Jane Campion is the legendary director of The Power of the Dog, which is up for twelve Oscar nominations. There have been conversations recently about whether TPOTD was actually a bit weak in the Oscar race though, and perhaps there were more worthy Best Picture/Best Director combos. This weekend was a boon for the film’s Oscar chances though – TPOTD picked up BAFTAs for Best Picture and Best Director on Sunday, and before that, on Saturday Campion picked up the top honor at the Directors Guild Awards, meaning she’s really the top contender for the Best Director Oscar.
It was on the red carpet for the DGAs when Campion was asked about Sam Elliott’s homophobic and sexist criticism of the movie. Campion told Variety: “I’m sorry, he was being a little bit of a B-I-T-C-H. He’s not a cowboy; he’s an actor. The West is a mythic space and there’s a lot of room on the range. I think it’s a little bit sexist.”
Jane Campion responds to Sam Elliott's #ThePowerOfTheDog comments: "I'm sorry, he was being a little bit of a B-I-T-C-H. He's not a cowboy; he's an actor. The West is a mythic space and there's a lot of room on the range. I think it's a little bit sexist." https://t.co/I32wQ8lCiF pic.twitter.com/Tftq4AoXCy
— Variety (@Variety) March 13, 2022
When the clip went viral on Sunday, everyone was like “Jane Campion is the best!” She was praised for telling it like it is, calling out sexism, being badass, etc. The fact that she took home the top award at the DGAs was the icing on the cake, right?
Well, Jane Campion giveth and Jane Campion taketh away. Campion also won Best Director at the Critics Choice Awards last night, and she chose to make an odd speech in which she compared herself to Venus Williams and Serena Williams, who were in the room to support King Richard. Campion said, in part:
“It’s absolutely stunning tonight to be here among so many incredible women,” The Power of the Dog helmer started her speech for best director. She gave a shoutout first to Halle Berry and then to the Williams sisters, whose lives were portrayed in the nominated film King Richard and also presented an award earlier in the night.
“What an honor to be in the room with you,” she told the tennis legends. “I’d also just like to give my love out to my fellow — the guys. And Serena and Venus, you are such marvels. However, you do not play against the guys, like I have to,” she said, as the TV cameras caught Serena clapping animatedly in the audience.
Yeah, an idiotic thing to say. Both technically wrong and just a really bad take. Technically wrong because Serena and Venus have played mixed doubles and competed against men frequently in their careers. A bad take because Serena and Venus have overcome so much bullsh-t throughout their careers, including having their physiques compared to men, being dehumanized, being targeted by racists and on and on. Campion left the impression that she was comparing herself favorably to the Williams sisters, that she has achieved “more” because she competes against men. It was horrible.
At the Critics Choice afterparty, Campion did party with Venus and Serena though. There didn’t seem to be any hard feelings.
Venus Williams and Jane Campion dancing after Critics Choice… pic.twitter.com/L8hYwBVaQ1
— Scott Feinberg (@ScottFeinberg) March 14, 2022
Ohhh my God https://t.co/i54NcpiHlk pic.twitter.com/wToI3VBsN9
— Dragoness Lola von Flame ♒ (@hotcheri) March 14, 2022
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Jane Campion attends the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.,Image: 669495771, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Jane Campion, Credit line: – / JPI Studios / Avalon
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- CENTURY CITY, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – MARCH 13: Jane Campion wearing Dior Haute Couture arrives at the 27th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards held at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel on March 13, 2022 in Century City, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 669530206, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Jane Campion, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
Yikes, the face I just made while reading her speech…
Venus and Serena have learned to be gracious regardless of all the BS that comes their way. She gave me Karen vibes
That’s it, they’re consummate professionals.
Campion “hugging” for the pics at the after party gave me the “I can’t be racist, I have Black friends!” vibe.
Omg wtf?
It’s not just that she’s a ww but she’s a certain age. I’ve seen these kind of horrific comments from women who were the ones who went through all the sexism and glass ceiling stuff, feminists who had to fight hard, but don’t understand white privelege at all.
@Mia1066 Yep, this was a classic “disappointed but not surprised” story. I saw the headline and was like cmon how bad could it be- YIKES.
Venus and Serena deserve better.
