Black Twitter Calls Out Elizabeth Banks for Forgetting Steven Spielberg Directed ‘The Color Purple’

Actress accused of “white feminism”

Elizabeth Banks is under fire for her own fiery comments made earlier this week about Steven Spielberg. At an event accepting an award from the nonprofit group Women In Film, Banks called out the director for his lack of movies featuring female leads.

“I went to ‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘Jaws’ and every movie Steven Spielberg ever made — and, by the way, he’s never made a movie with a female lead. Sorry, Steven. I don’t mean to call your ass out but it’s true,” she said.

While Banks is right in her point that there need to be more strong lead roles for women in Hollywood, many on Twitter were quick to point out that Spielberg directed “The Color Purple” in 1985, which featured Whoopi Goldberg in the lead role, along with performances by Margaret Avery and Oprah Winfrey. The film was nominated for best picture at the 1986 Academy Awards, but lost to “Out of Africa.” When an audience member shouted out a reminder about the film at the Wednesday event in Beverly Hills, California, actress and director Banks moved on.

Twitter has erupted, many voicing anger with Banks for ignoring “The Color Purple,” pointing out its importance to black culture. “Do you have any idea what The Color Purple, a movie about Southern poor Black women finding their voices, means culturally for Black women?” one Twitter user asked.

Also, it appears director Ava DuVernay, whose 2014 film “Selma” was nominated for two Oscars, winning one in the original song category, subtweeted over the uproar:

https://twitter.com/ava/status/875391707516252160

One user playfully asked Banks for her address, hoping to send her a DVD of “The Color Purple” to show her she was factually mistaken. Another observer praised Twitter users for calling out Banks: “When you see all the good people of black Twitter dragging Elizabeth Banks for ignoring “The Color Purple.””

One user simply called out Banks, accusing her of “white feminism.”

Here’s a roundup of Twitter’s pushback against Banks:

https://twitter.com/SigmaR3LLA/status/875206154439327744

https://twitter.com/SigmaR3LLA/status/875341969421209600

https://twitter.com/crissles/status/875341271249891329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fblavity.com%2Felizabeth-banks-steven-spielberg-the-color-purple

https://twitter.com/crissles/status/875345369043005440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fblavity.com%2Felizabeth-banks-steven-spielberg-the-color-purple

https://twitter.com/roomonezerosix/status/875397153585217536

https://twitter.com/freeblackgirl/status/875327736956452865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thewrap.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1657769%26action%3Dedit

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