In my mind, this is how the catastrophe unfolded… a bunch of white celebrities were sitting in their mansions in LA, their penthouses in New York, or their summer homes in Southampton. They watched the news and saw the protests and felt guilty. And instead of saying to themselves “wow, I should use my platform to elevate the voices of African-Americans and people of color right now, and I should definitely donate heavily to racial justice,” they actually said to themselves “I need to make this all about ME!” And the NAACP gave them that platform! That’s on the NAACP, although it could have been a double-bluff so that all of these white folks would look like a–holes. Behold, the NAACP’s “I Take Responsibility” PSA, starring Actors Making Concerned Faces As They Read Their Lines.
Oh Sarah Paulson baby girl what are you doing? Aaron Paul’s is trying so hard. Debra Messing… well, she didn’t even memorize her lines. Kristen Bell has always struck me as a Closet Karen, sorry to say, and this video doesn’t do a damn thing to dispel that vibe. Justin Theroux’s attempt at a Jack Nicholson-like whisper-talk is funny. Julianne Moore’s appearance in this video was painful to me because I like her so much. I hope she just said yes because she genuinely felt like it was a good thing to do.
Bryce Dallas Howard: “…Every time I explained away police brutality…” LIKE WTF? Bryce Dallas Howard has been playing point-counterpoint with police brutalizing and murdering black people for years and she’s only NOW vowing to stop?? And therein lies the deeper problem. At best, this strikes me as an ultimately harmless but deep-as-a-puddle “we hate racism now” bandwagon. At worst, it’s a message of “we hate racism… NOW, but we were totally fine with it for years/decades.” At worst, this is not even performative allyship, it’s just attention-seeking narcissism from white people who are mostly looking to justify their past behavior and retroactively forgive themselves. How many actors in this video have actively sought out projects with inclusive casts, inclusive stories, and inclusivity behind the camera? How many of these celebrities did next to nothing with their privilege to help out their black and brown brothers and sisters? And it wouldn’t have been a thing that we talked about (much), except now they’ve made it into a thing.
Screencaps courtesy of the NAACP PSA.
It’s hard. Like – I don’t feel bad for them. But I also assume they felt like there were two options: don’t partake and get called out with the “well why didn’t you say something” or partake and get called out with the “oh this is just performative BS” while forgetting about the third option of “listen more, walk the walk, and get involved”.
I think the biggest mistake that a lot of celebrities are making is that this doesn’t come off as genuine. It comes off as too hollywood, too scripted. It comes off like they’ve never even thought about this before (and maybe they haven’t). But the whole “we’re finishing eachothers sentences!” thing is so try-hard that no matter the message it comes off as so self centered and obnoxious.
Jen Kirkman had a good take on it on her twitter. The ridiculousness of them jumping on every cause for clout but keep their wallets closed.
https://twitter.com/JenKirkman/status/1271227491160481792?s=20
@AppleTartin well she’s not wrong. I don’t think that anyone is obliged to open their wallets (at least not b-list actors and below, I have no idea how much money those make) but yeah, at least don’t make artsy fartsy bs videos to feel better about yourself.
Well, Jen Kirkman just gained herself a new follower! She is absolutely right!
That PSA made me embarrassed for them. Like, really? Were we supposed to believe their authenticity?
I mean, even Kim effing Kardashian is stepping to the plate better than this!
On their options: Part of being conscious is knowing when your’s is not the right voice.
^^^^^ Exactly. Whose ever idea this was got it WAAAY wrong. I could not care any less what these white people think or feel about this issue. I want those two minutes back to go listen to any number of brilliant Black women and men doing us the honor of speaking out and educating us about this issue right now.
Yeah this is so cringe. Although I’m laughing at the idea the NAACP secretly wanted to make them look like assholes. Mission Accomplished!
Lol. This video made me cringe but I disagreed with people comparing it to the Imagine sing-along video because those losers thought they were doing it to cheer us little people up. At least here there’s somewhat of an excuse that they were doing it in conjunction with the NAACP.
I don’t think I can watch it.
