We told you that Kevin Hart chose to step down as the host of the Oscars rather than apologize for homophobic tweets and jokes he’d made almost ten years ago. Naturally, everyone had something to say.
Sarah Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of GLAAD, told CNN that she was disappointed by the outcome because, “We were hoping that this was going to turn into a teachable moment.” She wanted Kevin to host, but use the platform to “help build unity and awareness.” In her official follow-up statement, she said that the diminutive comedian shouldn’t have stepped down. He should have stepped up.
“Hart’s apology to LGBTQ people is an important step forward, but he missed a real opportunity to use his platform and the Oscars stage to build unity and awareness,” Ellis noted. “We would still welcome that conversation with him. The Academy has recently made significant strides in featuring diverse talent onstage and they should now double down on that commitment as they look for a new host.”
- Meanwhile, Nick Cannon defended his friend Kevin by pulling up homophobic tweets from comedians, including Amy Schumer and Chelsea Handler. For instance, Sarah Silverman tweeted in May 2010, “I don’t mean this in a hateful way, but the new bahelorette’s a f****t.” Nick was like, “Interesting. I wonder if there was any backlash here.” His goal was to call out the double standard in Hollywood. When someone suggested going back through his old tweets, Nick basically said it wasn’t necessary because he’s been saying messed up stuff since Twitter started. Interestingly, though, Nick tweeted in July 2012, “If your best joke includes ‘gay’ or ‘f****t,” you should be kicked off Twitter. This ain’t the [third] grade."
- Also, Kevin doesn’t seem to be too bothered by the controversy. He did two sold-out shows in Sydney, Australia on his “Irresponsible” tour. On Friday, he told the crowd to embrace their flaws and screw-ups, “ and called himself “blessed” after he broke an attendance record on Saturday.
Source: CNN