Jeremy O Harris on men not being able to be "actors"

[SeanD2]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 11:27am

I'm curious as to what other people think about this claim Jeremy O Harris made on Twitter.

 

"If you’re top five actors of all time aren’t just the names of five women you’re cancelled to me. no man can TRULY act. some can perform but those are the gay and gay adjacent ones ( s/o Zaddy Antonio)"

later adding in another tweet "I only let queer men do my work bc they understand at least something about souls."

https://twitter.com/jeremyoharris/status/1213989076375748608

1. Assuming straight men can't understand something about the soul is baffling and the implication that if they do understand something about the soul that makes the "gay adjacent"

2. Wouldn't limiting male performers in his work to only queer men be an illegal discrimination based on sexual orientation? Especially when some of his characters are straight?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 11:34am

Ummmmmmm.........wtf???  

 

 

[aliceripleyofficial]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 11:40am

y'all really getting upset over nothing... please get a sense of humor and start seasoning your food

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 11:44am

1  Who's UPSET?   I can't speak for the OP, but I'm not.

2  My food is fine, thanks.

[SharksVsJets]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 12:04pm

I think he should learn the difference between you're and your.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 12:08pm

There's a lot of gray area in casting, because there are so many factors outside of someone's performance in their audition (if it's even an audition scenario) -- physical type, race, gender, prior experience, name value, working relationships, the rest of the cast, etc. What Harris is saying is discrimination, and it's just one part of a larger matter in the industry that would be worthwhile for Equity to investigate.

It does become a serious matter when sexual preference is taken into consideration, because it could encourage people to "out" themselves prematurely, feel that they need to share their private life on social media, unnecessarily pidgeonhole them, and create other complications in both personal and work life.

Perhaps he just has too much time on his hands. I mean....

"I only let queer men do my work bc they understand at least something about souls."

"Sullivan and Paul* are exceptions bc they are both gay adjacent." (Gay adjacent??)

"Well Joaquin is a personal exception but he’s a shaman not an actor."

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 12:10pm

Maybe it's just me, but I feel that attitudes like this only serve to create an even larger "us-them" mentality in our already-polarized country.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 12:31pm

Ado Annie D'Ysquith said: "Maybe it's just me, but I feel that attitudes like this only serve to create an even larger "us-them" mentality in our already-polarized country."

THIS. I like Jeremy, but these tweets are wrong-headed on so many levels. If he actually practices this policy (isn't Paul Nolan straight though?), it's gross at best, and illegal at worst.

Straight white men are not the enemy. This attitude is not "woke." It's destructive.

[Kad]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 12:31pm

He seems to like being an influencer more than a playwright... and if Black Exhibition was any indication, he needs to spend more focus on being a playwright. 

[AADA81]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 12:39pm

I have two words to describe Harris' comments:  STU PID.

[Impossible2]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 12:41pm

My first reaction was 'who?'

My 2nd reaction after googling his name was 'who cares?'

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 12:53pm

This guy is such an attention-seeking jerk. Paul Nolan brought himself to hell and back nightly in Slave Play. He is a straight man. Jeremy should be apologizing to him.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 12:58pm

That was my first thought as well. Nolan is really great in this and what a slap in the face it must be to someone who has to go onstage to perform tonight.

[Kad]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 12:59pm

I don't think he means this literally, but it is just a very stupid thing to toss out. 

[52889j]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 1:07pm

There is a between the lines irony here for sure. It's a tweet. I'd imagine him saying it at brunch on his third mimosa. 

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 1:15pm

From saying it’s racist to ask people to put phones away in the theatre, to this... his provocations are desperate attempts at attention.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 1:16pm

That’s just it. He’s an acclaimed playwright. Maybe he WAS on a third mimosa. Don’t tweet this **** while you’ve got men (and women) putting themselves thru your grueling play every day. It’s insulting to them, joke or not.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 1:34pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "What Harris is saying is discrimination, and it's just one part of a larger matter in the industry that would be worthwhile for Equity to investigate."

It's only discrimination if it appears in the casting notice. When it comes to the actual casting, he is pretty much free to cats whoever he wants for whatever reason. 

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 2:10pm

Controversial opinion: Jeremy O. Harris is obnoxious and the attention he’s gotten from one play has gotten to his head. Boop.

[ModernMillie3]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 2:14pm

Seems he just wants to be famous and to get people talking about him.

[Valentina3]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 2:40pm

ModernMillie3 said: "Seems hejust wants to be famous and to get people talking about him."

Seems like he has talent enough to back up the fame, based on the only play I have seen of his.
I think y'all are blowing this way out of proportion. I'm sure a few years from now, he'll look back at that comment as a throwaway and nothing more. Plenty of gay men and straight women joke at the expense of straight men's lack of depth. I'm sure most of you said "spoken like a cis white man" or some variation of that to your closest friends (or have had it used on you). It's not always coming from a place of hatred. Chill out.

[ModernMillie3]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 2:49pm

He really doesn't. My comment was an observation and opinion, telling people to chill is annoying since people can say whatever they want, and you are unable to control that. Let people be, thanks so much. 

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 2:54pm

Ya, as someone who was and used to be a big supporter of his, I can't anymore. If I were Paul Nolan id call out for the rest of the run. Some people call this a "joke" or for us to calm down, but this is just plain stupid. Thats the issue, its incredibly stupid and ignorant to think like this. Let alone tweet it. As someone else said, only helps with the Us vs Them mentality. God why can't people even TRY to respect others?? 

This is exact reasons why social media is just ruining society. Does Jeremy truly believe this? Idk, I'm sure to some extent but of course the tweet was played up a bit because he has a platform. The main thing is this is unnecessary and only fuels to actual haters, not "twitter haters", ya know ACTUAL racists and homophobes. This adds nothing positive to our community. Shame this is how he uses his platform, its all so unnecessary and childish. Like dude just stop. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 4:26pm

Kad said: "He seems to like being an influencer more than a playwright... and if Black Exhibition was any indication, he needs to spend more focus on being a playwright."

Kermitdrinkingtea.gif

Perhaps the worst hour I’ve ever spent in a theatre.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 4:34pm

I'm just over here like...