I have started, but I stopped after 10 seconds.
It’s cringy as hell.
Same. Second hand embarrassment.
Does no one ever stop to ask: Is this a good idea?
This is me. I can not watch. Too much cringe.
It’s so incredibly bad, like a parody. A couple times I actually expected someone to burst out laughing and say, just kidding, this is an example of what NOT to do.
I didn’t watch. Just the still photos were too cringey
ikr
too pictures/screengrab enough to steer me away from watching
Yeah it’s not gonna happen lol. I’ve been so angry lately. Maybe Angelina Jolie’s interview could be posted wherever the above cringe fest is located.
I can’t. The black and white still photo alone was enough to make me cringe. I know they have good intentions. But they are always so far up their own asses that they can’t see how fake this always come across.
Hoo boy. I mean, white people created and continue to perpetuate racism so white people are the ones who need to fix it. But this does come off as performative and I cringed several times. Bryce used to defend police brutality? WTF?
Right?! Like hun, this doesn’t sound the way you think it does.
I know, right? I think she probably meant that she overlooked it or dismissed it, didn’t really pay attention, but this was a bad way to phrase it.
They are reading from scripts. They didn’t phrase any of it. This is what the NAACP gave them to work with.
It’s so cringey.
My favorite reaction was someone tagged Jameela Jamil and thought she was in it and she was like OH HELL NO not going near that!
I’m loving it for the cringe factor alone.
Aaron Paul (later on in the video) and Kesha (hands on heart, peeps!) are overacting soooo hard it’s hilarious.
If this was an audition video, they wouldn’t get the part.
Oh, and bonus points for B&W video and slow piano music. That’s how we know they’re really really upset!
The Aaron Paul clip sent me into a laughing fit. It was SO over the freaking top, that it might be one of the funniest things I’ve seen in the sea of depressing ‘awful olympics’ lately.
Why did he think that was ‘the one’ as far as takes go. Why was he trying to act like Jesse Pinkman addressing racism. Just be Aaron Paul!
@Erinn – I thought the same thing! Total Jesse Pinkman, trying to act sincere.
I think that that, at some point in an acting class, someone told Aaron Paul that you can appear sincere and righteous by pretending to be constipated.
I thought so as well: we mean it and you can tell because the video is b&w, slow music was used and we didn’t wear make-up. Did they all go to the Youtube school of apology videos?
When I read the article, I thought how bad can the video be? Turns out: very bad.
Sarah Paulson’s glasses, too. They did a lot of heavy lifting in her very dramatic monologue.
Oh yes!! The Aaron Paul bit absolutely KILLED me!! So over-acted, it was both painful and hilarious to watch.
You know, for anyone asking “well how else could they show support?”… look no further than the Black & BIPOC theatre community’a letter to Broadway. Write a statement and sign it, and make sure that statement includes actionable changes that you are committed to making. Don’t act an apology on camera, which just ended up making this about them. What I don’t need right now is a video of a bunch of white people performing their sadness. Take action, commit to diversity requirements and equal pay clauses in those multi million dollar contracts of yours. Donate some of those millions to organizations that support Black business and Black Lives Matter causes. Stop wearing haute couture by racist brands. Seriously, do any of this and more, and make public statements about these causes, host galas for these causes, NOT a video of you over emoting into a camera about how bad you feel. I feel like we’re past the need for White apologies at this point; we need White action or GTFO.
This.
I could not go though with this. Why people do this? This is something I have been increasingly frustrated with. Can we, white people, just give a platform to those who are fighting a fight? To act in support and solidarity rather that make all about how we feel and how this or that makes us feel and then discussing what needs to be done based on how we feel? Why not recite some of the victims of racism on how black mothers feel when they loose their children if you are soooo hell bent on putting your face out? No. It’s all me, me, me – just look how virtuous and woke I am. In instant public platform that is provided by social.media to all of us too many people just occupy too much public space and public debate rather than empower those voices that need to be heard. it looks like too many people just speak against the status quo now because they just want to feel good about themselves. And all the discomfort with the protests, with the dialogue about change comes from the same place – the place of personal feelings. I have heard one too many times, something like: “yes, I understand the anger, but it makes me unsettle so maybe they just could stop”.
