I’m no Jamie Foxx fan, as any fool who calls Obama, “our Lord and Savior” doesn’t deserve fans.
But when it comes to #OscarsSoWhite and his attack on Will Smith and his racist wife, I have to give Foxx credit.
There is a bit of irony where Foxx decided to go on the attack, as Foxx decided to ridicule the Smiths at the American Black Film Festival Awards in Beverly Hills.
At the event, Foxx, an Academy Award-winning actor made a joke about how he doesn’t get ‘what’s the big deal’ with Smith’s Oscar boycott.
‘All these Oscar talks, I don’t even trip about that. I mean, what’s the big deal? I was sitting at home with my Oscar, like ‘What’s all the hubbub?’ Foxx said at Sunday night’s event, as he was introducing producer Will Packer for the Distinguished ABFF Alumni Award.
‘My friend said, “Are you mad?” “Um, kind of, but not really,”‘ Foxx continued. ‘I started calling Denzel [Washington], and we just Instagrammed our Oscars together.’
Foxx implied, that the reason Will Smith doesn’t have an Oscar is because he isn’t a good enough actor. Truth be told, Smith is a decent actor. His role in Six Degrees of Separation was truly good. The problem with Smith needs to figure out what he wants. He intentionally targets movies that get good box office results. He does movies that have a good mixture of sci-fi and fantasy, with a slight basis in reality, like Men in Black, After Earth, Hancock, and I Robot.
Smith then switched gears to films like Ali, and his most recent film Concussion, where he attempts to bring a more “real” experience. It’s easy to see that Smith is trying to make the switch from big money makers to films that will get him an Oscar.
With respect to the film Concussion, Foxx took a jab at Smith, making fun of Smith’s Nigerian accent in the film. Smith only received a Golden Globes nomination of the three major American award ceremonies, which is likely part of the reason for his wife’s cries of racism.
Foxx finished his bit by calling out ‘#WhatsTheBigDeal?’ and ‘#ActBetter’ – with the audience reportedly roaring with laughter.
Who knows what Foxx may be saying if he hadn’t won an Academy Award, but the fact remains these spoiled, entitled rich racists have no respect for those who have come before them.
Foxx final comment came as he segued to acting legend Sidney Poitier. Foxx used Poitier as the backdrop for why he doesn’t care much for the #OscarsSoWhite movement.
‘I was with Sidney Poitier just a couple weeks ago, and in 1963 all he asked for was an opportunity to act…
That’s all we have to do, opportunity. If you turn the camera on and say “OK . . . win an award . . . and action,” we’ll all have taken, like, 10 steps back. It’s all about the art. Who cares about anything else?’
I don’t believe Foxx has changed in any significant way, but he certainly got this one right.
