Black people on the outs in Hollywood.

• Author: Bernard, Emily
• Position: THE PROGRESSIVE MEDIA PROJECT - Brief article

In November 2013, Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin traded obnoxious e-mail jokes about President Obama. The exchange was occasioned by a breakfast gathering for the President and Hollywood powerbrokers hosted by Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation and a major donor to the Democratic Party.

"What should I ask the President at this stupid Jeffrey breakfast?" Pascal asked Rudin. The conversation degenerated into sophomoric speculations about Obama's taste in movies.

"Should I ask him if he liked Django?" Pascal began. "Ride Along," Rudin quipped. The two continue to reference movies that are completely disparate but for one characteristic: All of the movies they guessed Obama might like feature black people in prominent roles, either in front of or behind the camera. These e-mails would never have become public knowledge if Sony had not been the target of a hacking scandal a couple of months ago.

Apologies from Pascal and Rudin...