As conversations about racism proceed all through the nation and the world, HBO Max has responded by briefly eradicating Gone With the Wind from its streaming catalog. The traditional movie, which has lengthy been criticized for the best way it perpetuates racist stereotypes, will ultimately return to the platform, however when it does, it can additionally include some extra particulars about its historic context and a condemnation of its racist depictions.
In a statement provided to Variety, an HBO Max spokesperson defined, “Gone With the Wind is a product of its time and depicts among the ethnic and racial prejudices which have, sadly, been commonplace in American society. These racist depictions had been fallacious then and are fallacious at this time, and we felt that to maintain this title up with out an evidence and a denouncement of these depictions can be irresponsible. These depictions are actually counter to WarnerMedia’s values, so once we return the movie to HBO Max, it can return with a dialogue of its historic context and a denouncement of these very depictions, however will probably be offered because it was initially created, as a result of to do in any other case can be the identical as claiming these prejudices by no means existed. If we’re to create a extra simply, equitable and inclusive future, we should first acknowledge and perceive our historical past.”
The choice to take the movie down adopted a Los Angeles Times op-ed by 12 Years a Slave author and American Crime creator John Ridley, which was titled, “Hey, HBO, Gone With the Wind romanticizes the horrors of slavery. Take it off your platform for now.” In his op-ed, Ridley wrote that Gone With the Wind “romanticizes the Confederacy in a manner that continues to present legitimacy to the notion that the secessionist motion was one thing extra, or higher, or extra noble than what it was — a bloody revolt to keep up the ‘proper’ to personal, promote, and purchase human beings.” Ridley known as for HBO Max to take away it in the interim and return it to the streaming service “after a respectful period of time.” Ridley additionally urged HBO Max so as to add “different movies that give a extra broad-based and full image of what slavery and the Confederacy really had been.” HBO Max clearly took this name to motion significantly and briefly eliminated the 1939 image from its library.
Whereas Gone With the Wind was pulled from HBO Max’s library for now, the movie continues to be accessible to lease and buy on many different platforms, together with Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and extra. Many on social media are scoffing at any outrage over its momentary elimination from the platform.
My solely opinion on Gone with the Wind proper now’s I discover it hilarious so many racists are pretending they need it on HBO Max as a result of it made Hattie McDaniel the primary black particular person to win an Oscar
— Ira Madison III (@ira) June 10, 2020
That is what Orwell was afraid of, that Gone With the Wind would not be accessible for streaming on HBO Max https://t.co/dgPOcDBwSc
— Sandra Newman (@sannewman) June 10, 2020
Gone with the Wind is each Misplaced Trigger propaganda and an essential American cultural artifact and folks ought to watch it if solely to know its affect and historic influence however … who cares if it’s not on HBO Max in the intervening time
— Adam Serwer🍝 (@AdamSerwer) June 10, 2020
In the meantime, Hulu has additionally eliminated Little Britain, the Matt Lucas and David Walliams sketch comedy sequence, from its library as a result of present’s use of blackface, and Paramount has cancelled the reality series Cops amid ongoing protests in opposition to police brutality following the homicide of George Floyd.
Black lives matter. Textual content DEMANDS to 55156 to signal Colour of Change’s petition to reform policing, and go to blacklivesmatters.carrd.co for extra methods to donate, signal petitions, and protest safely.