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shadowkat1. Almost finished listening to the chapter on Sleepy Hollow in Maureen Ryan's book "Burn it Down", and well, it kind of makes Whedon's antics on Buffy and Angel seem like nothing in comparison? And the Lost stuff - nowhere near as bad? At least they didn't blacklist a black actress who contracted an autoimmune disease while working on the series. Or have her character killed off to save a white, 200 year old, British nitwit.
This show...also made a big deal about the lead actress' hair. I kid you not. They went out of their way to make sure she had "normal" hair or non-curly hair. Hired stylists, and had her bring her own wigs.
Here's the Actress
She's beautiful. And I'd love to have her hair. The balding ugly white male show-runners insisted.
My workplace has a rule - you are not allowed to comment on people's hair, particularly if you are in a position of power. Not tell them to cut it, dye it, or anything of the sort. It's considered discriminatory.
Here's EW's article citing items from the book.
Another incident chronicled in Ryan's book involved the all-white staff discussing what should be done about a Black woman's hair. Edwards recalled the macroagression of Campbell and two other white staffers debating "whether the curly hair was cute, and whether it looks good and was professional." Ryan also noted that one unnamed source told her there was "resistance at the studio level to Beharie having natural hair on screen," though the request was eventually granted.
In response, Campbell told Ryan the hair conversation was the "room reacting to the studio/network's decision" and he was conveying "the studio/network's decision that she could wear her hair more naturally so long as she maintained a 'professional' look.'" He added that for part of season 3, Beharie wore "her own personal wigs, which she asked that we use."
Another snippet from the article:
Fox's supernatural thriller Sleepy Hollow failed its Black stars and writers on what has been described as a "hellish" and "miserable" set, according to an explosive new book that explores the patterns of harassment and bias in Hollywood.
In Burn It Down (out now), journalist Maureen Ryan detailed conversations with production staffers who alleged a wide scope of conflict, including a "very us-against-her environment" cultivated against the show's Black female lead, Nicole Beharie, who was allegedly labeled "difficult" by a predominantly all-white male staff under showrunner Clifton Campbell.
The series followed Beharie's Abbie Mills, an upstate New York sheriff's lieutenant, solving crimes with a resurrected Ichabod Crane, played by Tom Mison. Orlando Jones, who played Abbie's boss, Captain Frank Irving, said Beharie and Mison, were both "out of their depths" when it came to adjusting to being leads of the show — and "no one was helping them." He cited a "double standard," noting that Beharie "did not engineer any of that." A man of color who worked on the show identified only as Robert echoed similar sentiments, noting that Beharie and Mison, who is white, "went through steep learning curves that sometimes involved friction with colleagues," but "Beharie's behavior was weaponized against her in a way that Mison's was not."
Orlando Jones went into detail about some of the infractions - stating that there was definitely racism, that he and others were paid far less, and treated less well than the white cast members. Also that it was a shame because there was so much talent in the supporting cast.
Campbell became emotional a second time after fans on social media criticized the show's handling of race, according to Edwards. "He was like, 'Oh, Twitter's accusing me of being racist. And my parents would never let us use that word in the house,'" according to Edwards, "He said, 'That's not how I was raised. I'm not like that.'" In response, Campbell told Ryan he did not cry but became "emotional a couple of times." He said he never made series decisions "based on race" and human resources found "nothing inappropriate about the distribution of script assignments," adding, "Anyone falsely accused of racism likely would be more emotional than average."
Conflict evaded the set from the get-go, including under early season showrunners like Mark Goffman. "There were times when serious issues were brought not just to Mark, but to the powers that be, so to speak," Robert said. "And they either brushed them aside or they were just not handled" due to the people in power being "conflict averse or unwilling to have tough conversations."
Neither lead provided comment.
But this is what Nicole Beharie stated about her experiences a few years ago:
Nicole Beharie talks Sleepy Hollow Exit and being Blacklisted
It's from HERE.
“What happened on ‘Sleepy Hollow’ is really interesting,” said Beharie tactfully. “We had a lot of things happen that paralleled the conversations that are happening in this moment.”
Before Abbie’s sacrificial death to save her white partner Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison), the show had already begun to sideline the character in favor of a (critically-panned) romantic subplot between Ichabod and his wife. And behind the scenes, Beharie and Mison were treated as disparately as their characters were on-screen.
“My costar and I were both sick at the same time but I don’t believe that we were treated equally,” said Beharie. “He was allowed to go back to England for a month [to recover while] I was given Episode 9 to shoot on my own. So I pushed through it and then by the end of that episode I was in urgent care. And all the doctors, including the doctors that the studio was sending, were all confirming, ‘Hey, she can’t work right now.’”
