Photo illustration: Vultutre, HBO and Netflix
If, like 97 percent of the internet, you were confused that this year’s Golden Globe nominations were hailed small Insta ringarde Emily in Paris but hung the sensational I can destroy you out to dry, hashtag your macarons another time and read this. In a new Guardian op-ed, Emily in Paris Staff writer Deborah Copaken said she in no way expected the seductively silly Parisian comedy to receive nominations, but “that excitement is now sadly tempered by my anger at Michaela Coel’s slaughter.” Copaken, a sexual assault survivor who considers Coel’s limited series to be “a pure work of genius,” said she had watched the show twice “just to understand” how Coel did it.
“May I destroy You haven’t gotten one Golden Globe kink, it’s not just wrong, it’s what’s wrong with everything, ”she wrote. “But my anger isn’t all about the race. Or even about racial representation in art. Yes, we need art that reflects all of our colors, not just some. But we should also award prizes to shows they deserve, regardless of their creators’ skin color. Is Hamilton great because Lin-Manuel Miranda is Puerto Rican No. It’s great because it pops. In the same way, how anyone can watch I can destroy you and don’t call it a brilliant work of art or Michaela Coel is a genius beyond my ability to understand how these decisions are made. In that respect Copaken acknowledged that Emily in ParisIts vision was “washed away from the vibrant African and Muslim communities” in favor of telling a story of “luxurious” whiteness. Yes, it’s one of the show’s many faux pas.