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Kevin Hart and the real problem with the Oscars
Comedian Kevin Hart made a comedy joke that lampooned Gays and he was quickly tossed from hosting this year’s Oscars. But the real controversy is the Oscars. Are they even relevant anymore?
By Ray Hanania
I wish the Oscars reacted to complaints as fast and as tough and they did when some Gay Rights activists complained that Kevin Hart had made some inappropriate jokes during his past comedy performances and should not be hosting this year’s Academy Awards ceremonies.
Personally, I like Kevin Hart. He is a very funny African American comedian. And I know that every ethnic group — African Americans, Hispanics, Italians, old people, Gays and Arabs — have their own boundaries on humor.
I’ve ignored the Oscars in past years because they are such hypocrites. Their judges often select the “winners” not based on performance or talent but on political considerations like whether or not a Black or Gay actor should win, or whether certain films with strong political agendas should win.
The Oscars are political, as are many of the movies that are made.
But this year, when the Oscars announced that Hart would be the comic emcee, I thought it would be different and worth enjoying.
But before Hart could even start writing his material, activists in the Gay and Lesbian community complained that Hart had made jokes that were anti-Gay.
Wow. I’ve never heard an anti-Gay comic make derogatory jokes about straight people, have you? (Sarcasm.)
Gay journalists began bashing Hart relentlessly. What stops them from compromising their journalistic ethnics and use their positions to advance their personal preferences? Everyone else in journalism does it, right? They accused Hart of homophobia.
They’ve been advocating replacements who, by the way, are mostly Gay, or favored by Gays.
I don’t mind the fact that Gays have flexed their muscle and the Oscars have listened. But the Oscars don’t always do that. In fact, the entire movie industry is built on racism, prejudice and stereotypes.
Movies are filled with racism, but I will bet many of those will win Oscars this year and few will protest.
Hate also fills many of the movies made in Hollywood, as well as being filled with excessive violence, too. In fact, violence seems to be the trend. And hating certain political people (like President Trump) is acceptable.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Oscars hires Kathy Griffin to host the Oscars. She’s a Gay rights activist who thought it was funny to cut off President Trump’s head. You know the Oscars won’t hire Roseanne Barr to host the Oscars.
Funny how violence in films is OK but standup comedy humor that pushes the envelop beyond some people’s accepted standards, including stereotypes involving Gays, Blacks, women, Arabs, Muslims – oh yea, Arabs and Muslims, fill our movie screens.
Racism and hate sell in America. They always have and have filled the film industry. But a number of years ago, Hollywood started to selectively apply standards on which forms of racism can continue in films and which need to stop.
So, here’s my thought. I won’t watch the Oscars ever again, until they hire an emcee who reflects my life and my concerns and my interests: Palestinian, Arab, Christian, and slightly right of center politics.
Yea, right. I won’t hold my breath because that ain’t gonna happen. Well, oit could happen if they grab me illegally in violation of the U.S. Constitution and then try to water board me.
That’s been done a few times. Maybe we should get one of the survivors or a U.S. Military strike on a civilian wedding in Iraq host the Oscars, instead of making movies that whitewash the facts of that politically motivated war.
Of course, I am just a normal person and no one listens to normal people any more.
(Ray Hanania is an award-winning former Chicago City Hall political reporter and columnist. Hanania can be reached on his personal website at www.Hanania.com and by email at [email protected].)
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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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