It’s not enough to take down the Confederate monuments and rename the streets – now, we have to erase anything that even remotely references the South, the Civil War, or racial inequality.
Welcome to the book burning, ladies and gentlemen.
Latest in line is HBO Max, which has nixed the iconic film “Gone With the Wind” from its streaming lineup amid nationwide protests over racism and police brutality – and police, in general.
The 1939 film, starring Vivienne Leigh and Clark Gable, follows a tragic love story through a pre- and post-Civil War South, telling the story of a young Scarlett O’Hara as she struggles to find herself and her future to the backdrop of war and a rapidly shifting culture.
Ironically, the move also features Hattie McDaniel, the first black woman to ever win an Oscar. McDaniel scored the award for Best Actress In a Supporting Role for her famous portrayal of “Mammy."
HBO says the movie may eventually make a return to the streaming service, but only with a "discussion of its historical context and a denouncement of those very depictions" of slavery.
“Gone With The Wind is a product of its time and depicts some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that have, unfortunately, been commonplace in American society," an HBO spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.
"These racist depictions were wrong then and are wrong today, and we felt that to keep this title up without an explanation and a denouncement of those depictions would be irresponsible. These depictions are certainly counter to WarnerMedia’s values, so when we return the film to HBO Max, it will return with a discussion of its historical context and a denouncement of those very depictions, but will be presented as it was originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed. If we are to create a more just, equitable and inclusive future, we must first acknowledge and understand our history.”