Jane Campion: No Filter

Jane Campion stuck her foot in her mouth at the Critics Choice Awards this year. She was talking about how she had tried to play tennis and found it really hard. She was funny and charming and self-depricating. She was off to a good start. Venus and Serena Williams were sitting right in front of her and she was paying them a compliment for their skills as professional athletes. But, Jane said, as great as the sisters are at tennis, they don't play against men the way that she, Jane Campion, must compete against men in Hollywood. There is not women's league of directors, no best female director category. Just ol' Jane, slugging it out with the boys. Everyone clapped and Venus Williams grimaced and became a meme for a hot minute until Will Smith slapped Chris Rock...we'll get to the slap apology next week, we promise. For now, let's get back to Jane's apology. The Williams sisters were at the Critics Choice awards because they were executive producers of a bio-pic about their father. Their film, King Richard, was up for prizes and competing against Jane's film, The Power of the Dog. Jane's comment was supposed to be about how hard it is for women in Hollywood to be taken seriously (or get jobs behind the camera). Instead it became about tearing other people down to stand atop the shredded flesh of their humiliated bodies in order to grab prizes hanging just out of reach above your head. Jane felt bad when everyone on the internet told her that she had diminished the Williams sisters' accomplishments. Jane apologized and her street cred as a liberal speaks volumes - her remark was not intentionally racist and she is truly sorry for having misspoken. Plus she didn't smack Chris Rock across the face so really can't we just let bygones be bygones. No, Jane. No, we can't. We'll see you on this episode of Apologies Accepted.