Welcome to the February 18, 2015 edition of Outrage Watch, HitFix's daily rundown of all the things folks are peeved about in entertainment. Today's top story: another Beygency is upon us.
A round of unretouched photos of the megastar from a recent L'Oreal photo shoot were leaked by long-running fansite Beyonce World to condemnation from her most passionate fans, one of whom tweeted: “I seriously wanna bash the person that photoshopped those pics fucking face in! Like it's to the point where enough is enough!” Couldn't have said it better! The pics have since been deleted by the site, meaning they're now completely erased forever and no one can ever see them again.
[Jezebel]
Want more? There's plenty of indignation to go around. See below for a full roundup of today's kerfuffles.
Outraged: Director John Boorman
Target: “American Sniper”
Why: The Oscar-nominated “Deliverance” helmer weighed in on Clint Eastwood's Best Picture nominee with some not-so-supportive words during an interview with The Huffington Post Wednesday, calling the film “obscene” and “cowardly” and saying he “felt tarnished” by the experience of viewing it. Oh, come on, don't hold back John.
Outraged: Twitter, Russell Simmons, reasonable humans
Target: Geraldo Rivera
Why: “Hip-hop has done more damage to black and brown people than racism in the last 10 years,” said Rivera during an interview with The Huffington Post. Oh, but don't worry! Def Jam founder Russell Simmons is a “dear friend.”
“Can we get someone to correct @GeraldoRivera's ignorant hip hop drivel?” weighed in @MannyFaces on Twitter. “Thanks, you sad, ill-informed celebri-bot who really needs to never talk again,” tweeted user @chavighurst. Simmons himself also responded via the social network, effectively calling into question whether the two are, in fact, buddies:
The prison industrial complex, destroyed the fabric of the black community innocent deseasesd kids get good education in criminal behavior
– Russell Simmons (@UncleRUSH) February 18, 2015
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The expression of that reality is not the cause of it. poets, artists say things that get under our skin BECAUSE THEY ARE TRUE REFLECTIONS
– Russell Simmons (@UncleRUSH) February 18, 2015
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Silly to respond to a guy who just lost celebrity apprentice
– Russell Simmons (@UncleRUSH) February 18, 2015
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Ouch.
Outraged: Democratic Congressman Tony Cardenas
Target: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Why: As Hollywood revs up for this weekend's Oscars, the California lawmaker is publicly wagging a finger at the Academy and its president Cheryl Boone Isaacs over a lack of racial diversity among the year's crop of nominees. “It is unfortunate to see a revered American institution fail to fully reflect our nation,” Cardenas wrote in a letter addressed to Boone Isaacs. Oh, what is he even talking about. Everyone knows Benedict Cumberbatch is one-quarter Vulcan.
Outraged: Former employees at Manhattan restaurant Angelo's of Mulberry Street
Target: “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Teresa Aprea
Why: The reality star, a part-owner of the New York eatery, has been named as a defendant in a new class-action lawsuit that accuses Aprea and her co-owners of failing to pay overtime and other wages. Additionally, ex-workers claim they were forced to wear uniforms that “required ironing, dry cleaning and/or other special treatment” but weren't reimbursed for the costs of maintaining them. Karma, mayhaps?
[The Wrap]