Spike Lee Sums Up Hollywood’s Obsession With White Saviors In One Sentence
The 91st annual Academy Awards delivered a few notable moments of praise for Black nominees and winners with the likes of Regina King, Mahershala Ali and Spike Lee earning trophies for their work.
The latter, however, didn't hesitate when expressing his disgust over one of the year's most controversial films, Green Book, winning in the most coveted category of the night: Best Picture.
Lee, whose film BlacKkKlansman was also nominated in the Best Picture category, wasted no time in sharing how he truly felt about Green Book's major win at Sunday's Academy Awards.
Taking to the press room, backstage, Lee shared that he had a case of déjà vu in that moment as he recalled that his film, Do the Right Thing, was snubbed of a Best Picture nomination at the 1989 Oscars, with Driving Miss Daisy — a film about a Black chauffeur and a white elderly Southern woman — taking the win.
"I'm snakebit," he told reporters. "Every time someone is driving somebody, I lose."
Lee was being literal with his statement, but no doubt there was a more subtle message in his words about Hollywood rewarding films about white saviors, or that center around white narratives, and largely ignoring films that take a more complex look at issues of race and class.
Going even a step further in his critique of the win, the director, who is an infamous super-fan of the New York Knicks, shared his exact thoughts when he heard Green Book announced as the Best Picture victor.
"I thought I was courtside at the [Madison Square] Garden, and the ref made a bad call,'' he said.
Take a look at his unapologetic disapproval, below:
Lee didn't stop there. While speaking with a British publication at the Oscars, he was asked if something about the win offended him. In his true fashion, he gave an honest response.
"Offended? Are you British?" he asked the journalists. "Let me give you a British answer: It wasn't my cup of tea."
Lee even failed to conceal his disgust with their win during the telecast as he turned away from the stage as the Green Book team went up to the stage to accept the award. According to the Hollywood Reporter, he left the room not long after.
Take a look at the moment, below:
Even Samuel L. Jackson, who was visibly excited after announcing his friend and former Morehouse College buddy as the winner for Best Adapted Screenplay, could not contain his confusion at Green Book's win:
The Twitter community seemed to overwhelmingly share Lee and Jackson's sentiments that Green Book's win proved to be another problematic choice by the Academy.
See them sound off on the controversial film's latest achievement, below:
