“We are disappointed that what was meant to be a forum for conversation celebrating an iconic film became a platform for expressing political views.”
Surfers are a diverse group, with some differences in age, gender and race, but they all consider Richard Dreyfuss their hero. The 76-year-old actor has given life to many great characters, but the one who is the most inspirational for surfers is Matt Hooper. That’s right, the intrepid oceanographer who correctly identified a giant great white shark preying on sea creatures and then dived into its cage to sting it with venom is the patron saint of wave riding, and many even wear his face around their necks in the form of a small medallion.
So imagine the shock a few days ago when Dreyfuss showed up to a screening of Jaws in a glamorous floral dress and launched into a lengthy tirade that some described as “anti-transgender, anti-LGBTQ+.” The event was scheduled in the small town of Beverly, Massachusetts, and the $300 admission fee meant a quick chat with a Hollywood icon.
The theme, which also included some criticism of Barbara Streisand, was not well received by everyone.
Sarah Hogg and her partner Jonah Hoffman attended the ceremony but quickly left in protest. “I’m queer and non-binary. This is personal to me. It was like an out-of-body experience. It was terrifying,” Hogg told the Boston Globe.
Sherri Ziegler left the media and expressed her displeasure directly on Facebook, writing, “Apparently (I found out too late) he is notorious for spewing this kind of racist, homophobic, misogynistic drivel…. We did not get what we paid for (what we all expected to be a fun, light-hearted evening hearing stories and anecdotes from RD’s time making Jaws on the Vineyard). This is offensive and I demand a refund.”
Theater director J. Casey Soward expressed deep disappointment, declaring, “We regret that what was meant to be a place for dialogue to celebrate an iconic film became a platform for expressing political views. We take full responsibility for not anticipating the direction the conversation was taking and for the discomfort caused to many in our audience. We are actively engaged in dialogue about our audience’s experience and are committed to learning from this event and finding ways to better execute on our mission of entertaining, educating and inspiring our community.”
Surfers are embarrassed.
The Dreyfus team has yet to address the issue but plans to do so within 24 hours, before the start of the Tahiti Pro.
exciting.
