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. 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.
“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. “But my fury is not just about race. Or even about racial representation in art. Yes, we need art that reflects all of our colors, not just some. But we also need to give awards to shows that deserve them, no matter the color of the skin of their creators. Is Hamilton great because Lin-Manuel Miranda is Puerto Rican? No. It’s great because it bangs. 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. Yes, it’s one of the show’s numerous faux pas.