That video is so cringe
Very very close to a Galgadotism.
[Julianne Moore, why??????]
I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
no… Ahem…
I *TAKE* RESPONSIBILITY
no no no
I TAKE *RESPONSIBILITY*
no
ITAKERESP…. no.
You hang up…. No, you hang up… No you *CLICK. Hahaha
(Insert Liz lemon eye roll) As a black woman, I am exhausted. I can’t turn on the tv or read the news without becoming angry and depressed all the time. I just wish this shit would stop! This all just seems disingenuous, like don’t come proclaiming that you care about certain peoples right now when you showed no support before this.
I think it is important that the conversations are being had but I would feel the same as you have expressed – like, it’s nice that you finally woke up from your privileged bubble and noticed the issues that black people have been dealing with for decades (centuries), stop trying to capitalize on it personally and do something productive. I’m sorry that you have to deal with both the underlying issue and the painful process of people (finally) becoming aware.
As a white woman, once COVID allows, I just want to get out there and volunteer in a way that will hopefully help in some small way to start to eradicate the things that are so terribly wrong.
can’t watch. I am tired.
stop.this.
Were they invited by the organization itself to do this? I don’t understand this. Who is actually responsible for it?
If they were invited by the NAACP then ok…but why just white voices? I don’t think the intention was to make them look foolish at all. I think this is a failed attempt to tell white people to speak up and take action. And if these famous, respected actors are roasted for speaking out it will likely make normal people afraid to speak up. This was a bad idea.
They were invited by the NAACP.
Yes. The NAACP is asking white people who are asking “but what can *I* do?” to call out racism when they see it, because Hollywood writers’ rooms and movie sets are miserable, toxic places (just as are other workplaces across America). Letting microaggressions and “jokes” slide creates an environment where overt abuse and even violence are tolerated.
The wild performances distract from and overwhelm the important message, unfortunately. But it gave me a much-needed laugh, and I do actually appreciate the campaign itself.
What’s interesting to me is how well (some) comedians do at addressing racism and police brutality. Hasan Minhaj? On fire!!! Samantha Bee? Amazing. Trevor Noah? Fantastic.
This video comes across as tone deaf and phony IMO. There are so many better ways they could have shown solidarity or helped the cause.
I see what they were trying to do but it’s cringeworthy for sure. I was just in a situation yesterday where a few white women were talking about the riots and instead of speaking up and saying what I believe I just stayed quiet then walked away. Those women will continue to be in my life for years because our kids dance together, so it’s hard to speak up like I want to, but I felt terrible last night and kept thinking back to how I could’ve handled it differently. They never talk like that in front of the black dance moms, maybe I’ll bring that up next time.
Yes, these are the awkward conversations we white people need to have. When I used to exist outside my home, all the intro a person needs is to just say, “I disagree.” It rolls from there (or usually doesn’t, because racist slags just go quiet, I find), but I like just letting people know that I don’t like their stupid and I’m not going to let it pass without a comment.
I think it’s important to have the sentences already in our head and practiced so when this inevitably happens we already know what we’re going to say. @Betsy is right-maybe just to say “I disagree”. I’ve had situations like this too (and anti semitic comments/jokes made even by people who know we’re jewish) and I always feel crappy later for not speaking up.
This is really hard for me too. I hate confrontation and get tongue tied and end up feeling like I’ve hurt “the cause” (whatever it might be) by not being an eloquent debater. But it’s so important right now for white people to hear from other white people, in an authentic way, that we do NOT all agree with each other. Black people have been uncomfortable for CENTURIES. We can have some uncomfortable conversations.
That’s how I get as well, tongue tied and anxious about confrontation, but you guys are right, it’s important to speak up and make people uncomfortable. I’ll try the simple “I disagree” next time, I think that’s an easy way to start the conversation without being rude. I’m so much better online when I can take time to think of a reply and stay calm, in person I seem to let my emotions take over or I freeze up entirely!
