Bronzeface? Woke warrior Meryl Streep accused of wearing Latina ‘blackface’ in new Netflix film
Hollywood actress Meryl Streep is under fire for portraying a Latina character in upcoming Netflix film, ‘The Laundromat,’ with critics accusing the liberal darling of sporting a form of ‘blackface.’
Directed by Steven Soderbergh of ‘Ocean’s 11’ fame and set to drop on Netflix later this month, the comedy-drama delves into the story behind the Panama Papers, a trove of millions of documents leaked in 2015 which detail the corrupt dealings of thousands of wealthy individuals around the world.
Though Streep assumes the lead role in the first section of the film, her less conspicuous portrayal of a Latina office worker later on – for which she donned bronzed skin, a prosthetic nose, and an affected Spanish accent – has provoked the starlet’s more “woke” fanbase, as well as some critics.
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A netizen slammed the actress for “a racial caricature of central american women,” adding that it was “absolutely vile and racist” and “insane” that “people are so readily defending blackface.”
One critic said it was an “incredibly weird decision” to have Streep play a character who is “nearly a caricature,” and questioned why Q&A sessions at film festivals have avoided the subject.
Great to see every single question at the Q&A be about how great Meryl Streep is as a person (she is) yet nothing on her playing a latina character including a nose prosthetic.
— Rafael Motamayor still @ TIFF (@RafaelMotamayor) September 10, 2019
Meanwhile, Vanity Fair’s chief film critic, Richard Lawson, also wrote disapprovingly of Streep’s second role in the film, calling it “a bizarre and rather galling unforced error, especially in an era of heightened consciousness about representation and appropriation.”
Streep has yet to address the accusations, but as many in the left-leaning entertainment industry continue to eat their own over minor transgressions, it’s unclear if the actress’s street cred as a #Resistance warrior will absolve her of this sin.
#TheLaundromat is not one of Soderbergh’s best, but the bravery it took Meryl Streep to do blackface is truly astonishing. She should definitely be nominated for an Oscar #TIFF19
— calvin (@cburneracct) September 10, 2019
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