The Cut - The Price of Being Invited to the Party

The 2022 film awards season came to a close on Sunday, but not before two moments of jaw-dropping disrespect toward Black women went viral. The first came earlier this month, at the Critics’ Choice Awards, when director Jane Campion won the Best Director prize, and belittled Venus and Serena Williams’s tennis careers in the process. “You know, Serena and Venus are such marvels. However, you do not play against the guys like I have to,” she said in her acceptance speech. While the Williams sisters did laugh, Venus’s face said it all. A few weeks later, at the Oscars, comedian Chris Rock made a G.I. Jane joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s buzzed hair, and Will Smith responded with “the slap heard across the world.” The incident prompted countless takes, most agreeing that it was one of the more astonishing moments in Oscars history. Yet in at least one regard, it was nothing new. Along with red carpets and acceptance speeches, the awards circuit has a long tradition of humbling Black women.

The NFL has set forth new diversity and inclusion efforts for the 2022 season. Presiden​ ​Biden signed a bill into law on Tuesday that makes lynching a federal hate crime. If you, like us, are tired of talking about The Slap, let Robin Givhan’s critique in WaPo be the last thing you read on the subject. Did you know that Kevin G. from Mean Girls is a lifestyle influencer? Susan Collins on Wednesday became the first Republican to declare support for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson. Lizzo’s doing shapewear. And Harry’s couch has been identified.

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