I employ the “I disagree” as well bc if I try to explain myself to people who STILL don’t get it I end up just calling them racist arseholes and that doesn’t do anyone any good. I don’t have enough self control OR confidence in my role as a white woman of privilege to properly represent BLM. I marvel at the patience and fortitude of POC….I’m frustrated and tired and I’m just an ally. POC have been at this for generations.
This was exhausting to watch. And I didnt even watch the whole thing. They clearly learned nothing from the Imagine video debacle. I was pretty disappointed to see Julianne Moore in this as she has actually been an active advocate and she’s better than this garbage. Kristen Bell is an unconscious Karen. She thinks she’s a nice person but her blind spots are HUGE.
This entire thing is what black folks mean when we talk about performative allyship. They managed to center then entire conversation around themselves. I dont need a video full of white tears. Pull up or shut up. Make sure you are working on diverse sets, make sure that everyone is paid fairly. Make sure that racism will not be tolerated in your presence. Open your massive purses and donate to charities that work to combat racism. Be ACTIVELY anti-racist. All the rest is just lip service.
This is spot on, V V! I’m at the point where unless white people are being actively anti-racist I’m just gonna assume they are racist, whether unconsciously or consciously. It would be too much to unlearn and I’m not giving out kudos to people who are ready to pat themselves on the back with no self-examination.
Yes, Kristen Bell is worth like $20 million dollars but she decided to take a role as a biracial girl who has super powers from her Afro puffs. The most important color to these celebs is the green of the almighty dollar.
And if they are doing all of this quietly, how would you know? How do you know that some of them haven’t been doing it for years?
This is just so weird, cringey and performative. I’m sure they all mean well, but I’m tired of seeing white celebs do this type of thing. Educate yourselves & recognize your privilege, yes, but this video is not needed.
Christ, is Jesse Pinkman back on the meth?
I really laughed at Justin Theroux, what a ridiculous performance. That man has got some ego. Urgh.
Justin Theroux literally did an entire film with Robert Downey Jr. in blackface, and appropriated dreadlocks in another to play a DJ.
This was an awful, awful idea for everyone involved.
I mean I don’t think they can be blamed for using a black and white filter or slow piano music. They didn’t edit the video. And sure, maybe some it comes off as a bit rehearsed…but I’ve seen many posts calling for white people to acknowledge their privilege, to acknowledge the micro aggressions they might have not been aware of etc….so I think this video was made in attempt of that. And if the NAACP was in charge, then I’m sure they felt like it was done in the right way and yet they’re being *pooped* on for it.
A completely performative, narcissistic and hypocritical initiative because how many of these actors have already decided to participate in film projects with inclusive scenarios or inclusive stories? .All these great A-listers have production companies, but many do they having decide to employed a diversitie cast or directors, with inclusive stories to theirs movies and series?
All years when the black actors and actresses accuse the oscars of being too black, how many white actors decide to boycott the oscars or even to speak about it with a medias or to make a speech about this during the ceremonie?and we must not forget all the actors who still decide in the 21st century to accept film scripts with the whitening of characters?
This is one positive thing thing we can say about Brad Pitt’s production company.
As I’ve been saying on these posts, let’s see what they do next.
I feel like if I were a celebrity I’d just say something like,” I have white privilege more than I have even realized, I have a lot to learn, I want to grow and be better. Change starts with each of us and I acknowledge the pain and suffering of people of color and I want to learn how to be an alley. Teach me. I will take my seat and listen.” Why is it so hard to just keep it simple and not self absorbed?
Because they’re actors and by definition “look at me”.
I mean, if the NAACP put this together and this is what they wanted, that’s fine. This is very much while person problem to help fix, so I get it, even if it was cringey.
That said…I’m happy yet continuously shocked at how many people and organizations are just now stepping up on racism. I’m unclear on why so many people are acting like it’s a new problem. I’m THRILLED that more people are actively seeking to make change, but wow. You’d think the first act of police brutality against Black people happened to George Floyd.
