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a30 people & arts
Thursday 11 June 2020
HBO Max removes 'Gone With the Wind,' will add context

By JAKE COYLE featuring slave characters
AP Film Writer who remain loyal to their
NEW YORK (AP) — HBO Max former owners after the ab-
has temporarily removed olition of slavery. It remains
"Gone With the Wind" from the highest-grossing film
its streaming library in order of all time when adjusted
to add historical context to for inflation. It won eight
the 1939 film long criticized Academy Awards includ-
for romanticizing slavery ing best picture and best
and the Civil War-era South. supporting actress for Hat-
Protests in the wake of tie McDaniel, the first black
George Floyd's death actress to be nominated or
have forced entertainment win an Oscar. The move by
companies to grapple WarnerMedia prompted
with the appropriateness widespread debate on
of both current and past social media Wednesday,
productions. On Tuesday, especially among those
the Paramount Network who didn't realize HBO Max
dropped the long-running planned to return "Gone
reality series "Cops" after With the Wind" to it plat-
33 seasons. The BBC also form. "I'm told that no lon-
removed episodes of "Little ger can you find on HBO
Britain," a comedy series 'Gone with the Wind' be-
that featured a charac- cause somehow that is now
ter in blackface, from its offensive," said Kayleigh
streaming service. In an McEnany, White House
op-ed Monday in the Los In this Dec. 19, 1939 file photo, a crowd gathers outside the Astor Theater on Broadway during the press secretary. "Where
Angeles Times, the filmmak- premiere of "Gone With the Wind" in New York. Associated Press do you draw the line? Is
er John Ridley urged War- it to George Washington
nerMedia to take down ment, the AT&T-owned HBO Max spokesman in a prejudices never existed." and Thomas Jefferson and
"Gone With the Wind," ar- WarnerMedia, which owns statement. The company Based on a 1936 book by James Madison? (Should
guing that it "romanticizes HBO Max, called "Gone said that when "Gone With Margaret Mitchell, "Gone they) be erased from his-
the Confederacy in a way With the Wind" "a product the Wind" returns to the re- With the Wind" is a historical tory? What about FDR and
that continues to give le- of its time" that depicts ra- cently launched stream- epic about a romance be- internment camps? Should
gitimacy to the notion that cial prejudices. "These rac- ing service, it will include tween Scarlett O'Hara (Vivi- he be erased from history?"
the secessionist movement ist depictions were wrong "historical context and a en Leigh), the daughter of "Gone With the Wind" re-
was something more, or then and are wrong today, denouncement of those a Georgia plantation own- mains widely available
better, or more noble than and we felt that to keep this very depictions, but will be er, and Rhett Butler (Clark for digital rental and pur-
what it was — a bloody in- title up without an explana- presented as it was origi- Gable), a gambler who chase. On Wednesday,
surrection to maintain the tion and a denouncement nally created, because to joins the Confederacy. it rose toward the top of
'right' to own, sell and buy of those depictions would do otherwise would be the "Gone With the Wind" has movie charts on Amazon
human beings." In a state- be irresponsible," said an same as claiming these long been denounced for and Apple's iTunes.q

Bon Appetit says magazine ‘too white,’ promises big changes

are owned by luxury maga- hensive pay equity analy- a stereotyped Puerto Rican
zine publisher Conde Nast, sis" by the end of this year. costume. A photographer,
whose CEO, Roger Lynch, Bon Appetit's Sohla El-Wayl- Alex Lau, said he left Bon
issued his own statement of ly, an assistant editor and Appetit in part because
support for the effort. former restaurant owner when he felt that changes
The staff statement called who is one of the maga- he and other staffers of col-
Bon Appetit "white-centric" zine's YouTube stars, said or pushed for were ignored.
and said it frequently mar- Monday that she was hired Top editors have departed
ginalized "non-white sto- last year at a $50,000 salary several media companies
ries" as not newsworthy or to assist white editors with this week as rallies against
trendy. Many people of less experience than her, police brutality have
color were hired for "entry- and was not paid for her sparked conversations
level positions with little video appearances while around race in the work-
power," it stated. white editors were. Several place and journalists of col-
Two covers of Bon Appetit magazine are shown in this photo, in To fix that, the statement of her colleagues said they or speak up about policies
New York, Wednesday, June 10, 2020. said that both publications would not participate in at their organizations.
Associated Press are "prioritizing people of more videos until pay was Anna Wintour, Vogue's top
By TALI ARBEL "our mastheads have been color for the editor in chief fair. editor and Conde Nast's
AP Business Writer far too white for far too candidate pool, imple- Other current and former artistic director, also apol-
Bon Appetit, whose top long" and promised major menting anti-racism train- journalists at the magazine ogized last week for "mis-
editor resigned Monday changes at the magazine. ing for our staff, and resolv- said this week that prob- takes" in not doing enough
after a staff revolt over an The announcement came ing any pay inequities that lems went beyond the de- to elevate black voices
offensive photo and long- in an unsigned statement are found across all depart- parting top editor, Adam and publishing images and
standing issues involving attributed to staff at both ments." Lynch said in his Rapoport, who resigned af- stories that have been ra-
treatment of people of col- Bon Appetit and Epicuri- statement that Conde Nast ter an old Halloween photo cially and culturally "hurtful
or, said Wednesday that ous, a foodie web site. Both plans to release a "compre- surfaced in which he wore or intolerant."q