HBO Max Temporarily Removes "Gone With The Wind."
LEMON: The outrage and calls for action after the death of George Floyd in police custody making waves in the entertainment industry. This week HBO Max temporarily removing Gone With The Wind until it can be returned with historical context. It's one of many examples of how Hollywood is reacting to this moment. So, joining me now is John Ridley, Oscar-winning screenwriter of 12 years a slave. It's so good to see you again. Are you doing OK?</s>JOHN RIDLEY, AMERICAN OSCAR-WINNING SCREENWRITER, 12 YEARS A SLAVE: How are you doing, Don?</s>LEMON: Thanks for coming back on.</s>RIDLEY: My pleasure. Hope you're holding up.</s>LEMON: Let me read a clip -- this is a clip from an op-ed that you wrote in the L.A. Times on Monday calling on HBO Max to remove Gone With The Wind. You write, it is a film that glorified the antebellum south. It is a film that when it is not ignoring the horrors of slavery, pauses only to perpetuate some of the most painful stereotypes of people of color. It does whitewash slavery and it glorifies white (inaudible) culture, but I mean, some people argue that it should be seen for exactly what it is, a window into America's racist past. Why is that wrong?</s>RIDLEY: It's not wrong? And in the piece I say that I do not want the film buried in a vault in Burbank which is where the Warner studios are. But if you're really going to do a deep dive in history, Don, first of all, I know you know, it is not historic, it is not a documentary, it is not built on actual narratives. This was a story that was written 70 years after the civil war and then released in 1939, part of a greater narrative of lost cause. So, I agree with everything you're saying. That's what's in the piece. Is just put it in context. And by the way, Warner Media already does that on, for example, Turner classic movies where they take films that are beyond just slightly difficult and put them into context. So, all Warner Media doing is doing is doing their best practices as they do in other places. And by the way, I commend Warner Media for that.</s>LEMON: OK. So, listen, you know, CNN is part of Warner Media, but let's just talk here because I worry, though about art, right? I worry about books, you know, you hear people talking about Huckleberry Fin and you know, taking the n word out and all of that. I guess with historical context, you need to explain because a lot of it is not taught in history. But you're not concerned about this is going to go too far and where does this end. You know the argument about this.</s>RIDLEY: Yes, an argument only counts if it's built on fact. So, when you say go too far, I would say that Gone With The Wind and other films, song of the south, they died with their boots on went just as far to perpetuate the sense that the slavery was -- the confederacy was noble, that is was about something more or better than subjecting humans to commerce. To be treated as commerce. So, if you're saying that actually studying that era and knowledge, and I know that, Don, look, you're playing the devil's advocate. I know you don't believe that. But on the other side of it, you know, we're here where we are because of films like that. We in Hollywood -- look, you just had Jalen on. He could not have been more on point about what we all have to do in our spaces. And, you know, before the break you said, hey, is this backfiring because people are going out and buying the film? If one little thing that I wrote is causing millions of people across the country to adjust their lifestyle, that's about all I can do, Don, in this space. So, if people have to react, if they have to modify their behavior, this is something I learned very early on when I was doing commentaries at NPR. You know, people would write me letters, oh, I hate you. It's like, you got to adjust your schedule. You just wrote a letter to me. I don't know who you are.</s>LEMON: Yes.</s>RIDLEY: So, you know, look, Don, compared to what other people are doing, whether it's about racial injustice, whether it's about covid- 19, people literally putting flesh in the game, this is a small thing, but the reaction has been huge. And, again, I got to complement Warner Media. I don't know that what I wrote caused them to do what they do. They did it so swiftly I have to believe that Warner Media was prepared to do this. And again, that's what they are doing.