Sandra Oh went there. On Sunday night, during the award show's opening monologue, the Golden Globes co-host made a joke Sunday night about how Crazy Rich Asians was "the first studio film with an Asian American lead since Ghost in the Shell and Aloha. Heyoooooooo. Whitewashing joke!
Hey, everybody's watching. We had a huge year in Hollywood representation, and one of the people overseeing tonight's festivities is Asian. Whitewashing jokes are more than fair game. Aloha and Ghost in the Shell are easy targets. What we didn't expect: hearing Emma Stone yelling from the audience, "I'm sorry!"
Sandra Oh: ["Crazy Rich Asians"] is the first studio film with an Asian American lead since "Ghost in the Shell" and "Aloha."
— David Mack (@davidmackau) January 7, 2019
Emma Stone [in the crowd]: I'M SORRY! pic.twitter.com/YI1S7sLvPH
Stone famously starred -- to much mockery -- in 2015's Aloha as Allison Ng, a character of Chinese and Hawaiian descent. In case you didnt'know, Stone is not at all of Chinese and/or Hawaiian descent. She has since expressed regret over taking the role. Or at least acknowledged that role has made her the butt of jokes.
Shouting "I'm sorry!" from the crowd during the lighthearted opening moments of an awards show isn't exactly a full-throated apology. But it's... something. Let me know when Ms. Stone is throwing her weight into a results-oriented movement to make sure marginalized groups are properly represented in Hollywood -- and that includes more roles created for and cast with Asian actors.
