Let me just start off by saying that 12 Years A Slave is an AMAZING movie. One I probably won’t be watching again because it’s like an atomic bomb to the soul, but still really amazing. Anyway, the one downside to the movie is that now we have a bunch of famous people comparing rich people problems to slavery. First was Madonna comparing being criticized for texting in a movie to slavery. Then Kanye West compared his work for Nike to slavery. And now director David O. Russell is saying that Jennifer Lawrence‘s work schedule for The Hunger Games is slavery. Thankfully, now he’s apologizing for that, so at least he has that going for him. Via HuffPo …
“I personally think they should give her a bit of breathing room over there because they’re printing money. But she’s a very alive person,” Russell told the paper at the Australian Academy’s AACTA Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 10. “I’ll tell you what it is about that girl — talk about 12 years of slavery, that’s what the franchise is. And I’m going to get in so much trouble for saying that.”
In an email to HuffPost Entertainment, reps for Russell released a statement from the director, in which he apologized for his comments: “Clearly, I used a stupid analogy in a poor attempt at humor. I realized it the minute I said it and I am truly sorry.”
To his credit, it does kind of seem like the moment that left his mouth, he knew he was probably going to eat total sh!t for it, so at least he had the good sense to apologize immediately afterwards. That being said, seriously people: Stop comparing things you don’t like to slavery. You know what’s like slavery? Being forced to work for nothing by pain of death or else being treated as literal property. Everything else? Not slavery.
PHOTO | FAME/FLYNET