Quantcast
Published On: Tue, Sep 15th, 2015

Matt Damon interrupts only black person in the room, Effie Brown, to lecture on diversity

During the season 4 premiere of HBO’s Project Greenlight, the production team gathered round the camera to have a group debate on which lucky contestant(s) would get to film this year’s project: a comedy entitled Not Another Pretty Woman. Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly, and Jennifer Todd were present with producer Effie Brown, the only minority on the team.

On the role in the film, Brown made an effort to explain why it was important to choose a director who would treat the character of Harmony with respect and a minority creator may be best. Damon was having none of that.

“When we’re talking about diversity, you do it in the casting of the film. Not the casting of the show.”

A shocked Brown responded, “Wow!” as she rolled her eyes.

In other words, Damon feels that it was important to cast ethnic actors, but not necessarily as vital to have the filmmakers in charge of the project be people of color.

Damon later said in an on-camera confessional, “I’m glad Effie flagged the issue of diversity for all of us.” But he argued that the person for the job be chosen based on “merit,” leaving “all other factors out if it.”

The liberal racism didn’t go unnoticed as Twitter exploded.



Twitter user Matthew A. Cherry tweeted, “Lost all respect for Matt Damon after watching the premiere of ‘Project Greenlight.’ Typical Hollywood mentality smh.”

Todd VanDerWerff wrote, “That Matt Damon diversity moment in the ‘Project Greenlight’ premiere is SO cringe-y bad.”

User Zoé S. joked, “‘Hi black woman. I know you don’t get many chances to speak uninterrupted, so let me say something about diversity briefly’ – Matt Damon.”

In 2011, which is the most recent year we have data for — only 12.2% of films were directed by minorities. Women of all ethnicity directed only 4.1% of movies that year.

USA Today notes that “In the end, the group went with Jason Mann, an angsty white dude who basically says he can’t make a broad comedy and will need to shoot the entire thing on film. He’s probably the right choice to make an entertaining reality show, which Project Greenlight is, more or less, but not the right choice for many other reasons.”

Damon is currently filming the fifth Jason Bourne film.

elysium-matt-damon-wagner-moura-diego-luna photo

Movie News round-up: Matt Damon talks ‘Bourne,’ ‘Tarzan,’ Jack Ryan and ‘Sherlock 3’ updates

The Raney Family Returns as Discovery kicks off a new season of ‘Homestead Rescue’ on January 2

Super Bowl movie trailers: Black Widow, No Time to Die, The Invisible Man

On the DISPATCH: Headlines  Local  Opinion

Subscribe to Weekly Newsletter

* indicates required
/ ( mm / dd ) [ALL INFO CONFIDENTIAL]

About the Author

- Writer and Co-Founder of The Global Dispatch, Brandon has been covering news, offering commentary for years, beginning professionally in 2003 on Crazed Fanboy before expanding into other blogs and sites. Appearing on several radio shows, Brandon has hosted Dispatch Radio, written his first novel (The Rise of the Templar) and completed the three years Global University program in Ministerial Studies to be a pastor. To Contact Brandon email [email protected] ATTN: BRANDON

Displaying 1 Comments
Have Your Say
  1. Matt Damon interrupts only black person in the room, Effie Brown, to lecture on diversity - InfoPult News says:

    […] Read more at The Global Dispatch Related News Discovery sets Matt Rogers as host of ‘The Dirt’ for ‘Gold Rush’ season 6 pre-show, begins in October TV personality and singer/songwriter Matt Rogers has been named the new host of Discovery’s THE DIRT, the popular pre-show to the network’s #1-rated show GOLD RUSH. THE DIRT returns … READ MORE Winter Storm Damon wreaks havoc up and down East Coast Winter Storm Damon packed a precipitation-filled punch for millions of people as the nor'easter worked its way up the eastern seaboard — leaving one person dead in a highway wreck…. … READ MORE Giada: I never cheated with Matt Lauer or Bobby Flay! De Laurentiis fired back at rumors she romanced Matt Lauer and Bobby Flay before announcing her divorce from Todd Thompson. Source:: Giada: I never cheated with Matt Lauer or Bobby … READ MORE Chris Brown granted joint custody of daughter in Texas HOUSTON (AP) — A judge has granted R&B singer Chris Brown joint custody of his young daughter in Texas.A judge in Houston on Friday agreed with Brown's request to share … READ MORE Damon Lindelof Teases Next Season Of Leftovers; Reviews Season 5 Of Game Of Thrones PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 09: Executive Producer/Writer Damon Lindelof speaks onstage during the ‘The Leftovers’ panel discussion at the HBO portion of the 2014 Winter Television Critics Association tour at … READ MORE Stevie Brown aims to rebound from poor play and attitude This is how difficult 2014 has been for Stevie Brown: Rehabilitating the torn ACL in his left knee, an injury that sabotaged his entire 2013, was easier to endure. Last… … READ MORE Kate Hudson, Matt Bellamy split — and she’s dating Derek Hough The pair has called off their three-year engagement. Source:: Kate Hudson, Matt Bellamy split — and she’s dating Derek Hough READ MORE Newly released docs show consistency in pal’s account of Brown shooting A prosecutor released hundreds of pages of additional documents Saturday from the investigation into the police shooting of Michael Brown, including an interview transcript of a friend who initially asserted… … READ MORE Discovery sets Matt Rogers as host of ‘The Winter Storm Damon wreaks havoc up and down Giada: I never cheated with Matt Lauer or Chris Brown granted joint custody of daughter in Damon Lindelof Teases Next Season Of Leftovers; Reviews Stevie Brown aims to rebound from poor play Kate Hudson, Matt Bellamy split — and she’s Newly released docs show consistency in pal’s account var hupso_services_c=new Array("twitter","facebook_like","facebook_send","google");var hupso_counters_lang = "en_GB";var hupso_image_folder_url = "";var hupso_url_c="";var hupso_title_c="Matt Damon interrupts only black person in the room, Effie Brown, to lecture on diversity"; […]

Leave a comment

XHTML: You can use these html tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

like_us_on_facebook

 

The Global Dispatch Facebook page- click here

Movie News Facebook page - click here

Television News Facebook page - click here

Weird News Facebook page - click here 

DISPATCH RADIO

dispatch_radio

THE BRANDON JONES SHOW

brandon_jones_show-logo

Archives