Writer Stephen King upset a large contingent of Twitter Tuesday when he tweeted out his opinions on quality and diversity in entertainment. One of the people who have spoken out against his comments is Harriet star Cynthia Erivo, who also currently stars in the HBO adaptation of King’s The Outsider.
“Hopefully more work gets seen by people who are making really good work, and I feel like this year we had a flurry of beautiful pieces by people who are diverse in nature–Black women, women in general,” said Erivo while attending the Television Critics Association press tour panel for The Outsider, according to Variety. “I think you’re seeing more of it on TV, HBO in particular, [where] you have Regina King on Watchmen who’s incredible. And I think that opens the doors and opens our eyes to the people who are making the work. I am one, so if there’s room to play, then that’s what I’m going to do. And if I can create room for others, that’s also what I’m going to do.”
Erivo said that diversity in entertainment is helping “change the way people think,” adding that she hopes inclusion in the industry continues. “[Inclusion in] the way they cast things, change the way they line up producers and directors and writers” as well as a hope that the people behind the scenes will “reflect the world that we live in.”
Tuesday, King wrote on Twitter his opinions about the arts and diversity. His tweet seemed to give the opinion that diverse entertainment doesn’t fit in the discussion about quality stories. “…I would never consider diversity in matters of art. Only quality,” he wrote. “It seems to me that to do otherwise would be wrong.”
…I would never consider diversity in matters of art. Only quality. It seems to me that to do otherwise would be wrong.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 14, 2020
After the massive backlash from people outlining that he was speaking from a place of white male privilege in the entertainment industry, he issued a second tweet. “The most important thing we can do as artists and creative people is make sure everyone has the same fair shot, regardless of sex, color or orientation. Right now such people are badly under-represented, and not only in the arts.” He also added, “You can’t win awards if you’re shut out of the game.”
The most important thing we can do as artists and creative people is make sure everyone has the same fair shot, regardless of sex, color, or orientation. Right now such people are badly under-represented, and not only in the arts.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 14, 2020
You can’t win awards if you’re shut out of the game.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 14, 2020
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Photo: Getty
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