Emma Stone screaming “I’m sorry” during Sandra Oh’s monologue shows that at any given moment, without a hint of irony, White women will insert themselves into a woman of color’s spotlight. She HAD to say something, despite the years and years of silence on the issue, right then and there as a half laugh for…what? To turn the real issue of white washing into a joke? To reinsert herself into the conversation when her decisions hurt Asian actors like Sandra? It’s all liberal posturing disgusing white fragility because she most definitely felt embarrassed to be indirectly called out for her complicity in white washing.
Why else yell an apology after four years of her just never really addressing it? It’s white guilt taken to a literal extreme to pander to the audience for cheap woke laughs. “Look at her, she’s aware of the issues! And she’s sorry!!! XD total self own!” White women can’t bare to sit in their uncomfortability when they are confronted with their complicity and try to detract from it in any way possible. Sure, it’s just a throw away comment but really think about the ideology that fueled her need to say that in the first place, at the time she said it, and the reaction of her saying it from a most white crowd. By dismissing the comment as a jokey, self depreciating nod, we dismiss how white people can constantly do some self flaggration, usually publically, years after the damage has already been done. We see it over and over again.
Yes I know Sandra and Andy’s joint monologue was to supposed to be light hearted and fun, poking satirical fun at topics etc etc but it’s something to chew on. The whole interaction was brief (Emma’s comment wasn’t planned and she literally injected it into the monologue) but is pretty illuminating.