This is PRECISELY why. The middle/upper class feminists who piggy backed on the ferocious anti-capitalist feminism of black and women of color, robbed the movement of any power and wielded it to advance their economic interests at the expense of challenging racist power structures.
I took this as having to put on a public face of grace because if you don’t, it’s made worse for you. People are using these pics as “see they aren’t mad! You shouldn’t be either” the comment is just another example of no matter how hard you work there is always someone who will “other” and diminish you in some way.
@BlueSky — exactly!!! look at the comment of @jferber right below yours!!! “white” feminism never included anyone except ww
You could feel the awkwardness coming through the screen so Venus and Serena were definitely just trying to keep a polite face while that bizarre comment was made.
She really chose to insult and degrade some of the greatest and most accomplished living Black women in her acceptance speech? So mean, so racist. What was she even thinking? The white privilege and Karenity just jumps out.
She can apologize (certainly hope she does as it’s the least she can do) but she also needs to really look at herself and understand her racism. This is such BS.
There’s a room full of people, many of whom were receiving awards, but she chose … the two black women to insult. Let that sink in. The Caucasity never ceases to amaze me.
“Karenity”!!!!! Thanks for that term, @Emma. “Karenity” is like the opposite of “serenity.”
It’s really upsetting that they did what they had to in order to survive that moment, and it is being used as a cover to minimize what Campion said. What she said was truly awful, and that she did it in a public setting while they were in the audience made it even worse.
Their grace doesn’t let her off the hook.
Good point.
They had to act gracious because they would be seen as aggressive, bad sports, sensitive if they made a fuss of her awful racist, dumb, comments. Clearly Jane doesn’t get it at all because anyone who has watched Venus and Serena’s careers and how the media treats them gets exactly why they had to behave kindly after this bs.The is peak yt feminism. I love Campion but she is in the wrong here and sounded like an absolute idiot.
Also the best tweet I saw about it was something like, Why do white people routinely include black people in their jokes or anecdotes when they don’t include them in their art?” Soooooo good.
Okay, so she f-cked up with that last comment. However, she clearly admires them deeply and the women all partied together later. It’s true that there is no women’s space for women directors, so because of sexism and racism, many great women directors are unknown and/or not given their due. It’s the same for Black actresses, actors and directors. They have to compete within sexist/racist institutions. It’s also true that Venus and Serena have faced racism and sexism even within that women’s space. So I guess I’m saying one stupid comment doesn’t take away from the great work Jane Campion does and her support for other women, including p.o.c. I wish all women could ride with and for each other because it must be a lonely fight. All the best to ALL the women.
This is a response that could have only be written by a ww …….they partied together because Venus and Serena mostly knew the response from other ww if they didn’t take the high road!
It is amazing how some feel woc should just let things go just so everything looks ok
Yep…There really is only one take here and jferber’s is not it.
Agreed. There was ZERO reason for Campion to single out and diminish the Williams sisters like that. There are instances where I read offensive comments and think it is possible to have different interpretations. This is not one. She said, you two a great, but I am greater. If you see the actual video, it is exactly as bad as it sounds. And apropos of nothing. It was unnecessary and really offensive. The same people defending Campion would have been all over Venus and Serena as angry, entitled etc. had they shown offense. Sigh. It’s exhausting.
Yep. This is the standard white woman response, ignore intersectionality and just ask WOC to “accept” being second class citizens within the feminist movement. The ironic thing is that people like jferber think they’re not racist because they’d never say the n-word, but comments like this show their true colors.
Jane Champion had the nerve to tell Venus and Serena Williams (who are f*cking legends) that her own accomplishments mean more because she competes against men. First the audacity to compare herself to them and then to say she had it harder. It wasn’t just a stupid comment.
Apparently Campion doesn’t read about women’s tennis or follow either women in their careers. The blatant racism towards both of them, from their apparel to their behaviour on the court has proven otherwise. Prime example was that entitled white male player that threw something a few weeks ago during a tournament. Then the added insults that women must accept, prime example of Osaka being heckled this past weekend by a Karen in the stands as well. People that are unwilling to behave, as respectful adults, should be escorted out of matches, or preferable made to live a solitary life until they learn how to behave.
