Jane Campion Faces Criticism for Comment About Venus and Serena Williams During Critics Choice Awards Speech
variety.comAngelique Jackson Along the road to the Oscars, becoming an Internet hero can be a fleeting accomplishment.That’s what happened to Jane Campion, director of “The Power of the Dog,” over the weekend as she went from being championed on Twitter one night to being criticized the next.On Saturday, the Internet crowned Campion their queen for responding to Sam Elliot’s crude criticism of “The Power of the Dog” on the red carpet ahead of the DGA Awards.“I’m sorry, he was being a little bit of a B-I-T-C-H.
He’s not a cowboy; he’s an actor,” she told Variety’s Marc Malkin. “The West is a mythic space and there’s a lot of room on the range.
I think it’s a little bit sexist.”Campion’s comments — and the way she delivered them — became instant internet fodder, to the extent that “Saturday Night Live” star Bowen Yang accepted the challenge to possibly portray her on an upcoming “Weekend Update” while walking the Critics Choice Awards carpet the next day.
However, while accepting the award for best director during Sunday’s ceremony, Campion’s speech turned controversial when she commented on tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams’ tennis prowess.The remarks began innocently enough, with the filmmaker thanking her presenter, fellow New Zealander Taika Waititi and the Critics Choice Association.“It’s absolutely stunning to be here tonight among so many incredible women,” Campion said, holding her first of the Netflix movie’s four trophies, while the audience clapped and cheered.“Halle Berry you have already done my speech … and really killed it.
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