Then again, it could be lockdown that is finally getting people to pay attention…
Like a train wreck, you want to look away but can’t.
The fact that people couldn’t memorize their lines, and their eyes are darting back and forth between the teleprompter app on their phones or whatever it is they are using, makes it feel even more disingenuous.
This is in black and white because they’re all filming themselves in their houses, and that’s the only way to create continuity.
F***ing celebrities. They can’t stand not being the centre of attention for five f***ing seconds and just have to attach themselves to whatever is trending.
This. It’s everyone’s problem. White people that is. From celebrities to politicians to almost every white person I’ve tried to listen to. They can’t remove themselves from any equation. It’s infuriating. It’s embarrassing. Where are the educational psa’s about how white culture has dominated since when, dark ages? Renaissance? Because it was firmly in place by the Age of Revolutions. Jesus. Stand back. Sit down.
What is sad is that this seemingly took away from the Instagram share the mic. Which I thought was a great way for celebrities to use their platform to raise black voices. I found so many inspiring woman to follow as a result of that activity. Besides donating money, using their platform to raise up voices with less of a reach is how they could use their celebrity for good.
I agree. I thought “share the mic” was great and should be a regular occurrence. I follow a lot of decorating/fashion/travel/food IGs, and I appreciate all of the ones who have gone out of their way to highlight their fellow bloggers/IGers who are black or POC. The ones who are ignoring it, I’m unfollowing.
all i can say is that these are actors and they sure are acting. when you do take responsibility over a lifetime you don’t need to make a p.s.a. and act so hard 🙂
Thanks to this site, I’ve come to hold the belief that a lot of celebrities are nothing more than empty husks of former people. Many of them are narcissistic and have to find a way to insert themselves into everything for a bit of attention.
Also, the pandemic has shown how useless and out of touch many of them really are when they’re not performing.
Lastly, I fear performative crap like this and white Dem leaders “kneeling for George” while wearing kente cloth is the type of pandering that will hand Trump the election.
I maybe in the small group but at least it’s a start. This is the first time whites really had to confront their own racism. And if it’s done in the way we see through the black and white video…well, it’s better than nothing. But as time goes on whites will realize there are more productive ways than just doing a laughable video. For example, Whites in Hollywood hold the power. Release some of that power and share it with blacks and other people of colour. I watched the video and yes it is a slick Hollywood produced piece. But that’s how Hollywood works. Again, it’s just a first step. There maybe a million more steps. I’d rather have that than to do nothing. Change is here.
I was waiting for ScarJo to appear.
Share the Mic is a much better way to go. Cover that, please. Let’s talk about some positive outcomes of this shitstorm.
I mean, this whole thing is well-intentioned but terrible and feels performative.
I’m all for them using their voices because honestly, white people need to gather up white people and talk to them about racism but this is terrible. I can’t speak for all black people, but I can speak for myself and say I have spent many years having to educate white people about racism and it is a lot.
I think a better direction for the video to go into would have been them committing to take actions like fighting for diversity in their projects, and learning more to become better allies.
The thing is everyone messes up doing the work of anti-racism and that is ok, it is about listening, learning, showing up and acting by committing to do the work to dismantle where these systems live, including in ourselves. But this video felt very much, “We white people are in pain and guilt because we looked away from racism and no longer”. Not sure how helpful that sentiment it. Glad to see this failure of an attempt rather than no attempt at all though.
Would love to see them actually make donations.
I am not going to watch the video – so I cannot comment on it, but I take your words for it.
I think one problem the US has perhaps more than some other countries is that almost exclusively famous people are actors or athletes or celebrities for dubious reasons (e.g. Kardashian), and not to call all of them stupid, but let’s face it you don’t have to be super smart to be in the entertainment industry. So intellectually speaking this is not exactly the creme de la creme. So now that organisations want to drum up support from famous people this is all that there is. (Why a white person would need a celebrity to tell them that racism is wrong is a whole other matter that I dare not even begin to address).
