Academy Defense Of Ratner: Lame
For years I’ve wondered: is Brett Ratner (pictured) a Harvey Weinstein in the making? Both are outsize movie-world figures: outsize not just because of their girth (no matter how much weight they lose they still look heavy-set) but because of the air they suck out of a room. Ratner, like Weinstein, can’t help offending people with his loud talk. His latest mess: using the word “fags” in an interview. This remark has gotten some activists hoppin’, because Ratner is schedule to produce the next Oscars broadcast, and making homophobic remarks when you’re getting ready for that gig is like insulting plastic surgeons before judging a beauty pageant. I’m not sure if I think Ratner should step aside, although I’m thinking Tom Sherak, the president of the Academy, should. In his defense of Ratner, Sherak said: “[Ratner] has many friends who are members of the gay and lesbian community.” Could he have been more classically condescending? Sheesh.
