Former President Barack Obama has received criticism regarding a scene in a film on which he served as executive producer.
In a scene from “Leave the World Behind,” a movie based on Rumaan Alam’s novel, two families come together amid a technology blackout and have to discover ways to survive, according to Newsweek.
Both the former president and his wife, Michelle Obama, signed on to serve as executive producers of the film last year through their company, Higher Ground.
In the controversial scene, a daughter is seen being comforted by her dad in bed and saying, “I’m asking you to remember that if the world falls apart, trust should not be doled out easily to anyone, especially white people.”
NEW – Netflix's "Leave the World Behind" cyber apocalypse movie warns about "white people" if "the world falls apart." pic.twitter.com/YRQ2Vh9roT
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) December 11, 2023
Many people pointed out that Barack and Michelle Obama had served as producers for the film and how the scene reflected “racism.”
“Pretty wild that the Obamas were producers for this movie,” Henry Rodgers, chief national correspondent with the Daily Caller, wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“That’s just blatant racism,” David Duhme, a student at the Technical University in Berlin, Germany, wrote.
https://twitter.com/DavidDuhme/status/1734249722968240638
“Imagine if they said this about any other ethnicity in a movie,” Brett Craig, the former EVP, creative with the Daily Wire wrote.
Imagine if they said this about any other ethnicity in a movie. https://t.co/il5t73cqiq
— Brett Craig (@bac37) December 11, 2023
Another user wrote, “This movie is a nothing-burger. Both women were rude towards each other but only one of them learnt a lesson in treating others better. In race-war obsessed US, I’ll let you guess who. Pathetic contribution from former leaders who love politics of division.”
This movie is a nothing-burger. Both women were rude towards each other but only one of them learnt a lesson in treating others better. In race-war obsessed US, I’ll let you guess who. Pathetic contribution from former leaders who love politics of division. https://t.co/aQVW0X0puP
— Iraq Lobster 🦞 (@TamieOfficial) December 11, 2023
Another person pointed out the irony of the film’s release, which was “followed by a ‘Major Chinese Cyber Attack’ on the US.”
Isn’t it interesting this movie drops this last weekend, followed by a “Major Chinese Cyber Attack” on the US?
— Joshua Reid (@realjoshuareid) December 11, 2023
Almost like they promoted fear porn with the movie then wanted to issue strike one directly after.
Scripted. https://t.co/u50mHQmVJ4
“Almost like they promoted fear porn with the movie then wanted to issue strike one directly after,” Joshua Reid, the host of the “Daily Dose” podcast, wrote. “Scripted.”
The film stars Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la and Kevin Bacon.