Comments by Richard Dreyfuss should not surprise us
Richard Dreyfuss attends the opening night gala and world premiere of the 4k restoration of "Rio Bravo" during the 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival at TCL Chinese Theatre on April 13, 2023, in Hollywood, California. (Charley Gallay | Getty Images for TCM)
A few months back, my parents asked my brother and me if we had any interest in seeing the actor Richard Dreyfuss do a Q&A before a screening of the 1975 hit film “Jaws.” Classic film fanatic that I am, I jumped at this special chance. We settled on seeing him at The Cabot Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts, nearer to my parents’ home, but I knew he was also doing a similar event at The Music Hall in Portsmouth.
The event that was advertised to us was not at all the experience that we got. After a lackluster introduction, a bizarre entrance where Dreyfuss came out in a dress and made largely inaudible remarks about wearing “LGBTQ garb,” and over 30 minutes of scattered conversation that focused little on the film, Dreyfuss sank to a complete low.
He belittled Barbra Streisand, his co-star from the 1987 film “Nuts,” by referring to her as both a genius and an idiot. He mocked women in Hollywood for being indecisive and said Streisand was stupid to not submit to his suggestions. And when asked an irrelevant and inappropriate question about his thoughts regarding the “Me Too movement,” Dreyfuss said that it “makes him want to vomit” as does the LGBTQ movement. Specifically, he referenced that he feels parents whose 10-year-old kid decides to transition from a boy to a girl are doing their kids a disservice.
It was grossly misogynistic, homophobic, and transphobic. It was not the venue for such vitriol. And it was not what anyone paid good money to see that evening. Shortly after those comments were made, my family and I got up to leave. As an openly gay person, I felt directly insulted by his hateful comments toward my community. And when he first uttered those words, I was frozen in my seat. Thankfully, my brother led the charge to send a clear message to Dreyfuss that we would not tolerate his hate. The staff at The Cabot, who like The Music Hall have issued an apology, could not have been kinder in hearing our concerns and anger.
While many folks have likely heard about the event through articles by The Boston Globe and Variety, as well as WMUR, which reported that folks in Portsmouth were also angered by Dreyfuss, this sadly should not come as a surprise.
First of all, Dreyfuss has previously been under fire for what folks have perceived as contentious remarks. While sitting down for an interview with Margaret Hoover last year to discuss his passion for civics education, he criticized the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ new standards, which focus on greater representation and diversity in modern films. While I can actually understand parts of his argument and agree to disagree with him on the rest, his delivery and rhetoric here mirror what we saw at The Cabot.
Secondly, transgender rights have consistently come under attack in recent years, including right here in New Hampshire. While misogyny and homophobia are far from gone, attacks on the transgender community have only increased in recent years. According to the Human Rights Campaign, there were at least 32 deaths of transgender and gender-expansive community members in 2023. Another 2023 report by Reuters indicates that 37 states presented anti-trans legislation that affected not just children, but transgender folks of all ages.
All of this has occurred in spite of the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in 2020 that delivered a major victory to LGBTQ+ folks in the workplace with a majority opinion written by Justice Neil Gorsuch and Chief Justice John Roberts. The data clearly shows that transgender people remain unprotected and targeted with many intolerant people like Dreyfuss misunderstanding their journeys, which are often deeply personal.
Although Dreyfuss’ comments should not shock us given his past words and the rise in hate toward the LGBTQ+ community, they do show a greater hypocrisy for someone who is so passionate about civics education in schools.
Despite making a major initiative in recent years to promote civics with a mission of nonpartisanship, his comments read in an extremely hypocritical manner. Having an opinion is completely fine. Free speech entitles us to that. But targeting marginalized populations in a hurtful manner that is irrelevant to the conversation at hand, belittling those who disagree with you when they shout “boo” from the audience, and continuing to rant do not get at civility, engagement, and understanding at all. In fact, they read in a very divisive manner from someone whose new book appears to focus on teaching our children about civil discussion so that we can get away from divisiveness.
If my night at The Cabot affirmed anything for me, it’s this: Agreeing to disagree is one thing; promoting vitriolic, hateful language that harms vulnerable people is another.
Dreyfuss would serve himself well by listening to stories from female artists and LGBTQ+ actors who had to suffer and hide in challenging workplaces. He’d do well to sit with transgender youth and adults to learn about their journeys. These moments of listening have made all the difference for some, even as powerful as two of our Supreme Court justices. I’d be surprised if this happened, even though I was ultimately not surprised by the hateful, misogynistic, and arrogant Dreyfuss at the end of this disappointing night.
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