‘Clarissa Explains It All’ star Melissa Joan Hart has got some explaining to do herself after she posted a photo to Instagram some are deeming ‘tone deaf’ in light of the heightened conversations around racial privilege and cultural sensitivity.
Taking to the platform Monday (June 1), Hart posted a still photo from the 1935 film ‘The Little Colonel’ to celebrate diversity on screen. The problem? The focal Black character in the movie, Mr. Bojangles, has long been pointed to as representative of a problematic trope in African American film history (namely due to the limitations of roles available to actors of color during the time period).
Video In-Article Ad (Desktop)Regardless, the TV actress is learning the hard way about racial insensitivity. See what we mean inside:
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After Hart posted the above, Twitter and Instagram ignited:
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*****
After the hoopla, Hart did remove the IG post but (as of time reported) the associated Twitter post remains.
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Ya’ll are so f****** stupid… just looking for a reason to be offended
This.
Re-Open movie theatres
Concert halls
Stadiums
Gyms
Churches
Beaches
Restaurants
Etc
People are bored and restless
Girl…GURL…GWORL 😂 Of ALL images…lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38vjAAE4tkQ
Once again, these celebrities need to just stfu. Well, actually, maybe they should keep exposing who they really are so we know. Carry on
Wrong timing. Can’t let the slick sh!t start riding
Something good came out of the racially divided 1930s just like something good can come out of the terrible times we’re living in now if we continue to break the color line. That’s all Melissa meant.
I’m sure she meant well but this was such poor taste. What’s the good that came out of it exactly? Treating a black person like a human is not a good deed. It’s an obligation. But we gawk at these moments as if they’re truly special. “Wow, she touched a black man, how beautiful and tolerant 😍”. Like, wtf. 🙄 That’s what they should’ve been doing. Again, im sure Melissa was just trying to put something positive out there, and I know what she meant, but it just doesn’t work and all this did was remind people of how bad it was, and still is. And that simple things that black people DESERVE as a birthright is somehow considered a celebratory moment, only highlights how sad it is. It’s sad that what Shirley did is an impressive act. That’s not positive.
Jesus Christ. Y’all are going so f****** far. She literally meant no harm.
I agree
I’m sure she meant no harm, but this was very tone deaf of her. Hopefully she knows better now.
The saying goes.. the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And let her have tried this this the LGBTQ community.. good intentions or not.. she’s not being grilled. It’s a teachable moment. As everyone has said.. this displays how black ppl were and still are seen as less than. Start by educating before performing.. as in trying to do public acts to screams how not racist and prejudice you are not.
I don’t think she’s racist! I just think she’s a ding bat! Like b**** you could have said any f****** body if you wanna big up a black actor! You could have said Denzel, Samuel L or even f****** Dave Chappell if you wanna go comedy… but b**** mr bo jingles? 😂 😂 I guess next time we wanna give props to successful white actress we should put a picture of Mary popinjay with a stupid ass comment underneath it!
* Mary Popins
Exactly, she meant no harm.
That’s everything I hate about social medias. People are sitting behind their screens waiting to criticize every little sh!t that they see. Sounding so righteous when they should be looking at their own belly in the first place.
Tone Deaf = We were looking for something to be offended about but we couldn’t find anything….but because we need our daily rant we’ll twist everything into an offense and just say “tone deaf”.