Even in the chaos that followed the slap heard ‘round the world, Chris Rock owed “Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” its moment, says producer Joseph Patel.
Patel, the first South Asian filmmaker to win an Oscar for documentary feature and the third South Asian artist to win an Oscar Sunday night, shamed Rock for dismissing the work he put into the project when he “lumped me in as 1 of ‘4 white guys.’”
“The reason that makes me SO SO VERY ANGRY is because I was so proud to be one of a handful of South Asians to have ever won an Oscar in the history of the award,” Patel wrote in a since-deleted Twitter thread Wednesday night.
“Three South Asians winning on the same night — that’s never happened before! And it’s meaningful! It’s history!”
Patel also pointed out that Rock’s categorization of the creative team was not even accurate in numbers either; the award went to director Questlove and three, not four, producers: Robert Fyvolent, David Dinerstein and Patel himself.
“I got back home to New York last night and saw the ceremony on my DVR and didn’t have the stomach to watch it,” Patel wrote. “I probably never will. Thank you, Chris — You absolute f—ing d—.”
At the same time, the producer also acknowledged the mess Will Smith had caused when he stormed the stage and slapped Rock over his “G.I. Jane” joke about wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
“I think what Will did was selfish,” Patel wrote. “It robbed the category of its moment. It robbed the other excellent and amazing films of their moment to be acknowledged in what was a STRONG year for docs. And it robbed ‘Summer of Soul’ and our team of our moment. Of a loud, enthusiastic cheer for a celebrated film.”
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