Beharie was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that, at the time, she attributed to her abrupt departure. “There’s a lot of pressure in a situation like that where so many people are relying on you alone to get up and get going,” she said. “I feel like it’s taken me the last few years to really see clearly that it wasn’t personal, it’s about the way that these structures are set up. It was very difficult to talk about at the time because I wanted to get back to work. But I was labeled as problematic and blacklisted by some people.”
“I probably could have been more diplomatic about things in some way,” she added. “Since then, I’ve been making sure that I’m working with the right folks. It’s something that we’ve seen with #MeToo and Time’s Up, where people who’ve asked questions have been discarded. It’s not a new story [but] I never thought it would be my story. Unfortunately it is, but healing takes time and I feel like I’m on the other side of it. I learned a lot. I wouldn’t change anything. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody, though.”
Enraged fans pushed to cancel the show after Abbie’s death, using the hashtag #AbbieDeservesBetter and expressing support for Beharie. The show, which had been on a steady ratings decline, was canceled a season after her character’s exit.
“There was a fan base that, without me even really saying anything or anybody knowing what was really going on, picked up on something,” she said. “I was shocked by the hashtag. I didn’t really have time to take it in because we were working 16-, 18-hour days. And once I left and heard about everything, I didn’t have the voice yet. I was too busy healing to really take it in.”
It was a harsh lesson in the fickle nature of stardom, and between Beharie’s “Sleepy Hollow” departure and the Sundance premiere of “Miss Juneteenth” earlier this year, she only booked a few roles including supporting parts in the acclaimed indie “Monsters and Men” and Hulu’s limited series “Little Fires Everywhere.”
“I think Hollywood is an industry that’s difficult for everyone,” she added. “My particular walk is colored by a number of different things. And yeah, it has been challenging. I am reconciling what it means to be an actor and an artist and a woman of color. The consequences of making a mistake or causing a ripple in the water are greater. And ultimately, nobody wants to be [deemed] trouble. So those situations hold you back and you keep quiet, not wanting to upset anyone or ask too many questions. But I feel like I, and the world as a whole, are in a different place now and I’m happy about that.”
What Ryan describes in her book is a convoluted egotistical mess - caused mainly by inexperienced and incompetent show-runners, executives, and directors. One left in a huff, because of how things were being handled. Orlando Jones asked to be killed off in S2 and wanted out.
I watched it - and gave up on it somewhere in the middle of S2-3. Mainly because what I liked about the series disappeared. Ryan's book describes why that happened and how. The writers didn't want to put Abby and Icabode together, nor did the actors, and decided to find a love interest for Icabode, but didn't really develop one for Abby. Then they went ahead and had Abby sacrifice herself for the 200 year old white boy, Icabode, which...well, doesn't work. And is tone death in a big way. And, the subplot of Icabode's family, witch wife, son, etc - is not appealing. I remember being annoyed. And gave up finally.
Anywho, there was a question raised in squidgie's journal, "what television series would you reboot with different show-runners, different actors, directors, but same basic concept?"
Sleepy Hollow. Except have someone like Jordan Peele show-run it and develop it. He'd turn it on its head.
Also, I wouldn't mind a reboot of LOST, but a different focus, and different showrunners.
Damn, I'm glad I don't work in that industry. I'd have murdered someone by now or had a nervous breakdown.
2. Ditched Marvelous Mrs. Maizel for The Diplomat tonight. After about episode five of season four. Amazon kept kicking me out, and I just gave up finally, and jumped over to Netflix, and The Diplomat.
The Diplomat was hard to find on Netflix. I had to engineer a search for it. Netflix does this - once the show has finished dropping episodes, it pushes it to the rear and pops up the new trending shows it wants you to watch. As a result it is close to impossible to find anything on Netflix.
Also it picks similar shows to whatever you watched previously or started watching. So for example? I started Lucifer again (got bored, gave up again) and finished Shadow and Bone. As a result - I have a lot of horror and teen shows being thrown at me. Also whatever their new hot items are or whatever is currently trending.
So far, Disney is the easiest network to find things on - and that's saying something (it's not that easy, it's just easier than everything else).
Anyhow, the Diplomat is worth the effort. It's good. Stars Keri Russel as the Diplomat (or current Ambassador) and Rufus Sewell (former Ambassador) as her charming but problematic husband. She loves him, but can't forgive him for something he did in Kabul that cost a lot of lives. Also Michael McKean as the President.
It's funnier than Mrs. Maisel. Not surprising. I tend to find dramas funnier than comedies. Mainly because people are often funny when they aren't trying to be or trying too hard. Comedy is best when it is loose and unplanned or absurdist.
It's very witty. Great dialogue. And banter. Russell and Sewell are excellent. And I kind of fall for Sewell all over again. I'd forgotten how appealing that actor is or how good. They are both excellent.
Two episodes in, hooked. And it's been renewed for a second season.