Jferber – I’d change the end of your original comment from “I wish all women could ride with and for each other because it must be a lonely fight.“
To: I wish WHITE women could ride with and for ALL women because, as a black woman, it IS a lonely fight.
This is why “feminism” is really a whites only club….because WW (mostly) really do just ride for “each other” and to protect white supremacy, from which they benefit.
Amen.
She doesn’t deeply admire Venus and Serena. She’s deeply jealous of them. The fact is, they are both icons. And Serena is the GOAT. Not just of women’s tennis. Not just of tennis, which is incredible. But she is in the discussion as the GOAT of all sport, male or female. Jane Campion is not remotely on either of those women’s level. She’s not in any discussion as being the greatest female director, let alone director, let alone the greatest artist of all time. Not even close. No one outside of arthouse film heads even knows her name. She’s jealous of them and couldn’t hide it. I also suspect there’s some imposter syndrome going on with her and that the Williams sisters’ confidence and indisputable dominance in their field makes her feel small.
As for Serena clapping and Venus talking with her at the after party, that’s what Black women do. We have to because when we’re not gracious in the face of white folks’ bullshit, things can get that much worse for us.
I wonder too (I’m white so I have no idea. And I’m definitely not in Serena and Venus’s social circle, lol) if they could be thinking, “this is SO typical I’ve learned just to let this slide off my back. I’m here to celebrate, so I’m going to do that, but it doesn’t mean I’m fine about what was said.”
It makes me sick that they HAD to go and play nice afterwards. I don’t think I would have been able to swallow my disgust but as a white woman I obviously am not as practised in the art. Just disgusting from that Jane person. And wouldn’t it be amazing if the audience had reacted loudly and called out that crap instantly? Yeah I know, one can dream
Typical white feminist.
Agreed. And then she decided to grab on Venus to make herself feel better. Also right out of The White Woman’s Handbook.
Yep.
Jodie Turner-Smith’s tweet about this so far is my favorite and just sums it up….
“jane taking time out of her best director speech to tell two Black women that she is more oppressed than them is PEAK white feminism.”
Wow. Jodie nailed it.
Prior to that dumb comment she was already asking them to give her tennis lessons. It would had been weird enough having asked them that but then she went further.
Yeah. I’m in the camp that wasn’t impressed with her calling Sam Elliot a bitch (which was totally unnecessary to her broader point). I think she got on his exact level with the “he is just an actor” take, which really is just a different shade of “she’s not a cowboy she is a filmmaker”.
I don’t see any excuse for what happened with Venus and Serena whatsoever. That was just 100% bullshit, she clearly was trying to elevate herself at their expense and is completely up her own ass.
I wasn’t impressed by that either. All I could think was that had she been a BW director calling a WM veteran actor a “bitch”, her Oscar campaign would be over. Instead, Champion got cheers and ” you go girl” across the board.
Pretty much my thoughts exactly.
Honestly its ridiculous how the Williams sisters are always expected to be the bigger person or just grin and bear it.
Incredible. Just incredible. There are just no words that can ever justify that comment. No apology will be big enough either. Who is the B-I-T-C-H now?
Exactly, @noki. I saw in another story that they had not responded to a request for comment. Why is it on them to speak to one ignorant woman’s BS?
Okay, I hear you, vs and Amy Bee. I get what you’re saying about things looking okay versus truly being okay. So what should be the next step be for Jane Campion to make things better?
Apologize unreservedly and stay quiet afterwards.
Yes, she should make a personal apology to both Venus and Serena, followed by a public apology. Otherwise, this will haunt Campion her entire career.
Actually, that will only harden her ingrained beliefs. I wish she would actually try to understand what she did and why it was wrong by educating herself and then actively reflect and practice not doing it.
I get what you’re saying but that type of internal work is her problem, not that of Venus or Serena. She owes them an apology and then to do her own emotional labor.
Of course, 100%. That part goes without saying. She must apologize both privately and publicly. But I also wish (I know this probably rarely happens) that people like her would try to genuinely change.
@C and @BothSidesNow — that’s exactly what she should do!
I’m cringing! Jeez.
I just watched King Richard yesterday FINALLY and I absolutely buy that Venus and Serena are the most gracious women after what they’ve tolerated in their lives and careers. Also, King Richard deserves all the awards.
