On Dog Power and the Dangers of White Feminists in Film
Beware of the woke white feminist filmmaker. From The Grio:
“Jane Campion is in a bit of hot water after a controversial comment about Serena and Venus Williams at the Critics Choice Awards.
Campion won best director at the 27th annual Critics Choice Awards on Sunday for her Netflix film, The Power of the Dog. During her acceptance speech, she made comments about the legendary tennis players.
At first, Campion seemed to praise the Williams sisters, who were in attendance in support of the film King Richard, a biopic about their father and tennis coach, Richard Williams.
“Venus and Serena, what an honor to be in the room with you,” Campion said. “I’ve taken up tennis. I really have, and when you want to come over and give me lessons, I’d truly love it.”
Then, after acknowledging her fellow nominees as “the guys,” she ended the speech by evoking the Williams sisters again. “Serena and Venus, you are such marvels. However, you do not play against the guys like I have to.”
Campion was making a statement about the competition she faces amongst male directors. She is only the third female filmmaker to win best director at the Critics Choice Awards. She was nominated with Paul Thomas Anderson, Kenneth Branagh, Guillermo del Toro, Steven Spielberg, and Denis Villeneuve, as reported by Newsweek.
However, many viewers felt Campion referring to the Williams sisters during her speech was unnecessary and uncomfortable and expressed those views on social media.”
UGH.
She won a damn award, and she somehow couldn't stop herself from levying out a microaggression and playing a game of oppression Olympics while belittling two of the greatest athletes in world history as her possible future tennis instructors DURING HER ACCEPTANCE SPEECH. Like, who decides to use their acceptance speech at an award show to take shots at Black women?
White people, that's who.
I'm not even shocked. And you shouldn't be either. White women do this kind of thing in workplaces every day, centering themselves and their struggles as more prevalent and important than those of other women and femmes even when they are in the power position. Sure, Campion has had to fight for her space in Hollywood. But like most white women, she was fighting for spaces and opportunities for white women and not for all women. To allude that Venus and Serena have not had to overcome whiteness, white men, in their sport is ludicrous. Take a glance at who runs the international and national governing bodies of tennis. You'll see a sport governed by whiteness and white men. You don't even need to look that hard to see this. Venus and Serena's accomplishments speak for themselves, especially when you place them under the lens of having to fight for space in a white supremacist, patriarchal structure. There's a reason a movie was made about them and their father. Jane Campion throwing shade at Black women via a backhanded compliment shows how threatened she is by their presence and likely the presence of all Black women she comes in contact with.
This ain't no isolated incident, y'all.
This was something she's done before outside of the public eye that tumbled out on stage for all to see.
Campion's speech exemplifies how many white people, white women, view their struggles as more worthy of a platform and applause, even when their whiteness comes with power and privilege that allows them to achieve success with fewer hurdles.
Enjoy your award, Jane.