During the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards, actress Sally Field was honored with a lifetime achievement award. In her acceptance speech, Field acknowledged the struggles of people of color in the entertainment industry and noted that by comparison, the struggles of a “little white girl with a pug-nose born in Pasadena, California” were miniscule.
Her comments drew criticism from Megyn Kelly, who accused Field of “apologizing for being white” and of “virtue signaling.”
“The Megyn Kelly Show” host called Field’s speech “pathetic” and suggested that the actress could have instead focused on issues such as the casting couch culture and the difficulties faced by women in the industry. Kelly argued that Field’s comments were “diminishing” to people of color in the room and accused her of assuming they were all oppressed.
Megyn Kelly suggested that Sally Field could have utilized her speech to speak out against the casting couch culture prevalent in the industry she worked in, which had led to the emergence of individuals like Harvey Weinstein. She added, “no, she’s got to be like, ‘I’m the little white girl from Pasadena, and I suffered nothing like you people did here in this room.”
Comedian Adam Carolla, a guest on Kelly’s show, suggested that entertainers feel pressure to address issues such as systemic racism to remain employable in Hollywood. However, Kelly pushed back and called for an end to what she sees as the practice of virtue signaling during acceptance speeches.
Kelly argues that actors should say “thank you” and avoid divisive comments. While it is essential to acknowledge and address systemic issues in the entertainment industry and beyond, Kelly believes that doing so in acceptance speeches is counterproductive and unnecessary.
