Filmmaker Taika Waititi expressed his frustration with Hollywood’s failure to fix the industry’s diversity issues. Speaking at a luncheon, Waititi called out the industry for relying on underrepresented communities to fix the problem of representation. He stated that he is tired of the diversity conversation and inclusivity conversation, and that the industry needs to fix the problem it created. Waititi joked that the current situation is akin to someone stealing all of your things and burning your house down, and then saying, “OK, we need to talk about this.” He suggested that the industry needs to build the house and get it right.
Taika Waititi Is Tired Of Hollywood’s Failure To Fix The Industry’s Diversity Issues, Says “You F**king Broke It, You Fix It”
Filmmaker Taika Waititi never minces his word when it comes to sharing opinions and he did the same when he recently took a dig at the white power structure in Hollywood over its failure to fix the diversity issues. The acclaimed director while speaking at a luncheon called out the industry for relying on underrepresented communities to fix the problem of representation.
Taika Waititi is best known for his movies like JoJo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: Love and Thunder, Free Guy and The Suicide Squad. On the personal front, Taika belongs to Maori and Jewish communities and has often made headlines for his representation towards the same.
Speaking of the latest, As detailed in Business Insider India, Taika Waititi while attending The Hollywood Reporter’s Raising our Voices luncheon stated, “Stop asking us what to do, how to fix things, all right? I’m so tired of this.” The 47-year-old filmmaker continued, “I’m so tired of the diversity conversation, the inclusivity conversation, all the conversations. All of us want to be working and not having to come and do f**king panels and speeches in the middle of our day.” He further shared, “You wonder why there is no indigenous stuff out there. This is the sh*t you’ve got us doing. Making us come and talk about the problem and tell you how to fix it. You f**king broke it — you fix it.”
Taika Waititi joked about what’s currently happening is akin to someone “coming into your house, stealing all of your sh*t, and burning your house down and then saying, ‘OK, we need to talk about this.’”
The Academy Award-winning director then suggested, “You build the f**king house. You burnt it down. I’ll come back, and hopefully, you’ll get it right, and if you don’t get it right, we’ll try again.” He also added that As detailed in him most of the movies and TV shows have got the diversity wrong.
Waititi’s comments come at a time when Hollywood is grappling with issues of diversity and representation. While the industry has made some strides in recent years, there is still a long way to go. Many have called for greater representation of underrepresented communities both in front of and behind the camera.
Waititi is known for his commitment to diversity and representation in his work. His movies often feature diverse casts and explore themes of identity and representation. He has been praised for his efforts to bring greater diversity to Hollywood and for using his platform to speak out on issues of social justice.
It remains to be seen whether Hollywood will take Waititi’s comments to heart and make meaningful changes to address the industry’s diversity issues. However, with more and more voices speaking out on the issue, it is clear that change is needed.
As Waititi said, “You f**king broke it — you fix it.”
