‘It’s a story about toys!’ GMB guests clash over claim Toy Story 4 is RACIST for having ‘no black leads’ – as writer insists it DOES have diverse characters including a Martian and Mr Potato Head
- Activist slammed film for not reflecting diverse experiences of its audience
- Comes after film critic branded Toy Story 4 anti-feminist as well as disablist
- Row centred on the lack of black actors in the latest Disney Pixar movie
Film critics clashed over whether Toy Story 4 has a sufficiently inclusive range of characters after it was slammed as anti-feminist, disablist and not diverse.
Stella Duffy sparked debates about the new Pixar film when she criticised it for its lack of minority ethnic and disabled characters following last week’s release.
But today Afua Adom, a journalist at Glam Africa Magazine, told Good Morning Britain today that the row had completely missed real issues facing minority ethnic and female actors in Hollywood.
‘People have missed the point of Toy Story – it’s a story about toys,’ she said, adding: ‘I think I saw a diverse range of characters – I saw a Martian, I saw a Mr Potato Head and I saw a dinosaur.’
The lack of a lead black character among the films protagonists (pictured) has been the focus of a row about whether or not the movie is racist
Pictured: Afua Adom and Shola Mos-Shogbamimu on today’s Good Morning Britain, during which they debated whether or not Toy Story 4 lacked diversity
She said the debate is distraction from what she believes are genuine issues of representation in live action films.
But lawyer Shola Mos-Shogbamimu disagreed with her fellow guest, saying Pixar ‘can do better’ as she slammed people defending the film against criticism.
‘It’s diabolically ignorant of any parent or adult to miss the essence of the backlash Toy Story is receiving,’ she said, adding: ‘Entertainment must always have a moralistic value.’
Afua Adom (pictured) says that anyone rowing over the diversity of Toy Story 4’s characters has completely missed the point
Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (pictured) accused the film of failing to reflect to diverse experiences of its audience
GMB viewers took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the debate about Toy Story’s diversity
She told Ben Shephard and Susanna Reid the film had not reflected the wide range of experiences among its young audience.
‘Children are diverse and have diverse experiences,’ she said. Movie companies like Pixar and Disney have a global platform to become part of the evolution of diversity and inclusion.’
It comes after film critic Duffy said the film fails to represent the minorities and went on to criticise it for having ‘no black lead characters,’ sparking a debate as to whether the movie is racist.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Reviewshow, she said: ‘Seriously, it’s 2019! What on Earth are Disney doing having a film that has no leads that are black characters.’
Afua Adom pointed to the diversity of the new film’s cast (pictured) during the row about inclusion on today’s Good Morning Britain
Many on Twitter were not happy with claims Toy Story 4 is racist for having ‘no black leads’
‘Yes, there are black actors, but they are yellow and they are green and they are plush! How can they possibly think that it’s alright now?’
She also slammed writers, accusing them of making Bo-Peep ‘anti-feminist’.
‘She’s still going to fall in love, she’s still going to have the happily ever after, that’s not feminism! It’s a woman who kicks off her skirt to reveal bloomers.’
She added: ‘Had a couple of thoughts… and does some high wire acts. And it’s disablist! It covers ALL bases! […] It looks good – but Disney is supposed to LOOK good. There has to be content to the story too!’
As well as Japanese-American actor Ally Maki, Toy Story 4 features voice performances from Jay Hernandez, who is of Mexican descent, mixed-race Keegan-Michael Key and Carl Weathers, who broke into acting through the blaxploitation genre.