If you are a fan of realy old, award-winning movies, then this may not be your day. HBO has removed the 1939 classic Gone with the Wind from its streaming service, HBO Max amid the George Floyd protests.
Despite winning at least eight Oscars which include Best Picture, many critics have condemned the portrayal of African-Americans in the film. John Ridley, the screenwriter of '12 Years A Slave' said that the film perpetuates racial stereotypes and glorifies the antebellum South in an op-ed piece for the Los Angeles Times.
Gone with the Wind, a movie that tells the love affair of a manipulative woman and a roguish man during the Civil War and Reconstruction is also a film that made history after Hattie McDaniel became the very first African-American to win an Oscar for her performance.
Backlash and Criticism
But despite that, the action has sparked outrage among certain individuals and took to social media to vent out their complaints.
Conservative commentator in response to the move by HBO tweeted about the burning of Harper Lee's bestselling novel, To Kill A Mockingbird while The Hollywood Reporter's awards columnist Scott Feinberg tweeted saying how idiotic the move is and that people should learn form the past, instead of ignoring its existence.
So when are we getting together to burn copies of To Kill A Mockingbird?#headdesk https://t.co/kGCPE2JZoO — (((AG))) (@AGHamilton29) June 10, 2020
Greg Price from the Daily Caller, a right-wing news and opinion website in Washington, D.C. commented the following: "Hattie McDaniel was the first African American actor to win an Oscar for her role in Gone With The Wind. It's also her birthday tomorrow. Way to erase a historic black achievement in the name of social justice,".
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HBO Max to put Gone with the Wind back after adding 'historical context'
At the end of the tunnel, light appears. So, don't worry. You can still be able to watch the classic after adding historical context to the film.
In response to the action it took, the HBO spokesperson in a statement said: "'Gone With the Wind' is a product of its time and depicts some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that have, unfortunately, been commonplace in American society," according to the statement of the HBO Max spokesperson. "These racist depictions were wrong then and are wrong today, and we felt that to keep this title up without an explanation and a denouncement of those depictions would be irresponsible."
looks like HBO borrowed from the old WB cartoons disclaimer pic.twitter.com/3lJz1NK6Qg — Scott Weinberg (@scottEweinberg) June 10, 2020
"These depictions are certainly counter to WanerMedia's values, so when we return the film to HBO Max, it will return with a discussion of its historical context and a denouncement of those very depictions but will be presented as it was originally created because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed. If we are to create a more just, equitable, and inclusive future, we must first acknowledge and underhand our history." the spokesperson ended.
