Melissa Barrera showed solidarity with Palestinians. Hollywood showed its persistent double standard.

[Celerity]

https://www.latimes.com/delos/story/2023-11-30/melissa-barrera-scream-israel-palestine-scream-noah-schnapp-stranger-things

https://archive.is/fYj7A



Mexican actor Melissa Barrera was credited with revitalizing the “Scream” horror franchise before she was suddenly dropped from her lead role in the upcoming seventh installment. Fans speculated that her firing had something to do with her vocal support for Palestinians on social media, and last week, they were given an answer. Spyglass Media Group, the production company behind the campy films, said in an official statement to Variety that Barrera had been let go for material posted to her social media that they characterized as antisemitic.

Barrera’s firing is a sad reminder of how historically marginalized groups, like Latinas, are forced to walk a tightrope when advocating for social causes, and of how fragile “representation” is in Hollywood. According to Variety, Spyglass took issue with Barrera resharing a post accusing Israel of “genocide and ethnic cleansing,” as well as a Jewish Currents article about the distortion of the Holocaust to bolster the Israeli arms industry. It should be mentioned that the article was written by Raz Segal, a respected Israeli historian who has written multiple books about the Holocaust. A cursory glance at his body of work shows his dedication to preserving the memory of the Holocaust. He has, for example, written on Bulgaria whitewashing its role in the atrocity.

But Barrera wasn’t afforded the luxury of nuance. There was no slap on the wrist. Retribution was swift. “We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech,” a Spyglass spokesperson said in the company’s statement to Variety. Again, the Holocaust distortion in question can be attributed to an Israeli scholar. For her part, Barrera has held her ground, condemning antisemitism while reaffirming her solidarity with Palestinians. “I will continue to speak out for those that need it most and continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom. Silence is not an option for me,” she wrote on Instagram.

Antisemitism is a real, pernicious evil. I recall the 2018 shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, which is only the visible tip of an issue that’s deeply entrenched in our country. But Barrera being smeared as antisemitic and unceremoniously dropped from a leading movie role highlights a persistent double standard in Hollywood and beyond. Marginalized individuals, when expressing their support for a cause, must assuage the anxiety of their peers before speaking up. They must promise that they aren’t a threat, must be exceptionally articulate, must cover all their bases, and even when all these conditions are meticulously met, punishment can come anyway.

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