I haven’t watched it yet, but again, WOC are expected to say nothing and IF they do, they are labeled the typical “angry black woman”. Campion should have shut her mouth and addressed OTHER women directors in her own field, like Maggie Gyllenhaal who was up for an award as well.
Otherwise, if it sounds offensive in your head, it will sound offensive out of your mouth 10x’s worse than what you are actually saying.
I know that’s true, and Campion truly should have stayed in her lane. WW (I am one) need to stop talking if they try to compare their feminist struggle to *anything* a WOC has to face their whole lives long. Nothing compares.
That’s what I don’t understand. Why call out Venus an Serena since their accomplishments are i a completely different field. Why not compare yourself to your fellow directors? But I guess if she did that, she would be ostracized for saying something that implies she’s better or overcome more than the others.
It was just such an ungracious thing to say.
I’m thinking Jane Campion should set some time aside to actually watch King Richard. Maybe she has idk but what an absurd centering thing to say.
I had a convo with my sister that left me feeling very wtf. I was telling her about the film and how it was good and just one of those great underdog sports films. She said yeah but they’re not true underdogs. I was like huh? And she said yeah they had to go through a lot but bc they’re just naturally good at tennis they were always going to win and thus weren’t true underdogs. Whew, my skin got prickly and my stomach dropped. Such a casual way of showing yourself and thinking there is nothing wrong with what you said. And why were they just naturally good? Sooo racist. I tried explaining this to her but she was just not getting it. She’s someone who generally thinks she’s right about most things so didn’t have a lot of hope. This was weeks ago and I just keep coming back to it. My sister is also someone who dislikes feminists but who is also definitely not a racist. At least, she thinks she isn’t.
@Jais, every single racist I have known didn’t believe they were racist.
Absolutely! I just get so irked by the ones like my sister who think bc they don’t use the n word and celebrate MLK day they’re all good.
I choked up several times watching King Richard. Power of the Dog didn’t do much for me. The last five minutes are great but that’s more on the actor than the director.
Really really disappointing. Why would Jane Campion even feel the need to say this? And Venus and Serena DO have to fight against men, not in a game itself maybe but in every critic, commentator, etc.
As a secondary but still annoying observation, this is the second time Kirsten Dunst has been up for a major award and the director of said film acted like an ass. Granted, Campion didn’t start talking about understanding Nazis like Lars von Trier thankfully, but this is still horrible.
And they do fight against men as they have both played mixed doubles & both have been fighting for pay equality for the slams. They also get less sponsorship money then men. Jane was just loud & wrong all around.
I hope we don’t get a white tears moment to try absolve her & she truly reflects on how inclusive her feminism is.
Absolutely! (My apologies, while I know about them I don’t follow sports at all so I wasn’t trying to diminish – thank you!)
And they have their accomplishments erased when men tennis players are praised for lesser accomplishments.
I’ve faked niceties, too. Venus’ face as she said it told me everything I need to know.
Yeah all the people saying, oh they smiled it didn’t bother them, tells me they have been on the other side of A LOT of those types of smiles in their lives. I had to perfect it by the time I was 25 in corporate America.
Ah, yes, the ‘smile’; know it well.
Yep.
Horrifying! What ridiculous, self-involved thing to say!
Serena & Venus aren’t allowed to have hard feelings about it.
If they did, the white woman fragility would come for them, with headlines like “angry sisters”, playing into the worst tropes.
It’s just fact: they have to bear it. They’ve no choice.
Jane is just as horrible as Sam Elliot, though she will never see it.
Yes to everything you said, Hyrule Castle.
Yes! The irony that she totally Sam Eilotted that speech. It was so awful and condescending. I felt so angry for them!
Maybe Venus and Serena can do some word spelling of their own in response…. B-I-T…
I watched it live last night and it was so awkward. Serena and Venus were trying to be polite in reacting to how weird that was when Campion decided to make that comment.
ALL the women telling themselves, ‘Serena and Venus, smiled and look like they’re okay with Jane’s comments, so it’s all good’…how many times have you done that because society expects that of us? Smiles and laughter mean nothing but a cover up. And even Jane knows that.
The nerve of her hanging on them afterward. So gross.