I'll eventually go back to Maisel, because I'm curious. But it is not funny in S4. The Palladino's banter doesn't always work.
This show...also made a big deal about the lead actress' hair. I kid you not. They went out of their way to make sure she had "normal" hair or non-curly hair. Hired stylists, and had her bring her own wigs.
Here's the Actress
She's beautiful. And I'd love to have her hair. The balding ugly white male show-runners insisted.
My workplace has a rule - you are not allowed to comment on people's hair, particularly if you are in a position of power. Not tell them to cut it, dye it, or anything of the sort. It's considered discriminatory.
Here's EW's article citing items from the book.
Another incident chronicled in Ryan's book involved the all-white staff discussing what should be done about a Black woman's hair. Edwards recalled the macroagression of Campbell and two other white staffers debating "whether the curly hair was cute, and whether it looks good and was professional." Ryan also noted that one unnamed source told her there was "resistance at the studio level to Beharie having natural hair on screen," though the request was eventually granted.
In response, Campbell told Ryan the hair conversation was the "room reacting to the studio/network's decision" and he was conveying "the studio/network's decision that she could wear her hair more naturally so long as she maintained a 'professional' look.'" He added that for part of season 3, Beharie wore "her own personal wigs, which she asked that we use."
Another snippet from the article:
Fox's supernatural thriller Sleepy Hollow failed its Black stars and writers on what has been described as a "hellish" and "miserable" set, according to an explosive new book that explores the patterns of harassment and bias in Hollywood.
In Burn It Down (out now), journalist Maureen Ryan detailed conversations with production staffers who alleged a wide scope of conflict, including a "very us-against-her environment" cultivated against the show's Black female lead, Nicole Beharie, who was allegedly labeled "difficult" by a predominantly all-white male staff under showrunner Clifton Campbell.
The series followed Beharie's Abbie Mills, an upstate New York sheriff's lieutenant, solving crimes with a resurrected Ichabod Crane, played by Tom Mison. Orlando Jones, who played Abbie's boss, Captain Frank Irving, said Beharie and Mison, were both "out of their depths" when it came to adjusting to being leads of the show — and "no one was helping them." He cited a "double standard," noting that Beharie "did not engineer any of that." A man of color who worked on the show identified only as Robert echoed similar sentiments, noting that Beharie and Mison, who is white, "went through steep learning curves that sometimes involved friction with colleagues," but "Beharie's behavior was weaponized against her in a way that Mison's was not."
Orlando Jones went into detail about some of the infractions - stating that there was definitely racism, that he and others were paid far less, and treated less well than the white cast members. Also that it was a shame because there was so much talent in the supporting cast.
Campbell became emotional a second time after fans on social media criticized the show's handling of race, according to Edwards. "He was like, 'Oh, Twitter's accusing me of being racist. And my parents would never let us use that word in the house,'" according to Edwards, "He said, 'That's not how I was raised. I'm not like that.'" In response, Campbell told Ryan he did not cry but became "emotional a couple of times." He said he never made series decisions "based on race" and human resources found "nothing inappropriate about the distribution of script assignments," adding, "Anyone falsely accused of racism likely would be more emotional than average."
Conflict evaded the set from the get-go, including under early season showrunners like Mark Goffman. "There were times when serious issues were brought not just to Mark, but to the powers that be, so to speak," Robert said. "And they either brushed them aside or they were just not handled" due to the people in power being "conflict averse or unwilling to have tough conversations."
Neither lead provided comment.
But this is what Nicole Beharie stated about her experiences a few years ago:
Nicole Beharie talks Sleepy Hollow Exit and being Blacklisted
It's from HERE.
“What happened on ‘Sleepy Hollow’ is really interesting,” said Beharie tactfully. “We had a lot of things happen that paralleled the conversations that are happening in this moment.”
Before Abbie’s sacrificial death to save her white partner Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison), the show had already begun to sideline the character in favor of a (critically-panned) romantic subplot between Ichabod and his wife. And behind the scenes, Beharie and Mison were treated as disparately as their characters were on-screen.
“My costar and I were both sick at the same time but I don’t believe that we were treated equally,” said Beharie. “He was allowed to go back to England for a month [to recover while] I was given Episode 9 to shoot on my own. So I pushed through it and then by the end of that episode I was in urgent care. And all the doctors, including the doctors that the studio was sending, were all confirming, ‘Hey, she can’t work right now.’”
Beharie was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that, at the time, she attributed to her abrupt departure. “There’s a lot of pressure in a situation like that where so many people are relying on you alone to get up and get going,” she said. “I feel like it’s taken me the last few years to really see clearly that it wasn’t personal, it’s about the way that these structures are set up. It was very difficult to talk about at the time because I wanted to get back to work. But I was labeled as problematic and blacklisted by some people.”
