'Fresh Prince' Star Janet Hubert Slams Jada Pinkett Smith for Boycotting Oscars

[joeybee12]

Janet Hubert didn't hold back speaking out against Jada Pinkett Smith boycotting the Academy Awards this year.

Hubert -- who played Aunt Vivian on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air -- posted a video response to Will Smith's wife, who announced that she will not be attending the Oscars due to the lack of diversity among the nominees. "First of all, Miss Thing, does your man not have a mouth of his own with which to speak?" Hubert declared. "The second thing, girlfriend, there's a lot of sh** going on in the world that you all don't seem to recognize. People are dying. Our boys are being shot left and right. People are starving. People are trying to pay bills. And you're talking about some motherf**king actors and Oscars. It just ain't that deep."

Hubert also did not agree with Jada asking other people in Hollywood to boycott the awards show. "And here's the other thing, for you to ask other actors, and other black actresses and actors, too, to jeopardize their career and their standing in a town that you know damn well you don't do that," she said. "And here's the other thing -- they don't care. They don't care! And I find it ironic that somebody who has made their living, and made millions and millions of dollars from the very people you're talking about boycotting just because you didn't get a nomination, just because you didn't win. That is not the way life works, baby."

https://www.yahoo.com/tv/fresh-prince-star-janet-hubert-145400378.html

She certainly doesn't hold back!

[CBGLuthier]

1. I like this woman. Smith seems a little full of it since she is really mad her husband didn't get

nominated.

[joeybee12]

2. I'd like to ask Jada who should NOT have been nominated so Will

could have a spot. Janet has a point, with everything else going on, this is what these multi-millionaires decide to get riled up about.

[hfojvt]

6. I think the LA Times ran that flag up the pole

and some people saluted.

[Act_of_Reparation]

3. Inaccuracies:

1) Janet Hubert is not a "star" by any stretch of the imagination.

2) Will Smith can speak for himself, which means he can tell his wife himself if she supports him in a manner he finds displeasing. Janet Hubert need not concern herself in this matter.

3) Just because there is injustice x does not mean we should ignore injustice y. Most people can walk and chew gum at the same fucking time.

4) Composition fallacy. Film industry figures make up the Academy. The Academy does not make up film industry figures. One can protest the latter without being ungrateful to the former.

5) Oh, and because someone gave you a fucking job, you should shut yer yap when they treat you like a second class citizen? The Academy can get away with this shit, but McDonald's can't?

6) Is-ought problem. The way things are is not necessarily the way things ought to be.

Why are we listening to this person, again?

[vaberella]

4. I have been discussing this on twitter since last night.

Ms. Hubert was in the right. I don't care who thought she sounded bitter, the woman knows what she's talking about. She made three important points that I think people forgot in their love for the Smiths and more well known Black celebrities.

1. It is so hard to be a minority actor, let alone Black actor to make it in Hollywood. It is not easy. For all the stupid roles I have seen popularized on television I've always had to ask why did it have to be a White woman or White man playing the role. Take for instance, I don't know Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle, would the story have been worsened it had it been played by Nia Long or Kimberly Elise? But these women aren't really given the chance in mainstream movies. Then too have someone like Smith's call on the to either reject the Academy is ridiculous considering that could get them black listed in Hollywood. Both of them know the industry and how hard it can be for some, why hurt others like that who don't have the clout they have. They made their millions, other's careers shouldn't have to be jeopardized.

2. Past history - I think Ms. Hubert's statement on Will Smith's past actions have relevance here. I remember her story and the shit that went down. She was basically kicked off the show for standing up for herself as a woman and as a person of color for more pay after the show became successful. When she called on Will Smith (who was the star of the show and had an ear with the execs) for support (as she was pushing for a raise for all parties) he left her cold. That says a lot. You were protecting your ass when you could have made a great political stand, but instead you allowed the "troublemaker" to get dropped. Now he's in a place of prestige and can take such a risk, he's pushing for all people to do this and then what? Is he going to back them?

