Oscar-winning director Sean Baker under fire for controversial sex worker remarks; netizens react, ‘Why don’t you…’
By winning Best Picture award for his comedy-drama Anora at the 97th Academy Awards, writer-director Sean Baker emerged as the first person to bag four Oscars for the same film. He had also won trophies for Best Director, Original Screenplay And Editing for Anora. “Long live independent film,” Sean had said during his acceptance speech.
The acclaimed director has also kicked off a controversy among Korean netizens with his recent comment on sex work. Despite his big win at the Oscars, where his film bagged five major awards, Sean’s past comments has resurfaced, and being slammed for his perspective on the industry.
When Sean attended Cannes Film Festival last year, he talked about his upcoming project that revolves around a sex worker. Besides stressing on decriminalization of sex work, he laid stress on the need to portray sex work as a legitimate form of labor. “It’s important to explore what sex work is in the modern age and how it applies in a capitalist society; it’s a job, a livelihood, it’s a job, it’s a career, and it should be respected. In my opinion, I’m speaking for myself to be decriminalized and not in any way regulated. It’s a sex worker’s body … it’s their body, and it’s up to them to decide how to use it in their livelihood,” Sean had said.
Even though Sean’s comment was supported internationally, it led to outrage among Korean netizens, who held him culpable of ignoring the harsh realities of exploitation and trafficking in the sex industry. Many also slammed Western film festivals for promoting stories that may romanticize an industry fraught with ethical concerns.
One of the comments (after translation) read, “Then men should just sell sex to each other. That matches the actual demand for prostitution.” Next comment read, “Why don’t you have your own kid do it?” Another user posted, “Men disguising human rights violations and exploitation as ‘labor’—disgusting. And Western white men in the first world handing out awards for this kind of thing? Absolutely vile.”
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