Behind the series we love, there are sometimes comedians and technicians have suffered for many years. Unfortunately, the toxic and misogynistic working conditions on the set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are far from being an exception…the team of Lost even paid the price.
“I want to hang him from the tallest tree. »
Thirteen years after the end of a series considered by many to be one of the best of all time, the author and journalist Maureen Ryan is about to shed some light behind the scenes of a series plagued by racism, violence and misogyny. In a book entitled burn itpicked up Maureen Ryan the edifying testimonies actors and writers who worked on the series that aired between 2004 and 2010.
As with Joss Whedon and Buffy the Vampire SlayerTHE showrunner from the series, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse are at the heart of these allegations.
There are many testimonies in the book and reported by Vanity Fair evoke the writing of a screenplay guided by racism, misogyny and a set where abuse and violence was the norm.
One of the testimonials, screenwriter Owusu-Breen recalls writing an episode with the died of Mr. Eko, a black character, during which the showrunner Carlton Cuse he would have said:
“I want to hang him from the tallest tree. God, if only we could cut off his dick and stuff his throat.
The screenwriter also described the impossibility of working in such conditions:
“All I wanted was to write cool episodes for a cool show, but that was impossible on this team.. (…) Partly because that they didn’t like their black characters. When you get home and scream for an hour before you can see your kids release all the stress you’ve been holding back, you won’t be writing anything good after that. »
Characters racialized in the background and overthrown in excruciating deaths
According to these testimonies, the writers were instructed to relegate the racialized actors to the background, while the white characters (Kate, Jack and Sawyer) were considered the only heroes of the series. According to one of the writers, the instructions were as follows: “No one is interested in the other characters. Give them some scenes on another beach. »
Black actor Harold Perrineau allegedly denounced these exclusionary and racist portrayals to the producers, who allegedly replied that viewers would identify with Jack, Kate, and Sawyer, aka the white characters. Shortly thereafter, Perrineau was told that his character just was deleted. THE showrunner Damon Lindelof he would later enjoy himself during a writing meeting:
“He called me racist, I kicked him in the buttocks.”
According to the teams, even on set racism has been trivialized and even, encouraged. The only Asian-American screenwriter on the team was notably called the “Korean” instead of being called by name. To a second, having adopted an Asian child, another author would have replied that“no grandparent wants a grandchild with almond eyes”according to Monica Owusu-Breen.
Comments “ insensitive, inappropriate and offensive “: the (late) mea culpa of the showrunners
In the book by Maureen Ryan, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse recognized the facts of which they are accused. The latter said of these astonishing comments of racist violence :
” I am deeply sorry that someone a Lost he had to listen to them. They are very insensitive, inappropriate and offensive “.
Damon Lindelof meanwhile acknowledged the racist biases that guided the script of the series:
“ Of course there was a disproportionate concentration about Jack and Kate and Locke and Sawyer – the white characters. Harold had completely and totally right to underline it. It’s one of the things I had deep regret over the next two decades. »
THE showrunner he questioned her “ basic level of inexperience as a manager and boss” :
“My role as someone who should create a climate of creative danger and risk-taking, providing safety and comfort within the creative process… I failed at this job. »
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