Just watched the video. Yeah they are trying so hard to play good sports. Speaks volumes how quickly they adapt to making others feel comfortable. The comment is truly bizarre and so misdirected. She could have said so many things about the struggles of women in Hollywood without calling out two women who’ve seen every form of discrimination and had to be the absolute best of the best to get their chance.
Oh my Lord, what a terrible thing to say. As if the Williams sisters, of all people, have had it easy.
Sussex Watcher, that is an uncalled for comment. I decry white supremacy and to say white feminists ride for white supremacy as a blanket statement is an untrue and unfair statement, a blatant overreach, and highly insulting.
Here’s the thing though. Your default initial response reflects the accuracy of the comment. I am sure you mean well and it was not conscious at all. But that is exactly the issue. Everyone has blind spots and moments like this often indicate that further internal reflection would be useful.
First of all, I did use the word ‘mostly’ so obviously am not saying all. Second of all, how do you explain all of the Karen videos of white women calling the police on black people walking outside, birdwatching, bbq-ing, etc. What do you think that’s about if not white supremacy? How do you explain that a majority of WW voted for T***p? What do you think the very comments made by that director were about?
And there are so many more examples backing up what I said. If you look at voting patterns in the US you’ll see that I speak the truth. And there is a lot of other work out there that shows what I said is true. Google ‘does feminism uphold white supremacy’ and learn for yourself.
I ran out of time trying to edit my original reply. But my point is how many white women call themselves feminists but then (whether consciously or unconsciously) behave or vote in ways that are harmful to black women or that uphold the structures of white supremacy? Lots and lots and lots…so many, in fact, that it’s to the point that many black women (and other women who are poc) feel the mainstream feminism movement does not include us or fight for us or protect us.
Sussex Watcher – from the minute Trump was elected, I realized I had vastly misjudged white women (although Jewish I am of European ancestry and check “white” box on demographic forms so this is my battle to fight) and vowed to learn all I could to be an intersectional feminist. I actually had thought I was doing an okay job at it before Trump. I’ve always vocally objected to white women being boogie and elitist as their brand of feminism, but until Trump I didn’t understand how much deeper were the roots of the problem and how little I was doing to combat it. And being in the liberal bubble of the Bay Area I was stunned when the BBQ Becky incident happened just down the road from me. That doesn’t happen here. We’re not uneducated rednecks! So yeah we can no longer kid ourselves that only confirmed white supremacists weaponize white privilege.
It’s a factually true statement as illustrated by what you’re doing RIGHT NOW. Black women deal with these type of microagressions every single day. We also have to choose our battles so as to not incur the wrath of “well meaning white women” who turn on their white women tears™ to cast themselves as victims of the “angry black women”.
Because make no mistake, Jane Campion parroting anti-equal pay in tennis rhetoric IS NOT IT. “You don’t play the men, so why should you get paid the same as men”. It’s undermining Venus and Serena IN THEIR ACTUAL FIELD.
jferber, you do not get it. All your comments are showing that. please listen to what people are trying to explain to you.
It’s true that over and over and over again we have seen white feminists with unexamined racism support white supremacy. Jane Campion is just the latest example. It’s actually the typical pattern.
The prevalence of racism in our society means we all probably have unexamined racism and need to confront that on a daily, moment-by-moment basis. Don’t presume you’re immune.
If you understood racism, how insidious and pervasive it is, you would understand that not only do white women ride for white supremacy, even BIPOC have spoken about having to deal with the phenomenon of internalized racism. It’s not an attack on you or anyone personally. It’s just pointing out how society works in general and asking people to be aware and actively anti-racist and actively pro-Black.
Your defensive response trying to deny reality is the wrong take.
Unless you fight white supremacy, you cannot fight or end the patriarchy as the two are intertwined. Many white feminists do not grasp the core concept of intersectionality because they don’t want to as they benefit from said white supremacy.
So, in essence, they’re full of b.s. because, ultimately, they may never really want to end patriarchy.
I guess this is the downside of equality – women can be just as clueless, ungracious, condescending, egotistical and racist as men. And how smug to call Serena and Venus “marvels,” as if they need Jane to tell them who they are.
I totally forgot the Critic’s Choice Awards were on last night. 🙁 Hopefully I can watch it later. But I will skip over this part, because it is cringy enough to read. Venus and Serena’s pleasantries with Campion afterward shouldn’t be taken as acceptance — my take (as a white woman) is that Black women hear so much BS on a regular basis that they’re used to needing to be gracious no matter how stupid or offensive some white person is being because society gets mad when they show negative emotions.
