Movie actress Sally Field became the target of criticism after apologizing at the Screen Actors Guild Awards for how privileged she was to be born white. Even journalist and anchor Megyn Kelly spoke out about it and highlighted how "pathetic" the artist's speech was.
After Field received a lifetime achievement award, she stood up in front of her colleagues to point out how "lightweight" her struggle as an actress was compared to that of many other actors of color.
"I was a little white girl with a pug nose born in Pasadena, California. And when I look around this room tonight, I know my fight, as hard as it was, was lightweight compared to some of yours. I thank you. And I applaud you" said the 76-year-old actress.
Field's apology was not to the liking of many people. In fact, some users on social networks called her comments on race"ridiculous" and unnecessary.
My white privilege didn't keep me from being raped for 6 years of my life. I struggled in my younger years with rage, drugs, and excuses, but I overcame it all with hard work. Maybe people should just put in some hard work, and stop trying to make us feel guilty for being white🤷🏻♀️
— Crystal Green (@baking49) February 28, 2023
"@sally_field Love ya but your speech that you had it easier then [sic] most is ridiculous. I see homeless white and black people out there and black people in great schools and big houses. We must stop categorizing people in little boxes based on race," read a comment shared by Fox News.
Sally has no idea what she’s talking about, she’s just pandering out of some prescribed, but phony, white guilt. It’s the empty virtue du jour, the sickness of the Left. 🙄
— Aesthete : Art & Culture (@seaneenferrara) March 1, 2023
"There's no exclusivity on hard times for any one race. Have black people been oppressed in our country? Absolutely. Does that mean other races can't struggle or have it hard? Absolutely, not! Cut out the ‘woke’ race-baiting agendas," said another person.
Megyn Kelly joins critics
Journalist and TV host Megyn Kelly was also not far behind and expressed how pathetic she found the actress' words.
"News flash, White girls in America don’t have any troubles that are worth remembering when you’re in front of a group that has a lot of people of color," she said sarcastically. "It’s such baloney (...) It’s such pathetic, obvious virtue signaling," she added.
.@MegynKelly reacts to Sally Field's "virtue signaling" SAG Awards acceptance speech. Watch for more: https://t.co/lSiLmIxdi9 pic.twitter.com/RZNJKmFUtk
— The Megyn Kelly Show (@MegynKellyShow) February 28, 2023
Kelly felt that the actress should have said something more true to her personality, highlighting the efforts she truly made to get to where she is today and how grateful she feels for the opportunities she had.
"She’s basically got to be like ‘I’m the little White girl from Pasadena and I basically suffered nothing like you people did here in this room.’ How does she know? It’s so diminishing to people of color who are in the room. She just assumes that they are all oppressed? Why should she assume that they’ve all had it so bad?," she questioned. The presenter ended by stressing that Field's comment was more divisive than unifying.
