“Summer of Soul” producer Joseph Patel is not taking sides — he’s upset with both Chris Rock and Will Smith following the Oscars slap, which happened moments before he won the award for best documentary.
In a now-deleted Twitter thread, Patel said when he’d returned home after Oscars weekend, he “didn’t have the stomach” to watch the show on DVR after Rock announced the Oscar winner as “Ahmir (Questlove) Thompson and four white guys,” dismissing Patel’s South Asian heritage.
“The reason that makes me SO SO VERY ANGRY is because I was so proud to be one of a handful of South Asians to have ever won an Oscar in the history of the award,” Patel wrote on Twitter.
Tuesday Patel posted a photo on Instagram with Riz Ahmad and Aneil Karia, who won the Oscar for best live action short film with “The Long Goodbye.”
“The 9th, 10th and 11th South Asians to ever win an Academy Award, in any category. The first time three have won in the same night. (I’m eleven),” he wrote.
Academy takes action:Will Smith to face disciplinary action, refused to leave Oscars after Chris Rock slap
All of Patel’s heat didn’t go toward Rock: He also called Smith “selfish” after the “King Richard” star slapped Rock on stage in reaction to the comedian making a joke about wife Jada Pinkett-Smith’s hair. The producer said Smith “robbed” the artists of their winning moments.
More:Jada Pinkett Smith, Chris Rock and why his hair joke was so problematic
‘Summer of Soul’:How Questlove turned a forgotten music fest into 2021’s most ‘compelling’ documentary
“It robbed the category of its moment. It robbed the other excellent and amazing films of their moment to be acknowledged in what was a STRONG year for docs. And it robbed Summer of Soul and our team of our moment. Of a loud, enthusiastic cheer for a celebrated film,” he tweeted.
‘I’m still kind of processing:Chris Rock addresses Will Smith’s Oscars slap
Discourse about the 2022 Oscars and the on-air hit between Smith and Rock has lasted for days since the awards show first aired Sunday. Patel deleted the tweets Thursday.
Eye to Eye:Why we can’t agree on Will Smith’s slap
“We reached the unproductive portion of the viral Twitter thread so I’ve deleted it. I said what I needed to say and feel at peace with it. Some of y’all are weirdos,” he wrote.
Since Sunday, celebrities have weighed in on the altercation, including hosts Wanda Sykes and Amy SchumerRaven-Symoné, Zoë Kravitz and retired NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
More:Shell-shocked Governors Ball crowd is abuzz over Will Smith Oscars incident
Smith released an apology Monday saying he was “out of line” for slapping Rock on stage. Wednesday Rock lightly addressed the melee during a stand-up show in Boston, calling it “the weird thing” and declining to talk about it in detail.
the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday that the governing body would begin “disciplinary proceedings” against Smith over his behavior.
feeds.feedblitz.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism