Variety: SAG-AFTRA leaders are being pressed to respond to stunt performers allegations of racism, nepotism, intimidation and slander.
The issue arose due to an open letter sent Wednesday on behalf of stunt performers who are BIPOC, women, LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities.
2 comments:
This is a world of the entertainment industry that no one ever thinks about. I have cringed at so many movies where the stunt performer is obviously of a different skin tone or is, as they said, “painted down” to look a certain way for a role. This is truly modern-day blackface in Hollywood and goes unnoticed except by the people who are being cheated out of jobs. The part of the article that talks about SAG-AFTRA contractors threatening people to keep their mouths shut is definitely not recent and my heart breaks for so many BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities that have been forced to be content with things that are racist, ableist, homophobic, and everything in between for the sake of a job. But also with a small world like stunt performing, at this stage, white stunt workers should be held accountable for the jobs they’re taking. While a paycheck is needed to survive, it should not be at the expense of black face and cheating a more appropriate performer out of the work.
Stunt doubles are members of a profession that so often flies under the radar. The only time anyone really mentions the stunt doubles in a movie are when they are obviously different from the actors they are supposed to be portraying. Because of this it seems like it should be obvious to hire stunt doubles that accurately reflect the actors in race, ethnicity, gender, and many other factors. Of course that opens up the argument for the lack of representation of all of the referenced groups in mainstream Hollywood. I will be ignoring that big and real problem for a moment though. In terms of not hiring stunt doubles who are disabled or LGBTQIA+ there is no excuse. Not hiring someone because of their identity or their disability is grotesquely unfair to people who are trying to make a living. The other thing that is absolutely inexcusable is to hire white actors to portray BIPOC actors. This "modern day blackface" is entirely unacceptable both for the companies making the decision to do this and the employees choosing to accept these contracts.
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