While you were taking care of your last minute Christmas shopping or preparing for your cross-country flight to visit your family for the holidays, the world kept on turning. Doctor Strange caused some racial tension in Hollywood (again), CeeLo’s phone knocked him out (or did it?) and Blac Chyna may be having the wrath of Kris Jenner brought down on her sooner rather than later (and we’re not even touching on Zsa Zsa Gabor’s death or the apparent suicide in Miranda Cosgrove and Charlie Hunnam’s neighborhood).

Insincerity as an Artform

Tilda Swinton and Margaret Cho recently engaged in what was meant to be an undisclosed conversation regarding Swinton’s role in Marvel’s newest film, Doctor Strange. Swinton privately confided in Cho, whom she had never met in person, to discuss the uproar created in her casting as the film’s “Anceint One,” originally a Tibetan man in the comic books. Cho, who is of Chinese descent, informed Swinton that the issue went beyond Swinton’s support of racial diversity or the creation of legitimately strong, female lead characters in movies. Much like Scarlett Johannsen’s casting as the lead character in the upcoming adaptation of the Japanese manga, Ghost in the Shell, the dilemma lies with Hollywood’s decision to “whitewash” roles intended to be played by someone of Asian descent as a means of ensuring box office success, and the actors themselves not refusing them. 

Unbeknownst to Swinton, Cho had grown displeased with their heart-to-heart. While on the TigerBelly podcast, the outspoken comedian brought up the confidential chat. "She said she didn't understand why people were so mad about Doctor Strange and she wanted to talk about it, and wanted to get my take on why all the Asian people were mad. [She] was like, ‘Could you please tell them…' I'm like, ‘Bitch, I can't tell them…I don't have a yellow phone under a cake dome.'" Swinton’s representative immediately released all of the email exchanges shared between the two women to prove Swinton’s continued sincerity over the subject matter. Nevertheless, Cho refused to take responsibility for slandering Swinton and her intentions, only stating that she believed she conveyed her opinions effectively.  

Tilda Swinton sent us her email exchange with Margaret Cho about Doctor Strange, diversity, and whitewashing https://t.co/z8y5vM3a0X pic.twitter.com/fZlsxZ0IfI

— Jezebel (@Jezebel) December 16, 2016