Speaking on FOXNews’ “Hannity and Colmes,” Civil Rights attorney Thomas Ruffin, an African American, called it “tragically ironic” that Denzel Washington received an Academy Award® for depicting “the Devil Incarnate” — the murderous, lying, and evil ‘Alonzo Harris’ in Antoine Fuqua’s Training Day.

Most upsetting about this award, to Ruffin’s way of thinking, is that the character of Alonzo Harris is “representative” of the kinds of “stereotypical” and “degrading” roles Hollywood offers prominent Black actors. (Ruffin spouted similar nonsense about Halle Berry’s award, but I haven’t seen Monster’s Ball, so I’m not prepared to comment about the specifics of his allegations). Of course, movie critics who lauded Washington’s performance in Training Day did so precisely because he was not cast in the role of PC hero (e.g., John Q.) or victim/avenger of social and historical inequities (e.g., Remember the Titans, Hurricane). In short, they liked the performance because it was not emblematic of anything. Instead, Washington was given the chance to play a corrupt and charismatic cop (see: Harvey Keitel in Bad Lieutenant, Richard Gere in Internal Affairs, or Nick Nolte in Q&A, e.g.) — the juiciest role the script had to offer. (Halle Berry, from what I understand, begged for her role in Monster’s Ball, as well).

Related: A bunch of erudite British white guys call it “tragically ironic” that Anthony Hopkins received an Academy Award® for depicting “the Devil Incarnate” [Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs] — a murderous, manipulative, liver-n-fava bean-eatin’ psychopath representative of “stereotypical white serial killers.”