Why everyone’s talking about Stephen King
Best-selling author criticised for Oscar diversity comments
Stephen King has triggered an online row after voicing his views on the row over the lack of diversity in this year’s Academy Awards nominations.
Both film fans and high-profile Hollywood figures have criticised the world-famous US author after he tweeted that “sex, color, or orientation” played no role in his decisions when voting on nominees for the 2020 Oscars.
Who is Stephen King?
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In addition to penning best-selling horror books including It and The Shining, King is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which selects Oscar nominees and winners.
He is allowed to vote in three categories - Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Screenplay.
King has also enjoyed some Oscars success. Psychological horror film Misery, an adaptation of his 1987 novel of the same name, bagged one of the coveted gongs in 1991, with Kathy Bates winning Best Actress.
What did he say about diversity?
King has been in the firing line after tweeting that when picking Oscars nominations, “for me, the diversity issue - as it applies to individual actors and directors, anyway - did not come up”.
The apparently unprompted message was posted on Tuesday, “the day after the Oscars nominations were announced – and denounced for their lack of diversity”, says The Independent.
“That said, I would never consider diversity in matters of art. Only quality. It seems to me that to do otherwise would be wrong,” King added.
The writer posted again less than three hours later in an apparent attempt to clarify his views. “The most important thing we can do as artists and creative people is make sure everyone has the same fair shot, regardless of sex, color, or orientation,” he wrote. “Right now such people are badly under-represented, and not only in the arts.”
He then completed his argument with a tweet that said: “You can’t win awards if you’re shut out of the game.”
The staunch Democrat has since reverted to his more standard form on Twitter, tweeting about former president Barack Obama, making book recommendations, and poking fun at plumbers, electricians and roofers.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For more arts reviews - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on what really matters - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
And the reaction?
Twitter users have been quick to criticise King’s comments, with one saying that “as a white man”, it was not the writer’s place to dismiss diversity as a consideration when making nominations.
That view has been echoed by a number of leading Hollywood names, with director Ava DuVernay calling King’s comments “backward and ignorant”.
Writer Roxane Gay said that she was disappointed that King only believed in “quality from one demographic”, reports The Guardian.
Social justice campaigner Brittany Packnett Cunningham, a former advisor to Obama, has also weighed in. Tweeting at King, she said: “You say you seek ‘quality’ in film. Until tastes are expanded, mostly traditional white narratives & styles will actually be deemed ‘quality.’
"Current measures of ‘quality’ are still exclusive,” she added.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures Firing shells, burning ballots, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published
-
Damian Barr shares his favourite books
The Week Recommends The writer and broadcaster picks works by Alice Walker, Elif Shafak and others
By The Week UK Published
-
The Great Mughals: a 'treasure trove' of an exhibition
The Week Recommends The V&A's new show is 'spell-binding'
By The Week UK Published
-
Wicked fails to defy gravity
Talking Point Film version of hit stage musical weighed down by 'sense of self-importance'
By Tess Foley-Cox Published
-
Can AI tools be used to Hollywood's advantage?
Talking Points It makes some aspects of the industry faster and cheaper. It will also put many people in the entertainment world out of work
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
5 new horror movies to jump-scare your way through Halloween
The Week Recommends A new take on Stephen King classic 'Salems Lot', a spooky take on late-night talk shows, and more
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Salem's Lot: Stephen King adaptation is 'half-baked' thriller
Talking Point The latest adaptation of this 1975 novel has left many critics feeling underwhelmed
By The Week UK Published
-
The Apprentice: will biopic change how voters see Donald Trump?
Talking Point 'Brutal' film depicts presidential candidate raping first wife Ivana, but some critics believe portrayal is surprisingly sympathetic
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
TV to watch in October, from 'Disclaimer' and 'The Franchise'
The Week Recommends An HBO comedy from the 'Veep' creator, a mystery from master filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón and a reboot of an '80s classic
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Movies to watch in October, from 'Joker: Folie à Deux' to 'Saturday Night'
The Week Recommends Joaquin Phoenix as Joker, a new Jason Reitman comedy and a buzzy Palme d'Or winner
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Monsters: why is the Menendez brothers Netflix hit so controversial?
Talking Points Ryan Murphy’s latest true-crime series recounts infamous 1989 Beverly Hills murders, but some critics say his retelling takes too many liberties with the truth
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published