3. Jada Pinckett-Smith - I find her proposal illogical. She never said to boycott the academy, but I know she won't be attending it. Fine. But she calls on the Black community to create their own. Shut up. Just shut up. We want diversity in the academy, and the best way to do that is to create our own? Really? That makes no damn sense. We have to push for them to beg for diversity because it also makes no sense to me that in the last 15 or more years not one Black film has ever been nominated for an award.

We had two black actors given awards for the worst portrayals ever. Denzel Washington deserved it for Malcolm X and a shit load of other movies, where he plays a reluctant hero. Instead, he's given the award for best actor after playing the role of a crooked cop in Training Day (a stupid senseless action film). Only because the Academy had to make up for it for not giving it to him for MX. Then we have Halle Berry, a pretty shit actress who has never improved. But she's given the award for Best actress, on the same night mind you, for a horrible movie where she takes her clothes off. While Angela Bassett was slighted in Malcolm X and in for her role as Tina Turner in What's Love Got To Do With It.

The academy is ridiculous and the racism in Hollywood is even more so. It's a little sad the Smiths wait till now to object.

The funniest of this shit is that Will Smith has claimed he has not even seen racism in Hollywood, so why this bullshit from the wife?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/will-smith-racism-prejudice_us_5653620fe4b0d4093a589b64

[joeybee12]

8. I like your point about Training Day...

There is so much that goes into who gets what than simply talent because these are so subjective. Probably Denzel got it because of previous works, which is often the case. And he also got it because everyone really started hating the presumptive favorite, Russell Crowe, who was insulting everyone right and left leading up to the awards.

[B2G]

9. Are you sure about that?

"We have to push for them to beg for diversity because it also makes no sense to me that in the last 15 or more years not one Black film has ever been nominated for an award."

What about:

The Color Purple
Precious
The Blind Side
Django Unchained
Twelve Years a Slave
Selma

[vaberella]

10. Let me rephrase...they have not won Best Movie of the Year

The Color Purple was the most goddamn biggest slap in the face a Black film has ever gotten. And when compared to the other many films Black directors and actors have made, those are a few compared to the hundreds out there.

The movies have won awards for movie scores or one of their actors.

[joeybee12]

11. Steve Spielberg directed it...

Never been a fan of his....he's gotten ok, but he's nowhere the artistry of a lot of directors.

[vaberella]

23. It was nominated for at around 13 academy awards and it didn't win one. n/t

[B2G]

12. 12 Years a Slave won in 2013. nt

[vaberella]

24. 1 movie in around...hmmm almost 100 years.

Speechless.

[cwydro]

13. Yup.

Thank you.

[Shrike47]

5. Why would anyone care what Janet Hubert thinks? Or what Jada Smith attends?

[LynneSin]

7. I do think there is an issue that needs to be asked. Ildris Elba deserved a nomination

I still do not understand why that guy from 'Beasts of No Nation' what not nominated. He was really good in that movie. That movie was just fricking amazing.

[TipTok]

18. I think that's the Netflix thing...

Don't want to encourage them.

[LittleBlue]

14. If Jada were principled, she would have talked about getting black people good roles

Because she made it about nominations rather than opportunities, she gave the appearance that her grievance was over her husband's snub.

Plenty of deserving actors and actresses get snubbed. It's just an awards show.

[joeybee12]

15. It does come across as sour grapes...nt

[LittleBlue]

17. Yeah, and I'm not sure why either

Looked at the Concussion Wiki page. Bombed financially at the box office. Metacritic analysis of reviews gave it an average score of 56/100.

Did Will expect a nomination for a mediocre movie that nobody watched?

[joeybee12]

19. That rarely happens...

They say it's for the best performance, but they really do take into account how the movie does.

[LynneSin]

20. I think Viola Davis said it best at the Emmy's

When she said that African-Americans can't win these awards when there are no parts created for them (I'm paraphrasing but it was something like that). Viola Davis had just won the Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama for 'How to Get Away with Murder'. Also that year Regina King and Uzo Abuda also won Emmy's. (I think won won for Mini-Series and the other for Supporting Actress).

