Breaking news out of Hollywood where we’re seeing reports that Disney has fired writer/director James Gunn from “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” over old tweets where he joked about pedophilia:
#BREAKING: James Gunn fired as director of 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' after unearthed tweets https://t.co/zklnok5aIH #fox5dc
— FOX 5 DC (@fox5dc) July 20, 2018
From Disney:
.@Disney statement: "The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James’ Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio’s values, and we have severed our business relationship with him" https://t.co/zTSEkKLhkH
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) July 20, 2018
Of course they’re blaming a “far-right blogger” for this:
Marvel severs ties with Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn after a far-right blogger dredges up old tweets that included pedophilia, rape jokes. https://t.co/I2n5OR2RqC pic.twitter.com/WpxA988flF
— Polygon (@Polygon) July 20, 2018
We’re already seeing attacks on Mike Cernovich, one of the people who dug up the old tweets:
This is one of the LESS disgusting tweets from Mike Cernovich, the dude who, after running a Gamergate-style smear campaign, just got James Gunn fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. Okay have a good weekend. https://t.co/7DYlin1zgO
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) July 20, 2018
Or it’s because Gunn is an outspoken Trump critic not because of the disgusting things he tweeted:
The people who enacted this campaign against James Gunn don’t actually care about what he said. They care that he was actively outspoken against President Trump and wanted to shut him down. But they can’t take action for things that actually matter.
— Ethan Anderton (@Ethan_Anderton) July 20, 2018
Gunn acknowledged the problematic tweets on Twitter last night, but that wasn’t enough to keep his job:
1. Many people who have followed my career know when I started, I viewed myself as a provocateur, making movies and telling jokes that were outrageous and taboo. As I have discussed publicly many times, as I’ve developed as a person, so has my work and my humor.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018
2. It’s not to say I’m better, but I am very, very different than I was a few years ago; today I try to root my work in love and connection and less in anger. My days saying something just because it’s shocking and trying to get a reaction are over.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018
3. In the past, I have apologized for humor of mine that hurt people. I truly felt sorry and meant every word of my apologies.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018
4. For the record, when I made these shocking jokes, I wasn’t living them out. I know this is a weird statement to make, and seems obvious, but, still, here I am, saying it.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018
5. Anyway, that’s the completely honest truth: I used to make a lot of offensive jokes. I don’t anymore. I don’t blame my past self for this, but I like myself more and feel like a more full human being and creator today. Love you to you all.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018
More from Cernovich here:
https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/1020362746620084224
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