Filmmaker James Cameron has voiced his displeasure regarding one of Amy Poehler’s most cutting jokes from the Golden Globes.
Cameron referred to the comment as an “ignorant dig” aimed at him, according to a report. In a recent interview with The New York Times, the Oscar-winning director of ‘Titanic’ shared that Poehler crossed a line with her joke about his marriage to Kathryn Bigelow.
The joke in question was delivered at the 2013 Golden Globes, where Bigelow was nominated for best director for her work on ‘Zero Dark Thirty.’ During her opening monologue with co-host Tina Fey, Poehler commented on the controversy surrounding the film’s portrayal of torture by quipping, “When it comes to torture, I trust the lady who spent three years married to James Cameron.”
The audience’s reaction was palpable, with Jessica Chastain, a star in Bigelow’s ‘Zero Dark Thirty,’ visibly shocked by the remark.
Cameron expressed, “Amy Poehler’s remark was an ignorant dig, at an event which is supposed to be a celebration of cinema and filmmakers, not a roast. I’m pretty thick-skinned and happy to be the butt of a good-natured joke, but that went too far. The fact that people found it funny shows exactly what they think of me, even though they have no idea who I am or how I work.”
He also pointed out that Hollywood had set up a rivalry between the two directors during the 2009-2010 awards season, as ‘Avatar’ competed against ‘The Hurt Locker’ at various events, including the Oscars. Bigelow ultimately won the Oscar for best director, along with best picture for ‘The Hurt Locker.’
“I was the first one on my feet applauding,” Cameron recalled about Bigelow’s Oscar win. He added, “Kathryn and I thought the whole meta-narrative around us was pretty funny. I was a little concerned that it would just take away from her credibility as a filmmaker. It started to turn into a conversation that wasn’t about her film, and that bothered both of us.”