Yes, it’s one of the show’s numerous faux pas. By that same token, how anyone can watch I May Destroy You and not call it a brilliant work of art or Michaela Coel a genius is beyond my capacity to understand how these decisions are made.” In that regard, Copaken acknowledged that Emily in Paris’s vision was “scrubbed free of its vibrant African and Muslim communities” in favor of telling a story of “luxury” whiteness. Is Hamilton great because Lin-Manuel Miranda is Puerto Rican? No. But we also need to give awards to shows that deserve them, no matter the color of the skin of their creators. Yes, we need art that reflects all of our colors, not just some. Or even about racial representation in art. “ That I May Destroy You did not get one Golden Globe nod is not only wrong, it’s what is wrong with everything,” she wrote. In a new Guardian op-ed, Emily in Paris staff writer Deborah Copaken said that she by no means expected the seductively silly Parisian comedy to get any nominations, but “that excitement is now unfortunately tempered by my rage over Michaela Coel’s snub.” Copaken, a sexual-assault survivor who considers Coel’s limited series to be “a work of sheer genius,” said that she watched the show twice “just to understand” how Coel did it. If you, like 97 percent of the internet, were confused that this year’s Golden Globe nominations lauded lil’ Insta ringarde Emily in Paris but hung the sensational I May Destroy You out to dry, hashtag your macarons another time and read this. However, this snub is just one of many invalidations of any progress that has been made over the past few years, and it is disappointing to see.Photo-Illustration: Vultutre, HBO and Netflix There was hope that after the #MeToo #OscarsSoWhite and #BlackLivesMatter movements that Hollywood would reflect this growing frustration with gender and racial inequalities, and I May Destroy You skilfully tackles each of these subjects. Michaela Coel ’s I May Destroy You is on quite a roll: after picking up two BAFTA Awards and a Peabody, the HBO limited series is now officially in the running for Emmys, winning nine. Not to mention that I May Destroy You features an almost exclusively black cast, whereas Emily in Paris is as whitewashed as its title suggests. The glamour of Paris and Lily Collins's kitsch outfits have clearly blinded the judging panel to Cole's hat-trick of subversive writing, co-direction and arresting performance set against the backdrop of gritty London. Other industry writers, actors, and even former US President Barack Obama have expressed their love of the show. Paradoxically, this resulted in a writer on Emily in Paris declaring the unfairness of the snub. Emily in Paris garnered two nominations for Best TV Series and Best Actress, while I May Destroy You was nowhere to be seen. The Golden Globes mark the beginning of Hollywood's award season, so, needless to say, its nominations are a big deal. Now, which one sounds like it deserves award nominations? At most, it was good mindless lockdown fodder. Cringeworthy and superficial, the only good thing that can be said for the supposed comedy is that it is beautiful to watch, but even this is down to the setting of Paris itself and cannot be credited to the show. Lily Collins, a clueless American, gets a job in Paris and finds trouble adjusting to French customs and sensibilities. Meanwhile, Netflix's Emily in Paris literally does what it says on the tin. Cole's character Arabella grapples with revenge plots, fantasies and self-destructive behaviour, as the show also raises questions about friendship and loyalty through its supporting characters. Without trying to simplify its ingenuity, the overarching message of the show is that there is no right or wrong way to process a traumatic experience such as rape. To say that Michaela Cole's critically acclaimed drama I May Destroy You is brilliant feels like an understatement.It takes the commonly experienced trauma of sexual assault and the taboo surrounding it and balances a haze of flashbacks, emotional shock and questions of memory with a frank portrayal of survival that does not allow its audience to look away.
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