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Pres. Trump slams Parasite’s Academy Awards win

Posted February. 22, 2020 07:53,   

Updated February. 22, 2020 07:53

한국어

U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly criticized the Academy Awards for choosing the South Korean film “Parasite” as the winner of this year’s Best Picture award during his presidential campaign. It is deemed as an attempt to win over conservative voters – Trump’s core support base – arguing that a U.S. movie should have won the award.

“How bad were the Academy Awards this year? The winner is a movie from South Korea,” President Trump said in Colorado on Thursday (local time) according to CNN. “What the hell was that all about? We got enough problems with South Korea with trade and on top of it, they give them the best movie of the year.” He went on to ask, “Was it good? I don’t know. I thought it was the best foreign film, right? Best foreign movie. No! Has this ever happened before?”

“Can we get like ‘Gone with the Wind’ back please? ‘Sunset Boulevard,’ so many great movies,” Trump praised movies from approximately 70 years ago. “The winner is… from South Korea,” he said in a mocking tone, mimicking the award ceremony. “Parasite” dominates the 92nd Academy Awards on February 9 with four wins –Best Picture, Directing, Writing, and International Feature Film.

Neon, distributor of “Parasite” in North America, responded to Trump’s comment on Twitter, saying, “Understandable, he can’t read,” criticizing Trump’s inability to read the subtitles and failure to recognize the value of non-English films accordingly.

President Trump proceeded to criticize Brad Pitt, the winner of the Best Supporting Actor award. “I was never a big fan of his. He got up, said a little wise-guy statement. Little wise guy, he's a little wise guy," he said. Pitt had criticized during his acceptance speech how the majority-Republican Senate voted against allowing former National Security Advisor John Bolton as a witness during the president’s impeachment trial as Bolton was expected to make unfavorable testimony against Trump.


abro@donga.com