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Paul Thomas Andersonis addressing backlash to a character in his movieLicorice Pizzausing a fake Asian accent, which prompted an Asian American activist group to call for a boycott.
Licorice Pizzais a coming-of-age story set in 1973 Hollywood, starring Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim with an ensemble cast that includesBradley Cooper, Sean Penn, Anderson’s real-life partner Maya Rudolph, and more stars. The film isnominated for three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.
“It’s kind of like, ‘Huh?’ I don’t know if it’s a ‘Huh’ with a dot dot dot. It’s funny because it’s hard for me to relate to,” Anderson said. “I don’t know. I’m lost when it comes to that. To me, I’m not sure what they— you know, what is the problem? The problem is that he was an idiot saying stupid s—?”
When the interviewer said the character’s “racism could give people permission to laugh at the stereotype, rather than his stupidity,” Anderson replied, “Right. Well, I don’t know, maybe that’s a possibility. I’m certainly capable of missing the mark, but on the other hand, I guess I’m not sure how to separate what my intentions were from how they landed.”
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In December, whenLicorice Pizzahit theaters, the Media Action Network for Asian Americanscalled foran awards season boycott of the movie because the accolades could “normalize more egregious mocking of Asians in this country, sending the message that it’s okay to make fun of them, even during a time when Asian Americans are afraid to go out on the streets because of the unprecedented levels of violence from fellow Americans blaming them for COVID-19.”
MANAA called the particular scenes “cringeworthy” with “casual racism” that are “included simply for cheap laughs.”
Anderson was asked about the scenes during aNew York Timesinterviewin December.
source: people.com
