Is Stephen King a closet conservative?
Okay, probably not, but the bestselling author and liberal blowhard sounded an awful like like a Republican earlier this week on Twitter when he chimed in on the Oscars and the apparent lack of diversity among the nominees.
“As a writer, I am allowed to nominate in just 3 categories: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Screenplay. For me, the diversity issue—as it applies to individual actors and directors, anyway—did not come up. That said, I would never consider diversity in matters of art. Only quality. It seems to me that to do otherwise would be wrong,” he tweeted.
King continued, “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.”
It was probably the most reasonable thing I’ve ever heard him say.
As a writer, I am allowed to nominate in just 3 categories: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Screenplay. For me, the diversity issue–as it applies to individual actors and directors, anyway–did not come up. That said…
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 14, 2020
…I would never consider diversity in matters of art. Only quality. It seems to me that to do otherwise would be wrong.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 14, 2020
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. Right now such people are badly under-represented, and not only in the arts.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 14, 2020
Naturally, the virtue-signaling Social Justice Warriors on Twitter went nuts.
You're a very smart person ans one of my favourite writers, but you must acknowledge you've had an easier path in your career than a woman or POC, right?
White men disproportionately reward other white men, regardless of quality.— Faron Gidge (@FaronGidge) January 14, 2020
If this is "most important" then you can't ignore diversity. It's willful ignorance to act like "a fair shot" is possible when systems are in place at every level to elevate/highlight white/male creators. Ignoring diversity means tacit approval of racist systems.
— POC Culture (@POC_Culture) January 15, 2020
Black people don't even get to make art. They have to recreate acceptable negro stories that other white men allow them to create. And is PRECISELY because you motherfuckers don't consider diversity
That's why I vote for EVERYBODY black.
Because people like Stephen King exist.
— michaelharriot (@michaelharriot) January 15, 2020
Stephen King: "…I would never consider diversity in matters of art. Only quality."
Books that many white men consider 'quality': "Her boobs looked at me."
— Rin (preorder WICKED AS YOU WISH 3/3/20) (@RinChupeco) January 15, 2020
To imply quality and diversity are mutually exclusive tells us quite loudly how threatened you are by the potential of a level artistic playing field in which said ‘diverse’ stories are exponentially more compelling, vast, resonant, poignant than your own…
— Octavia Butler knew… (@NotNikyatu) January 14, 2020
Stephen King is a great writer of our time & yada yada… but if you truly believe that diversity in art shouldn’t be considered then you simply don’t understand art at it’s core.
Art is expression. Expression comes from POV. The only way to have diverse POVs is to consider… https://t.co/i6WpGzARjO
— RUM TUM THUGGER (@IfyNwadiwe) January 15, 2020
When Stephen King says we shouldn't think about diversity in art and it makes you fucking pissed because you usually love his takes pic.twitter.com/xdvWQl1FTm
— James Chase Sanchez (@JChaseSanchez) January 14, 2020
It’s hard to imagine that being judged on merit, not diversity points, would be such a controversial thing to say, but for once in my adult life I can applaud Stephen King for a view he holds.
But now the question is, will Stephen King be canceled?
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Matt Margolis is the author of Trumping Obama: How President Trump Saved Us From Barack Obama’s Legacy and the bestselling book The Worst President in History: The Legacy of Barack Obama. You can follow Matt on Twitter @MattMargolis
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