‘Parasite’ Distributor Fires Back After Trump Criticizes Oscars Triumph

The U.S. distributors of the South Korean blockbuster “Parasite” offered a simply worded response to President Donald Trump’s criticism of its history-making Oscars triumph.

Directed by Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite” became the first non-English-language movie to be named Best Picture earlier this month. Trump is evidently not a fan of the film, however, telling supporters at a Colorado rally on Thursday that he wished an English-language film had won instead.

“We’ve got enough problems with South Korea with trade,” the president said. “On top of it, they give them the best movie of the year? Was it good? I don’t know.”

Neon, the U.S. distributor of the movie, fired back at Trump’s dis with a statement implying the president may have had an issue with the use of subtitles.

The New York-based film company wasn’t the only one to shred Trump’s taste in films. 

Elsewhere in his speech, the president unfavorably compared “Parasite,” which won a total of four Academy Awards, to classic movies like 1950’s “Sunset Boulevard” and 1939’s “Gone With the Wind.” The latter film has, in recent years, been criticized for its demeaning stereotypes of Black characters and “romanticization” of slavery before the Civil War. 

“It’s bringing up ‘Gone With the Wind’ that raises this from simple xenophobic ignorance to real dada racism,” wrote The Nation’s Jeet Heer. Charlotte Clymer of the Human Rights Campaign added: “Trump openly pining for ‘Gone With the Wind’ is the doggiest dogwhistle that ever dogwhistled.”