None of This Had to Happen

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As a child, my grandfather often used a specific term that seemed to echo the very misfortunes, letdowns, and shames it represented. From faulty household items to poorly made films and unattractive engineering projects, he referred to them all as “a mess“. Lately, this word has been constantly on my mind with Karla Sofía Gascón’s Oscar campaign for the film “Emilia Pérez” seemingly collapsing.

In a different world, this year’s groundbreaking Oscar nominations would have dominated the news. For the first time, a trans woman, Gascón (who is Spanish and not Latina), has been nominated for Best Actress. Additionally, an unprecedented four actors of Latin American origin – Colman Domingo, Fernanda Torres, Zoe Saldaña, and Monica Barbaro – have all received acting nominations in the same year. To give you some context: Throughout Academy history, less than 2% of all Oscar nominees have been Latina or Hispanic, as reported by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative.

If current trends continue, Latin American actors might comprise 5% of Oscar nominees by the time human existence ends and water conflicts escalate. Yet, this significant advancement in representation goes unacknowledged due to a prominent actress’s self-destructive behavior that has led her on a path of self-cancellation so extreme, it seems like someone might eventually pull her off the internet with a long cane.

Everything began, much like many other instances, with an off-the-cuff remark during an interview. In conversation with the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, Gascón stated without proof that individuals close to Fernanda Torres and Emilia Pérez had spoken negatively about them. To add fuel to the fire, Torres (who was also nominated for Best Actress in I’m Still Here) recounted a heartwarming story of encountering Gascón on the campaign trail only a few days prior to that interview.

Initially, Gascón seemed to have criticized Fernanda Torres, but later clarified her statement. She admitted to being a big admirer of Torres and found it enjoyable getting to know her in recent months. In response to the criticism, she explained that her comment was in reference to the toxicity and hate speech on social media that she unfortunately encounters regularly. However, she added that Torres has been a great ally, and those close to her have always been supportive and extremely generous.

The impending conflict between Emilia Pérez and I’m Still Here was a topic before Gascón made his comments. Fans in Brazil have been supporting I’m Still Here as both films battle for Best Picture and Best International Feature Film awards. Prior to her tweets being brought up again, the main conversation on social media about this race had been the backlash Gascón was facing online (although not just from Brazilian fans), much of it being transphobic. She told The Hollywood Reporter in mid-January, before the scandal, that she’s grown accustomed to such treatment and even finds it empowering. “I love it,” she said. “It’s like fuel for me to then tell those who are enlightened: ‘You have won.’ The more people hate me, the more insulting messages they send, the more I say, ‘Thank you,’ and the more I’ll enjoy this moment.

While not all detractors of Emilia Pérez can be labeled as bigoted, it’s worth noting that many of the film’s harshest critics originate from the very communities it aims to represent. The reason you might not find an outpouring of sympathy for the film’s PR fiasco from trans and Mexican critics is because Emilia Pérez appears to be a satire of a Best Picture nominee in several aspects.

Written by a non-Mexican, this film tells the story of a Mexican trans woman with minimal research conducted before its production, resulting in a narrative that unfortunately perpetuates harmful stereotypes about both trans individuals and Mexicans. As Drew Burnett Gregory pointed out for Autostraddle, the movie seems to check off every clichéd trope in storytelling — from portraying trans women as tragic figures or killers to equating transition with death. GLAAD referred to the film as “profoundly retrograde.”

Mexican filmmakers and critics have expressed displeasure at seeing their country’s complex issues like the drug war and mass disappearances trivialized for a musical that attempts to humanize a cartel boss by granting her redemption through establishing an NGO. (It’s worth noting that most of the film’s cast and crew are not Mexican.) Despite this, it would be unfair to label the movie’s critics as humorless; in fact, Mexican filmmaker Camila Aurora recently gained viral fame with Johanne Sacreblu — a parody of Romeo and Juliet that chronicles the struggles of a trans baguette who falls in love with a trans croissant.

