Welcome to the February 3, 2015 edition of Outrage Watch, HitFix's daily rundown of everything folks are peeved about in entertainment. Today's top story? Disability advocates are none too happy with all those “inspiration porn”-y Super Bowl ads.
“The disability community rejects depictions like these, because according to activists, their only purpose is to make the non-disabled viewer feel good about themselves,” writes Salon's Elizabeth Heideman of the ads, which were heavily criticized on social media during the big game. Among the offenders: a Toyota ad starring Paralympic snowboarder Amy Purdy and Microsoft's feel-good spot featuring Braylon O'Neill, a 6-year-old boy who uses leg prosthetics. Always fun when giant corporations pretend to have a soul.
[Salon]
Want more? There's plenty of indignation to go around. See below for a full roundup of today's kerfuffles.
Outraged: Iraqi moviegoers
Target: “American Sniper”
Why: Clint Eastwood's Iraq War blockbuster has incited outrage at a Baghdad theater, where “rowdy” audiences have reportedly hurled insults at the screen over the film's depiction of Iraqi citizens. “They were shouting, ‘It”s all a lie,” and ‘You are demeaning our culture,”” Iraqi Mohammed Laith recalled of one screening. The Oscar-nominated controversy-magnet was subsequently pulled from the theater after owner Fares Hilal received a call from “a senior official at the Ministry of Culture” warning him that he faced possible fines and closure if he continued to screen the film. Gee, can't imagine why they'd be offended.
Outraged: Dina and Lindsay Lohan
Target: Fox News
Why: Lindsay Lohan and her beloved mother Dina have sued the right-leaning cable network over a claim the two did cocaine together during a broadcast last February. In a copy of the lawsuit obtained by TMZ, the Lohans state the “malicious innuendo” was “a direct smear on the character/reputation of Lindsay and Dina.” All this after Fox News issued an on-air apology and sent a letter to the pair's lawyer stating that the segment would be removed from their website. Malicious innuendo? Fox News? I can't — I won't! — believe this.
Outraged: Diversity watchers
Target: Vanity Fair's 2015 “Hollywood” issue
Why: “Vanity Fair's Hollywood issue only slightly less white than Oscar race,” snarks Jezebel of the largely-Caucasian cover. “No country for brown women on this Vanity Fair Hollywood cover. Shocker,” groans Twitter user @FilmFatale_NYC. Okay, I'm not sure this is fair. Isn't Reese Witherspoon one-sixteenth Chickasaw?
Note: Read our own Donna Dickens' take on this at HitFix Harpy.
Outraged: Jon Stewart
Target: Mike Huckabee
Why: The “Daily Show” host took Mike “I Swear I Have Gay Friends” Huckabee to task over his recent comments regarding same-sex marriage, in which the lovable politician cites Biblical scripture as the reason he won't “evolve” on the issue. And please don't force all the poor Christian business owners to cater gay weddings, because that's like “asking a Jewish deli to serve bacon-wrapped shrimp.” Retorted Stewart: “That analogy makes no fucking sense. No one is forcing you to get metaphorically married to the Biblical abomination that is this bacon wrapped shrimp.” Just tell that to Samantha Bee's “Bacon Wrapped Shrimpie.” (Huckabee segment begins about 2:30 in.)