(CNN) "The Wire" creator David Simon won't be filming an upcoming HBO series in Texas due to a controversial abortion law passed in the state, he announced on Twitter.
"As an employer, this is beyond politics," Simon wrote. "I'm turning in scripts next month on an HBO non-fiction miniseries based on events in Texas, but I can't and won't ask female cast/crew to forgo civil liberties to film there. What else looks like Dallas/Ft. Worth?"
If an employer, this is beyond politics. I'm turning in scripts next month on an HBO non-fiction miniseries based on events in Texas, but I can't and won't ask female cast/crew to forgo civil liberties to film there. What else looks like Dallas/Ft. Worth? https://t.co/q6Py6XikYh — David Simon (@AoDespair) September 20, 2021
Love Austin and San Antonio. Even like Houston some. And you are blissfully unaware that this is not a political decision for us; we can't ethically ask any female cast/crew to relocate to any state that requires them to forgo civil liberties. The end. https://t.co/j5WVrr7hfp — David Simon (@AoDespair) September 22, 2021
The Dallas Film & Creative Industries Office replied to Simon's announcement, writing on Twitter, "Laws of a state are not reflective of its entire population. Not bringing a production to Dallas (a big 'D') only serves to further disenfranchise those that live here. We need talent/crew/creatives to stay & vote, not get driven out by inability to make a living."
.@AoDespair -Laws of a state are not reflective of its entire population. Not bringing a production to Dallas (a big "D") only serves to further disenfranchise those that live here. We need talent/crew/creatives to stay & vote, not get driven out by inability to make a living. https://t.co/DxD46z0nNu — Dallas Film & Creative Industries Office (@DallasCommish) September 20, 2021
Simon replied to the tweet, writing that the organization misunderstood why he made the choice he did.
"You misunderstand completely. My response is NOT rooted in any debate about political efficacy or the utility of any boycott. My singular responsibility is to securing and maintaining the civil liberties of all those we employ during the course of a production ... if even one of our employees requires full control of her own body and choices — and if a law denies this or further criminalizes our attempt to help her exercise that control, we should have filmed elsewhere."
woosterthunkit on September 23rd, 2021 at 06:50 UTC »
David has been a journalist and writer and has been consistent in his purpose for years:
"Discussing whether he hopes The Wire (2002) will cause reforms of the institutions portrayed in the series) I'll tell you what, this would be enough for me: The next time the drug czar or Ashcroft or any of these guys stands up and declares, 'With a little fine-tuning, with a few more prison cells, and a few more lawyers, a few more cops, a little better armament, and another omnibus crime bill that adds 15 more death-penalty statutes, we can win the war on drugs' -- if a slightly larger percentage of the American population looks at him and goes, 'You are so full of shit' ... that would be gratifying."
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0800108/bio#quotes
Machismo01 on September 23rd, 2021 at 05:07 UTC »
Specifically he won’t be filming in Texas. He was planning to film, at least in part, in Texas.
daaaayyyy_dranker on September 23rd, 2021 at 03:58 UTC »
I’m wondering if Harjo will pill Reservation Dogs since Oklahoma will have the same laws starting Nov 1