Following the controversy surrounding Gascón’s interview, journalist Sarah Hagi posted screenshots of offensive comments he made about Islam, which included statements like, “Islam is magnificent, without any machismo. Women are respected, and when they are so respected they are left with a small squared hole on their faces for their eyes to be visible and their mouths, but only if she behaves. Although they dress this way for their own enjoyment. How DEEPLY DISGUSTING OF HUMANITY.” I don’t have the time to meticulously translate all of the posts, but many of them were long, somewhat confusing, and in numerous cases, Islamophobic enough to secure Gascón a writing position on Real Time With Bill Maher. Notably, Torres’s Oscar campaign has also been touched by scandal: The actress has apologized for wearing blackface in a Brazilian TV comedy sketch 17 years ago.

The representatives from Gascón, Netflix, Torres, and the Academy did not respond to my request for a comment. Given her status as a public figure, it’s no surprise that Gascón chose multiple online platforms to express herself after deactivating her X account. Her initial statement was lengthy and shared on Instagram.

The cover image on the statement features a text in Spanish that reads “All of us can improve. I include myself.” However, the caption starts with “They’ve already won,” a sentiment that suggests defensiveness and reappears when Gascón claims that her accusers have managed to tarnish her reputation by spreading lies or taking things out of context about her posts. This is a familiar tune: anyone who knows Gascón knows she isn’t racist, and in fact, one of the most important people in her life is Muslim. In her view, she has been unfairly judged by the public without being given a chance to explain the true meaning behind her posts.

In my efforts, I’ve consistently advocated for a fairer society, one that embraces freedom, harmony, and compassion,” Gascón states. “I unequivocally reject wars, fanaticism, and any form of discrimination based on religion or race.

A skilled public relations professional would’ve advised Gascón to stop right there with her comments. An exceptional one would’ve reviewed and revised that statement prior to its release. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, Gascón managed to secure an interview on CNN Español instead.

During the interview, Gascón spoke for about an hour and shed tears. As reported by Deadline, she expressed feelings of being convicted, sacrificed, crucified, and stoned. She discussed the 2004 Madrid train bombings, her daughter, and losing her brother at age 20. In response to a question, she admitted writing a post that stated, “I truly believe that very few people ever cared about George Floyd, a drug addict and swindler, but his death has shown once again that there are those who still view Black people as animals without rights and policemen as assassins. They’re all mistaken.” However, she denied penning another post in which she allegedly referred to her co-star Selena Gomez as “a wealthy rat who exploits her poor character whenever possible and will never stop harassing her ex-boyfriend [Justin Bieber] and his wife [Hailey Bieber].

As per Gascón, she formerly utilized X as a journal since very few people were following her. She explained that her posts often contained “irony, sarcasm, and at times, overstatement,” and she would occasionally employ a third-person voice when writing if the content appeared to be negative in nature.

Several thoughts cross my mind in this scenario. It seems unusual that Netflix’s awards team didn’t check her social media posts, or perhaps they encountered difficulties understanding Spanish. If the District Attorney, Gascón, acknowledges some tweets are authentic while dismissing others, does it imply a section of the internet is trying to harm her reputation by falsely portraying she spoke ill of Selena Gomez? Lastly, one can’t help but wonder if there’s anyone advocating for this individual.

Currently, it appears that Georgette Gascón’s chances of winning an Oscar are significantly diminished due to recent developments. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, she has decided against traveling to Los Angeles for promotional purposes (though she may still engage in awards promotion in Europe). Moreover, one of her co-stars, Zoe Saldaña, has expressed disapproval, stating that Gascón’s posts have left her feeling sad. Additionally, the film’s director, Jacques Audiard, has publicly distanced himself from Gascón following his own controversy, having made remarks about Spanish being the language of “the poor and migrants” – another instance of insensitivity.

A few weeks after Donald Trump’s presidential win, it appeared plausible that the Academy might award “Emilia Pérez” as Best Picture, celebrating their stance against xenophobic and transphobic discourse. However, these days, the outcome is uncertain. It’s worth noting that previous winners have faced controversies mid-race, such as “A Beautiful Mind,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “The Hurt Locker,” “The King’s Speech,” and most recently, “Green Book.” Accepting a London Film Critics Circle award for Best Supporting Actress this past Sunday, Saldaña (who won a Golden Globe a month ago) seemed taken aback: “I wasn’t anticipating this, especially now,” she confessed. In the meantime, Gascón has persisted with his posts.

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2025-02-06 23:54