Every awards season there are inevitable lists of movies, shows and actors that critics and industry insiders feel were snubbed by not getting nominated. After all, art is subjective and that is a critic’s job.
But what doesn’t happen very often is an actor speaking out about such snubs. That all changed this week when Jada Pinkett Smith took to Twitter to share her thoughts about her film, Girls Trip, being snubbed by this year’s Golden Globes nominations, and specifically about her co-star Tiffany Haddish not getting any love despite tons of buzz about her anticipated nomination.
I have so much to say on why @TiffanyHaddish was not nominated for a Globe… but I won’t 🤐
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) December 11, 2017
Actually I will… here we go…
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) December 12, 2017
I’m not upset about @TiffanyHaddish or @GirlsTripMovie not getting a nom… I’m discouraged about the fact that the Hollywood Foreign Press/@goldenglobes wouldn’t even WATCH the movie.
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) December 12, 2017
Sounds like a pretty hefty accusation, right? But according to Universal, the studio that released the film, they did organize a press trip for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in New Orleans but no one attended. As such, a planned press conference for the film was cancelled, and screeners were subsequently sent out. So maybe some voters did watch it, but really there’s no way to tell who watched a screener and who didn’t.
The thought of the cancelled conference was enough to get Pinkett Smith on a roll at any rate.
Girls Trip was one of the most successful films this summer & Tiff was hands down the funniest person on screen in 2017 and we couldn’t get eyes on the film or a press conference. How could a nom happen & how much more critical acclaim must a movie have to simply get a screening?
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) December 12, 2017
But yet… Tiff has been asked to present at their ceremony. This isn’t about shaming, this is about the need for discussion of an antiquated system.
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) December 12, 2017
And I dare not invalidate all the many journalist and people from all walks of life who have supported this movie by defining the issue as simply… racism.
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) December 12, 2017
Hollywood has systems in place that must learn to expand its concepts of race, gender equality and inclusion in regard to its perceptions of art across the board.
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) December 12, 2017
Okay so these accusations seem even more loaded than the first few tweets, but when you step back and look at some of the other films that were included on many critics’ snub lists — including The Big Sick and Get Out — there does appear to be a bit of a white-washing pattern going on there. And if anyone is known for speaking out against awards shows and their apparent racism it’s the Smith family. After all it was Will Smith who called out the Oscars a couple of years ago for their own white-washed nominations and ended up boycotting the entire affair.
While Pinkett Smith didn’t reveal whether she’d be boycotting this year’s Globes, she did end the mini-rant with a bit of a positive message:
Moments like this occur so that we have an opportunity to discuss, recreate and regenerate old paradigms. It’s all about growth. Love.
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) December 12, 2017
What she said. Now if you’ll excuse us, we want to go and rewatch Girls Trip. Because no matter what the Globes say, we thought it was laugh out loud funny — Haddish, Pinkett and all.
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