As one of the most prolific and successful authors of all time, Stephen King is a living legend for storytellers and writers, but the acclaimed novelist has recently caught fire for his controversial comments about diversity in art.
The Academy has once again proven that it can’t reflect diversity when assessing the eligible movies, as this year’s nominees have failed to represent different races and ethnicities. However, there are some who believe that diversity should not be a measure of quality. Stephen King is one of the few people who’s voiced his concern regarding the attitude towards judging creative excellence, noting that people who critique works of art should be “blind to questions of race, gender, or sexual orientation.”
In fact, in a recent opinion piece, King expressed his dissatisfaction with this “increasingly acrimonious” trend by saying that such criteria are insulting to the idea of creative work:
“The response reflects my overall attitude that, as with justice, judgments of creative excellence should be blind. But that would be the case in a perfect world, one where the game isn’t rigged in favor of the white folks. Creative excellence comes from every walk, color, creed, gender and sexual orientation, and it’s made richer and bolder and more exciting by diversity, but it’s defined by being excellent.
“Judging anyone’s work by any other standard is insulting and – worse – it undermines those hard-won moments when excellence from a diverse source is rewarded (against, it seems, all the odds) by leaving such recognition vulnerable to being dismissed as politically correct.”
But even the Dark Tower writer admits that he’s the archetype of a white, rich male in this argument. Though despite these controversial claims, at least to the people who had trouble with his words on Washington Post, King shares the same general distaste for the lack of equal representation. That’s why he had to clarify his original statements by saying the following:
“We don’t live in that perfect world, and this year’s less-than-diverse Academy Awards nominations once more prove it. Maybe someday we will. I can dream, can’t I? After all, I make stuff up for a living.”
Ultimately, though, matters of diverse representation in the entertainment world should be up for public discourse. So, by all means, let us know your thoughts on the subject down below and if you agree with Stephen King.
