do. in public especially. It’s not that hard for white people to step out of that realm and just listen and learn, although some white people will act like it’s some infringement on their liberty and pursuit of happiness to refrain from saying whatever the hell they want. (Eye roll at that attitude).
I agree. As a very white mother of a very white family I tell my kids that it’s our time to listen. I tell my boys it’s their time to listen to women.
“some white people will act like it’s some infringement on their liberty and pursuit of happiness to refrain from saying whatever the hell they want. (Eye roll at that attitude).” Eye rolling with you.
And also agree with the racist jokes – we are not entitled to them! I also steer away, unless I’m with a friend and it’s a way to jokingly celebrate our differences which is what happens with my older son who is usually the only white boy amongst his friends. They joke about and it’s, in that context, healthy and privilege-free.
What the hell? So glad I missed this shit.
Hah, I actually thought that was on purpose as a wink to the movie, where white people make all those silly racist questions to the black protagonist in an attempt to seem “friendly”. Was she being serious?
I feel like this was the intention as well
That’s what I thought as well, but I guess it just didn’t hit as intended.
This bit was rehearsed so all parties involved are responsible aren’t they? This includes MTV, Allison, and Lil Rel.
In poor taste certainly, no one at any point during the writing and production realized this?
The blonde hair looks awful on her.
Yeah. I can’t blame her for not knowing. As a white woman, there are things I don’t realize come off as racist until it’s pointed out – I will fully admit that. But probably best just steer clear of racial jokes altogether (duh) unless you’re close to someone and you know ’em “like that.” (a black friend of mine calls me her ‘token white girl’ and I call her my ‘token black girl.’ That’s an example. Would I say ‘token black girl’ on stage in front of a gazillion people? Nope. Not ever.)