Alright, as we said in our previous coverage, this whole Music controversy is SUPER messy.
But at least Kate Hudson has stepped forward to take some accountability (even though, is it even her fault??).
For anyone who hasn’t heard, Sia came under fire once she released the trailer for her debut film because of her representation of an autistic person. In the clips, frequent collaborator Maddie Ziegler plays someone who is low-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and it’s incredibly cringeworthy watching her few moments on screen in the teaser.
Maddie is not autistic. And, from what we can see, the character comes across almost like more of a caricature than a real person. The film released on February 10 — and since then, even more people have spoken up about how bad the representation is.
In any case, if you want to see an idea of what we mean, check out the film’s trailer here:
Most of the criticism essentially calls the characterization for what it is: a complete mockery of someone on the spectrum.
Sia herself clapped back — before deleting her Twitter account — but even her responses have been on the controversial side.
Fast forward to Friday night.
Kate, who stars in the movie as the autistic girl’s older sister, appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live. While promoting the film, Hudson expressed empathy for people who might’ve been offended. She said:
“For me, when I hear that there’s anybody that feels left out I feel terrible. It’s an ongoing and important dialogue to be had, about neurotypical actors portraying neurodivergent characters. It is an important one to have with people with experts and who know how to engage in the conversation. I encourage it, truly. I think that it’s important to say that we are listening.”
Wow. Okay. So, her response sounds reasonable. Also, the How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days star had nothing to do with the writing or production of this film. She actually only got cast after Sia heard her singing on Instagram.
And her performance is obviously drawing attention in the good sort of way — Music has already been nominated for two Golden Globe awards (Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress – Musical or Comedy).
You can watch Kate’s full interview from Friday night with host Jimmy Kimmel (below):
Here’s the thing, too: At the heart of this film, it seems like Sia was trying to act with the best intentions by creating a story about a young person with autism.
However, we hope this has been a learning lesson for the director and that, in the future, production more accurately portrays someone on the spectrum.
What do U think, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF in the comments (below)…
[Image via Jimmy Kimmel Live/YouTube & Sia/YouTube]
The post Kate Hudson Responds To <i>Music</i> Backlash Amid Autism Controversy: 'We Are Listening' appeared first on Perez Hilton.