As for whether Power of the Dog should be a contender — I think this is a really weak award season (I stopped FOUR films nominated for top prizes halfway through and that is not typical for me), but I liked Power of the Dog. Really good performances and an interesting exploration of masculinity. I have a few more to watch (CODA, Belfast, Nightmare Alley, Drive My Car), but so far POTD is one of the better ones.
Jane showed everyone how she REALLY feels. Believe her! She owes so many apologies……Her disrespect to Venus & Serena (and others really) showed her true character…or lack of….
It seems like since 2016…White Women, whom I have admired MOST OF MY LIFE…and who I thought were cool AF…have opened up their mouths to show EXACTLY who they are….I have been riding for Jane since the 90s….and I THOUGHT she was a human being who understood the horrific undercurrents that run the world we live in and life in general…I thought that was reflected in her work….
I thought wrong…
I do not want to HEAR any excuses in the year 2022…after we went through what we went through with POS Trump with EVERY OTHER sexist/racist person in civilization being empowered by having that POS in the highest job on the planet…that Jane Campion made a mishap on the stage…Jane KNEW what she was doing…she was doing what White women do who have to make sure we STAY IN OUR PLACE….I’m PERSONALLY angry about this…not only did she sully my stance regarding her as a human being….she also took away the FREELY EXPRESSED JOY I had for “Power of the Dog”…a movie I have watched so many times since it was released…because I absolutely ADORE IT…and now, just like damn near EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE that is affected by sexism/racism….the movie is tainted…and leaves a bitter aftertaste….
And the fact that the Williams Sisters HAD to make nice to a woman who belittled them on a world stage….spoiling THEIR JOY….because THAT…is what we ALWAYS HAVE TO DO…
Just…Lawd…the anger.
WORD UP.
I’m the opposite on Jane Campion – never admired her or her work. But what you’ve said about her spoiling the Williams sister’s joy really struck me. You’d think that in 2022 there be a space in the public sphere where WOC could relax for a minute and not be alert and on guard in case somebody throws out a racist barb. I found it exhausting when working around men for half my life on Wall Street – it must be a million times more exhausting for a WOC.
*standing ovation* I felt that. Yes, especially the part about spoiling their joy and then THEY have to smile and pretend that her comments didn’t hurt.
I agree so much! I really loved the film, and this ruins it for me.
Also, that she took their joy! It was so unnecessary and cruel for her to diminish them like this at an event where their work is being celebrated.
145,678th time (at least) that WOC have to suck it up, and grin and bear it when a white person says something racist and demeaning, lest they be viewed as angry or sensitive. So f@&king tired of it. JC spoke about the power of women. Then proceeded to completely undermine Serena and Venus. JC needs to listen, learn, apologize and do better. Or just sit down and shut the f@&k up if she can’t do any of that.
“At the Critics Choice afterparty, Campion did party with Venus and Serena though. There didn’t seem to be any hard feelings.”
That’s because they’re not allowed to have hard feelings about it – they would have been angry black woman’d in seconds if they’d done ANYTHING other than smile and act like it was just so funny.
Jaysus – all Campion had to do was get up there and say thanks and she really went out of her way to say this shiz.
WORD UP.
It’s amazing to me how people still refuse to get real about black women’s response to misogynoir.
Perfectly stated.
I do hope Jane realizes how much she f’ed up, seriously thinks about it, and sincerely apologizes to Serena and Venus, but man, if they could just have ONE DAY without someone trying to minimize them and their accomplishments.
White feminists have shown their asses over “King Richard” from the moment the first trailer dropped. It’s been a steady stream of disrespect towards the Williams sisters, their father, and their entire family. They were angry that this film was ever even made, claiming to be upset that it didn’t honor the sisters and instead focused on the dad. And then how do they ultimately “honor” V&S? By belittling their massive accomplishments and their struggle, live on stage at an awards ceremony for the whole world to see.
And don’t even get me started on the ROARING applause that misogynoiristic comment got. Trash.
I would have died of secondhand embarrassment had I been in the room. S+V have truly endured it all, from ignorant men and women alike, on and off the court, and continue to do so.
