Filmmaker Ryan Coogler has been making the rounds on a press tour to promote his latest project, “Sinners,” a supernatural horror flick starring Michael B. Jordan. But while most are eagerly anticipating the release of his new film, the 38-year-old Academy Award-nominated director has been criticized by some on social media for how he speaks in interviews.
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Without question, Coogler has the box office receipts for films like “Black Panther,” “Creed” and “Fruitvale Station” to prove that he is good at what he does. But that hasn’t stopped some from coming after the Oakland, California native for sounding, in their words, “less than professional.”
One TikToker went as far as saying that he has lost respect for Coogler for “acting like he’s from the ‘hood” despite the success he’s achieved.
“Sad how black men can’t grow out of the hood,” he captioned his post.
But others aren’t buying it and are defending Coogler for refusing to code-switch for the cameras and instead showing up as his authentic self.
“Some people think Ryan Coogler should “talk different” now that he’s successful...but why? The way he speaks doesn’t take away from his brilliance, professionalism or impact. Success shouldn’t require code-switching. Let people be themselves and still be great,” one TikTok creator captioned his post.
“It’s literally just an accent. If you listen, he has a great vocabulary,” wrote someone in the comments.
Another TikTok user went even further, posting about the damage respectability politics have done to Black people, adding that we shouldn’t have to drop our regional accents just to appear more professional.
“They really have no problem with what Ryan is saying, they just have a problem with how he sounds,” he says in his video.
“If he had a UK accent I guess that would be more acceptable?” wrote someone in the comments.
One of the reasons fans have connected with Coogler’s work is that it is so relatable and offers Black people the opportunity to see themselves portrayed authentically on screen, a sentiment that was captured by thousands who defended his right to be as Oakland as he wants to be.
“$2.5B+ in Box Office. He can speak Mandarin if he want,” wrote someone in the comments.
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