Jenna Ortega claims Hollywood loses “humanity” due to being “politically correct”
Conversations surrounding political correctness, especially in the realm of art, have existed for a long time. Art and politics are irrevocably tied, sparking up intense debates between people over issues such as separating art from the artist or how political correctness affects genres like comedy. Now, Jenna Ortega has discussed her opinion on the matter.
The actor has been rising higher and higher up Hollywood’s ladder over the past few years, largely thanks to roles in Scream and Wednesday, has now shared her nuanced opinions on the complex subject. Ortega believes that many people are approaching the topic too stringently, arguing, “Everybody wants to be politically correct, but I feel like, in doing that, we lose a lot of our humanity and integrity, because it lacks honesty.”
In the conversation with Vanity Fair, she said the film industry is “so touchy-feely.” Ortega believes in welcoming healthy debate surrounding political correctness, which she feels doesn’t have to automatically turn into a form of conflict between opposing parties. “I wish that we had a better sense of conversation. Imagine if everyone could say what they felt and not be judged for it and, if anything, it sparked some sort of debate, not an argument,” she said.
The actor joked, “Am I describing world peace?” Ortega’s comments come after she quit the Scream franchise last November, just a day after her co-star, Melissa Barrera, was fired. The pair were the main characters in 2022’s Scream and Scream VI, playing sisters Tara and Sam Carpenter.
Yet, after Barrera took to social media to share her support for Palestine and criticise the actions of Israel, likening events to a “genocide,” Spyglass Media fired her from the upcoming instalment in the franchise, Scream VII.
Barrera was accused of being antisemitic, with Spyglass posting a statement which read: “We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech.”
Ortega quit production the next day, although she claimed this was due to scheduling conflicts. The actor has many upcoming projects on her plate, such as a new season of Netflix’s hit show Wednesday and the highly anticipated movie Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
As a result of Barrera’s firing, Neve Campbell, the original star of the Scream franchise – who hasn’t been seen since the fifth Scream movie – will return for the seventh instalment. Kevin Williamson, writer of Scream, Scream 2, and Scream 4, will direct the newest movie.
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