Do you think Campion’s cringeworthy comment could cost her the Oscar, or naw?
If she were a man I would definitely say NO.
But because she is a woman….
But she said what she said about two black women… so NO.
If she had said what she said about a white woman and it depends on the white woman’s appeal, hmm, maybe.
Do people not go to these ceremonies with some expectation of winning and remarks prepared and at least a little bit vetted by…someone? This reads very much like someone who did not bother drafting anything beforehand and just kind saw oh, the Williams sisters are here and I love them so let me someone bring that into my speech at the last minute. I don’t get it. I feel if I were in the public eye and potentially giving speeches/remarks like this I’d hire someone to help me put something together or just stick with something very generic like “I’d like to thank everyone who made this movie possible, my loving and supportive family, and all the other people who have believed in my over the years”, which is not going to grab headlines but is also not going to land you in trouble!
My mouth dropped open watching that. Girl, wtf. Women are always competing against men in sports by proxy — and they lose all the time in terms of respect, money, and contracts. It’s an uphill battle for them against a media that doesn’t care. What an embarrassment, and what a shame that Serena can’t catch a f*cking break wherever she goes.
Aside from the racism of Champion’s statement is the hypocrisy. Does she think Venus & Serena got King Richard made by their names alone? No. They had to work with someone of Will Smith’s star power/production company to get their movie made. The caucasity of this woman not only diminishing what they’ve gone through to be where they are in tennis/fashion worlds, but also made light of the struggle they went through to get their movie made. Ugh…
Look at her gleeful face, she couldn’t wait to say it. She looked physically relieved to get it out!! And yes to everyone above calling out her racism. Venus and Serena should never have to deal with this, and they couldn’t enjoy what was supposed to have been a special night. Honestly, I hope a lot of Oscar voters have not returned their ballots yet.
I looked it up – Oscar ballots were due February 1st.
@Tangerinetree
Yes, she did indeed look relieved to say that mess. I guarantee you she’s been seething all awards season about Serena and Venus and how much praise and attention they’re getting from “her” industry. Not only do they stay winning in tennis, now they’re winning at film too. And they earned it all, nothing given or set up for them like Campion, who’s a nepotism baby. It’s probably been eating her alive.
The sad truth is that white women can say a lot of ish and get almost immediate grace.
Black woman and other WOC have to take all kinds of ish said to us and handle it with grace lest we be dragged to the pits of hell and back.
Had Venus shoved that woman off of her or even just snubbed her as she would be right to do, the story goes morning would have been about the Williams sisters being mean to poor, misspoken Jane Campion and not on her bizarre choice to dish out a backhanded compliment to the first dark faces she saw to give herself a pack on the back.
She can go sit on the loud and wrong bench with Sam Elliot.
She apologized but she didn’t really say how stupid her comment was or acknowledge how it showed her stance as a white woman.
I was half-listening while texting during her speech, and even I was like, What the HELL did she just say? I have never seen Power of the Dog and know nothing about Campion. This “introduction” left a poor and indelible taste in my mouth. Venus and Serena’s faces said it all…
Even if you left out the racist element the comment is straight rude and insulting to two really amazing women. I’m not sure how she ever thought that was appropriate. It’s unfair Serena & Venus have to deal with the fallout of another stupid woman’s comment, who was just fluffing her own ego. I hope she doesn’t get that Oscar now. Maybe she’ll get a forced learning of intersectional feminism now.
Oh crap, how wrong, disgusting and just completely unnecessary. What, she just happened to see Venus and Serena in the audience and decided to undermine and dismiss their achievements? Get in the bin.
She’s from a very privileged background in New Zealand. Family from wealthy white old-money private-school elite, and parents in theatre/opera.
The many levels of Karen
Her then going on to hug Serena is such a microaggression power move. She forced her to publicly validate her bs.
If Serena had pushed her off the headlines would have been “angry black tennis player offended by feminist take”.
Instead she coerced her into a position of playing nice right after undermining all her and her sister’s hard work. Publicly.
White wanna-be woke women do this a lot. Backhanded compliments then “omg, bestie!” in the same breathe. It’s gaslighting. It’s hurtful but if you get mad, you’re the unreasonable one.