“I probably could have been more diplomatic about things in some way,” she added. “Since then, I’ve been making sure that I’m working with the right folks. It’s something that we’ve seen with #MeToo and Time’s Up, where people who’ve asked questions have been discarded. It’s not a new story [but] I never thought it would be my story. Unfortunately it is, but healing takes time and I feel like I’m on the other side of it. I learned a lot. I wouldn’t change anything. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody, though.”
Enraged fans pushed to cancel the show after Abbie’s death, using the hashtag #AbbieDeservesBetter and expressing support for Beharie. The show, which had been on a steady ratings decline, was canceled a season after her character’s exit.
“There was a fan base that, without me even really saying anything or anybody knowing what was really going on, picked up on something,” she said. “I was shocked by the hashtag. I didn’t really have time to take it in because we were working 16-, 18-hour days. And once I left and heard about everything, I didn’t have the voice yet. I was too busy healing to really take it in.”
It was a harsh lesson in the fickle nature of stardom, and between Beharie’s “Sleepy Hollow” departure and the Sundance premiere of “Miss Juneteenth” earlier this year, she only booked a few roles including supporting parts in the acclaimed indie “Monsters and Men” and Hulu’s limited series “Little Fires Everywhere.”
“I think Hollywood is an industry that’s difficult for everyone,” she added. “My particular walk is colored by a number of different things. And yeah, it has been challenging. I am reconciling what it means to be an actor and an artist and a woman of color. The consequences of making a mistake or causing a ripple in the water are greater. And ultimately, nobody wants to be [deemed] trouble. So those situations hold you back and you keep quiet, not wanting to upset anyone or ask too many questions. But I feel like I, and the world as a whole, are in a different place now and I’m happy about that.”
What Ryan describes in her book is a convoluted egotistical mess - caused mainly by inexperienced and incompetent show-runners, executives, and directors. One left in a huff, because of how things were being handled. Orlando Jones asked to be killed off in S2 and wanted out.
I watched it - and gave up on it somewhere in the middle of S2-3. Mainly because what I liked about the series disappeared. Ryan's book describes why that happened and how. The writers didn't want to put Abby and Icabode together, nor did the actors, and decided to find a love interest for Icabode, but didn't really develop one for Abby. Then they went ahead and had Abby sacrifice herself for the 200 year old white boy, Icabode, which...well, doesn't work. And is tone death in a big way. And, the subplot of Icabode's family, witch wife, son, etc - is not appealing. I remember being annoyed. And gave up finally.
Anywho, there was a question raised in squidgie's journal, "what television series would you reboot with different show-runners, different actors, directors, but same basic concept?"
Sleepy Hollow. Except have someone like Jordan Peele show-run it and develop it. He'd turn it on its head.
Also, I wouldn't mind a reboot of LOST, but a different focus, and different showrunners.
Damn, I'm glad I don't work in that industry. I'd have murdered someone by now or had a nervous breakdown.
2. Ditched Marvelous Mrs. Maizel for The Diplomat tonight. After about episode five of season four. Amazon kept kicking me out, and I just gave up finally, and jumped over to Netflix, and The Diplomat.
The Diplomat was hard to find on Netflix. I had to engineer a search for it. Netflix does this - once the show has finished dropping episodes, it pushes it to the rear and pops up the new trending shows it wants you to watch. As a result it is close to impossible to find anything on Netflix.
Also it picks similar shows to whatever you watched previously or started watching. So for example? I started Lucifer again (got bored, gave up again) and finished Shadow and Bone. As a result - I have a lot of horror and teen shows being thrown at me. Also whatever their new hot items are or whatever is currently trending.
So far, Disney is the easiest network to find things on - and that's saying something (it's not that easy, it's just easier than everything else).
Anyhow, the Diplomat is worth the effort. It's good. Stars Keri Russel as the Diplomat (or current Ambassador) and Rufus Sewell (former Ambassador) as her charming but problematic husband. She loves him, but can't forgive him for something he did in Kabul that cost a lot of lives. Also Michael McKean as the President.
It's funnier than Mrs. Maisel. Not surprising. I tend to find dramas funnier than comedies. Mainly because people are often funny when they aren't trying to be or trying too hard. Comedy is best when it is loose and unplanned or absurdist.
It's very witty. Great dialogue. And banter. Russell and Sewell are excellent. And I kind of fall for Sewell all over again. I'd forgotten how appealing that actor is or how good. They are both excellent.
Two episodes in, hooked. And it's been renewed for a second season.
I'll eventually go back to Maisel, because I'm curious. But it is not funny in S4. The Palladino's banter doesn't always work.
no subject
Date: 2023-06-17 10:43 am (UTC)Your workplace is great, though! I doubt there are many workplaces here in Germany that are like that, I suspect it is pretty hard for POC with Black hairstyles here.
no subject
Date: 2023-06-17 01:22 pm (UTC)