By I have never been a fan of Kevin Hart. It’s not that I don’t like the guy or think that he’s annoying, but it’s simply because I don’t find him funny. I acknowledge that humor is subjective, so when a friend of mine tells me that he finds Kevin Hart hilarious, I believe him. I have nothing against the man, but I can’t help but feel bad for him after hearing about he was chosen to host the 91st annual Academy Awards, only to be forced to resign.
The reason? Decade-old tweets that don’t reflect his current personality or material. After he was selected to host the Oscars, internet users began to complain about several tweets and jokes he made a decade ago that disparage the LGBT community. Kevin Hart stated multiple times that he had already addressed the content of the tweets, saying that he has apologized for it previously and that he had changed over the past decade and no longer believes what he said back then. That wasn’t good enough for some reason, so the Academy issued an ultimatum; apologize for the tweets again, or get kicked to the curb. So Kevin Hart decided to step down from hosting, but still issued an apology after he announced his departure.
I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's….this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past.
— Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) December 7, 2018
This is just a depressing trend on so many levels. The recent trend of holding people accountable for their actions is one thing, but persecuting someone over comments made years ago is just plain ridiculous. When James Gunn was ousted from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for jokes that he made that he found offensive and he regretted making as he matured, people lost their minds at how unfair it was to him. The same is happening here. Yeah, his comments against the LGBT community weren’t cool at all and should no way be defended, but if the man has repented multiple times, then why still harass him over it? He’s learned his lesson, now let’s move on.
But apparently, that isn’t the case. You can never say anything online without it coming back to haunt you when you’re older. Even then, no one seems to understand that people change and comments that they made previously might be outdated or something that they’re not personally proud of. The general impression I’m taking away is that no one can ever change and people should always be held responsible for their actions regardless of how many times they’ve apologized for it. Kevin Hart has my sympathies, but now the Academy has to scramble to find another host that wants to host the Oscars. After what happened with Hart, I wonder how many people are going to be eager to sign up.
Kevin Hart Steps Down As Oscars Host – [Variety]