I found it annoying that Lupita Nyong'o was in the new Star Wars movie yet you wouldn't know who she played unless you looked at the credits. Here is this Oscar winning actress who is considered a style icon and a model for a top make-up brand (Lancome) and yet she had the part that pretty much was another Yoda. Why they couldn't have made her character in a way that she would have been recognized by her fan - I just don't get it. It seemed like a waste of talent if you ask me. Nyong'o just was excited to be a part of the Star Wars franchise so I guess she was ok with what they did. But even Adam Driver got to remove his mask and show his face.

[LittleBlue]

21. Yeah I was looking for her the whole movie

Was she the little midget alien woman? I never figured out which role she played.

Her and Brienne from GOT (Captain Phasma) got disappeared, unfortunately.

[LynneSin]

22. Yep that was Lupita

It didn't even sound like her, it sounded like an old woman. Betty White could have easily played that role. Or even me.

[vaberella]

25. It's not about parts being created, it's about parts being offered. Just like Effie Brown said.

I'm sorry, but I see plenty of movies with young White women...why cannot they not be offered to a Black woman. There is always a prerequisite that the woman is White or the man is White. Why not just shift the script and give it to the Black woman.

This is what was said by Effie Brown about diversity, and then she had to deal with "damonsplaining" (White Privilege commentary by Matt Damon). Diversity should be on and off the screen. She's like it will project a bad image with the one good movie of the bunch all written by White writers, and this one good film is the only one with a Black female, but she's a drug-addicted prostitute who's getting beat up by her White pimp. If I remember the details of the film correctly. What kind of nonsense is that.

I do't see why for instance roles aren't written and open to the gamut. Why is there a race element added? Give an age, give a condition or predilection, give a plot. Why Julia Roberts in Ocean's Eleven and not Nia Long? I'm just saying.

It's a damn shame. They have plenty of roles, but they offer them mainly to White people.

[Prism]

16. Somewhat relatedly, AV Club had an interesting article about Hollywood snubbing LGBT dramas as well

I don't know that I entirely agree, but it was food for thought:

http://www.avclub.com/article/mostly-snubbing-carol-oscars-continue-exclude-quee-230826

[vaberella]

26. Of course they do. All minorities are struggling.

But I'd even argue in Latino, Asian, and Black actors get snubbed in even LGBTQ films, and LGBTQ films are snubbed overall.

I remember the twitter drama that erupted with the film Stonewall.

[Prism]

28. Stonewall pissed me royally off

I'd be hard-pressed to find a single LGBTer I know who liked or even bothered to see that movie. What a travesty.

I agree with you about how LGBT movies are frequently whitewashed. Just glance at the LGBT section on, say, Netflix, and all you typically see are attractive twenty-something white guys. Boring. Living in San Francisco, that's just not my racial experience with the community. We're a diverse lot.

But, I would argue that's a problem for both straight movie makers and LGBT ones. The community just isn't as integrated as it ought to be, and oftentimes all we end up getting are depictions of affluent white people made by affluent white people.

I have a lot of Asian friends, and they're loving voices like Eddie Huang's spearheading a long-needed discussion about emasculation of Asian men in both straight and gay culture. Then there's the problem where a lot of African-American gay cinema targeted towards men always pigeonholes them into Down Low culture.

Bah, I'm rambling - I've a lot to say on this topic. But, racially, when it comes to LGBT culture, we could be doing a hell of a lot better.

[vaberella]

29. I completely agree with you 100%. n/t

[MrWendel]

27. Its known...

through a few circles that she hates Will Smith's guts.

[vaberella]

31. That doesn't mitigate anything she said. Considering that history, it makes it more powerful.

I could just imagine being a woman and a POC asking for raise and hoping to get everyone on board to their betterment and instead you get kicked off the show and then replaced by a light skinned version on top of it. Because the battle of the light and dark skin was an issue on that show.