Salma Hayek claims Hollywood is racist

Ananova ^ | Friday 3rd January 2003

[Michael2001]

Salma Hayek claims she's being discriminated against in Hollywood because of her Mexican roots.

She reckons people look down on actors who are from a Mexican background.

The actress is up for a Golden Globe for her role in hit movie Frida, which she returned to Mexico to film.

"In Hollywood, everybody looks down on you if you are Mexican," she told TV Movie magazine.

"They all let you know you are not wanted here."

Salma adds that she often wonders whether she was of a sane mind when she agreed to star in Frida.

"I go and shoot a period piece about a crippled, bisexual, communist painter," she said.

"Sounds a lot like a flop, doesn't it?"

Hayek also co-produced the movie, in which she worked together with boyfriend Edward Norton.

[Michael2001]

Selma's just whining cause she didn't get a role she wanted IMO, but at least she didn't go to Iraq to do it.

[Green Knight]

Hey, if it worked for Halle and Denzel...

[sushiman]

Yes , it IS racist ...Against white WASPS & Christians ; white corporate types - hell , whites in general UNLESS they happen to be of the female species .

[APBaer]

I believe Caesar Romero and Anthony Quinn were Hispanic, they succeeded and weren't whiney.

[Las Vegas Dave]

If you are a moneymaker, the studios overlook such trivial matters, such as race, physical attributes, etc....

[The Raven]

There's a Reader's Digest article on the stands that says they're picking on the only thing left to pick on - white males.

[Green Knight]

Doesn't mean they're any less racists, though. They're just willing to use black and hispanic folks to turn a profit. But come Emmy time? The only reason Halle and Denzel won a damn thing was because of a whisper campaign saying that if black actors didn't win the Best Actor/Best Actress Award then the Academy is racist (Which it is). So they give Halle and Denzel an Emmy, whether deserving or undeserving, to silence their critics and even toss another Emmy Sidney Poitier's way just for good measure.

After this I doubt a black actor will win the top spot for a good long while, now matter HOW good the work (Like Denzel in Malcolm X and The Hurricane, a pair of movies he probably SHOULD have won for), til they get antsy about appearances again and give one to someone undeserving of it for the sake of appearances. Oh well.

[per loin]

Sounds to me like Salma is anti-Mexican. Why else would she pretend that her last name is not Jimenez?

[Green Knight]

BTW: All of the above doesn't mean that Salma isn't trying to pity herself into a Golden Globe and possibly Emmy nomination and win. She most likely is. She's just using the Will Smith tack of winning (I.E. Pick a Mexican or you're racist).

My point in all of this? Hollywood sucks. That's pretty much it. The town IS racist, but you also have people who use that to leverage themselves into winning awards that they don't deserve. But nevermind. Why bother b****ing and whining about what Hollywood does?

[Fzob]

>>>>"I go and shoot a period piece about a crippled, bisexual, communist painter," she said.

>>>>>"Sounds a lot like a flop, doesn't it?"

I'd say yes.

[stlrocket]

Just in case anyone wants to see this poor little Mexican waif.

SALMA HAYAK

[Windsong]

Surely you didnt think "Training Day" wasn't Oscar material for Washington? Even his wife hated the film, he said, bc she BELIEVED he was the murderous, corrupt thug so portrayed. MUCH better than his performance in Glory, IMHO.

[Higgymonster]

Salma you're right. They are racist. But I'm not. You can stay at my house until Hollywood straightens up and flies right.

Just don't talk.

[luigi]

Thank you, but I only read FreeRepublic for the articles.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

BURN HOLLYWOOD, BURN!!!!

[RushLake]

If you are a moneymaker, the studios overlook such trivial matters, such as race, physical attributes, etc....

Yes indeed. I don't see J. Ho having any problem getting fawning media attention. I expect that she will get some kind of award for her role in "Maid (or is it Made in her case) in Manhattan"

[HHFi]

This version of the story left out the best quotes, which the New York Post Page Six column had from the Vanity Fair story. Salma says she was told by a studio head that she could never be a leading lady because when she opened her mouth, she'd remind everyone of their maids. Also, she was once rejected for a role in a sci-fi movie after they told her, "Whoever heard of Mexicans in space?"

Gotta admit, as much as I hate groundless cries of racism, that does sound pretty bad. Good thing it came from tolerant Hollywood liberals and not a Republican senator, or somebody might lose his job over it.

[Madstrider]

"In Hollywood, everybody looks down on you if you are Mexican"

How ridiculous! NOBODY "looks down on" a woman as sexy as Salma Hayek! There are millions, literally millions, of women around the world who would KILL for the opportunities that Salma enjoys ... and she's complaining?

Yeah, everybody in Hollywood discriminates against Mexicans, like Martin Sheen and his two successful actor sons.

[rdb3]

BURN HOLLYWOOD, BURN!!!!

You used to listen to Public Enemy?

Birth of Tha SYNDICATE, the philosophical heir to William Lloyd Garrison.
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