I do feel sorry for them, in the time when people are called out for not caring because they didn’t post support on social media (regardless of whether they are supportive in non-publicised ways) and so they feel they have to say something, and say it fast, without really knowing what, this kind of stuff happens.
I realize there are people who really need celebrities to speak up, but I’m just not one of them. I can speak up, and have, on my own. I don’t need to hear about their feelings or their opinions on how I or anyone else should feel about any of this. I already know.
I’m not going to say these celebrities used this with bad intent, but really, I don’t care what they think or feel. I care about my coworkers who have been pulled over just for driving while black. I care for my friend who gets stopped at Walmart every time to check her receipt but I never do. I care about men and women who have been put in prison for crazy amounts of time when others barely serve a week for worse. There’s more, but I’ll run out of space.
I’m not saying they shouldn’t say something, but the truth is, celebrities are not the ones we need to pay attention to right now.
I will say, I do appreciate Lady Gaga because she shows her work ethic and puts her money where her mouth is. And I don’t even really like her music, so there ya go. Doesn’t mean I need her to do or say something, but I appreciate what she does for change. And LeBron for starting a whole freaking school to make a difference. That’s what I appreciate more than anything else. Action. Not black and white videos about feeling from people who I think are kind of spoild.
My take is this, in order to effect change you have to get everyone on board, including white people who have to realize and acknowledge their privilege. When Wanda Sykes was on Kimmel she said white people have to want things to change as well as black people. As a white woman, I know I have privilege but watching the protests and listening to people educated me on the extent of my privilege and hope it goes into every aspect of my life.
I’m not white, I’m mixed brown and yellow and white and even grew up in a majority black community, but I’ve had the same awakening as you’re going through to what black people have been and continue to be put through with both overt and systemic racism. I really can’t account for whatever blinders I had on, to be honest. I am so sad it took the horrific murder of a black man to be the catalyst for change. But it was a catalyst and now black people in America and hopefully other countries are getting their stories and points of view out. They are taking the stage and the mic and just going for it.
I appreciate that these actors are sharing their awakenings, but theirs aren’t the voices that i would have thought needed amplification right now. But if it was the NAACP that made this, I will take my seat. Maybe their reasoning will become apparent to me. Maybe it won’t. But I am not going to decide for black people and organizations what they are going to highlight.
It’s been really an amazing experience to be a part of the celebitchy community where black women have been speaking out loud and clear for quite some time already. Sometimes my experience as a mixed race woman intersects with theirs. But where it doesn’t, I am learning to take my seat, watch, listen and learn.
It was here I learned about white woman’s tears as a tactic that gets pulled on black women. That has not ever really happened to me. White women need to play on the angry black woman trope for that to work. I have to put up with a lot, but there’s a lot I am privileged to avoid. I’m learning what all of that is. Better late than never I guess. But it’s not about me, regardless.
So these are actors and couldn’t even learn the lines by heart instead of reading them for the camera…? Ugh…
Painfully bad, they are straining so hard to act. It’s like they are in an acting class trying to out-act each other.
This is awful and insincere. I couldn’t watch the whole thing.
As a WOC this gave me major stank face. It felt wrong and off and exhausting and unnecessary and not helpful in anyway. I don’t feel like any of these people are taking responsibility for anything other than their image and even then, they don’t realize they are showing their a$$e$ with this. It’s like let me emote some outrage performance and score some points with Ya’ll, we good? No, we not good but thanks for playing.
Most of the tone is dictated by the company that wrote the material, produced, and edited this. I highly doubt Aly Raisman came up with the content, pitched copy, or required final approval from Confluential Content.
Because of social distancing requirements, the footage was probably shot by each celebrity at home. That makes it hard to put together a cohesive thread between a dozen segments and I guess they committed to selecting the most super earnest and dramatic parts from each speech. So, yeah, it’s cheesy.
It seems like the “I care. I’m listening. I take responsibility.” messages are becoming trope. Meanwhile, there’s a constant chorus of “silence is complicity.” We can’t get out of our own way.
I thought we wouldn’t be plagued with something worse than Imagine, but it seems my naivety must be rubbed in my face every day.