Nicholas Sparks is Cancelled
Normally when I see a random person trending on Twitter, one of two things goes through my mind: they died or they said something stupid. When Nicholas Sparks’ name was at the top of the list neither of those things popped into my head, it was more like simple indifference. But, of course I clicked out of mild curiosity. Oh, man. Turns out, he’s literal trash. Like of the racist and homophobic variety. And a big, bright spotlight is shining down on him just in time for Pride Month
Emails obtained by The Daily Beast show Sparks tried to have an LGBT club and student protests banned, wanted to curb “an agenda that strives to make homosexuality open and accepted,” felt the inclusion of diversity and other religions at the Christian school he co-founded were “misplaced priorities.” You know, the school with the mission statement about “love your neighbor” and such.
“Black students are ‘too poor and can’t do the academic work.’”
According to the school’s former headmaster, Saul Benjamin, who is embroiled in a lawsuit against Sparks and the school’s Board of Trustees over claims of harassment, racism, homophobia, and defamation, they “unapologetically marginalized, bullied, and harassed members of the school community whose religious views and/or identities did not conform to their religiously driven, bigoted preconceptions.”
The Caucasity
Full disclosure, I’ve never really liked Nicholas Sparks’ books. I mean, sure, everyone and their cousin’s friend’s sister’s daughter’s hedgehog has seen The Notebook based off his best-selling work. I personally find his writing trite and formulaic. Now, that’s obviously paid off big time for him, tons of movies have been adapted, and there’s definitely a market, but it’s not my thing. I don’t find him creative in the least. Some angsty guy harboring a few serious internal feels, some poor woman who’s downtrodden or hiding a past, meet and with a dash of mild conflict, fall in-love. Usually someone dies. I’m not into it. My cold, black heart can’t take it.
For his part, Sparks responded on Twitter with, basically, “Nuh-UH!”
Except, The Daily Beast brought receipts.
He is literally saying none of it is true as a direct response to actual evidence to the contrary, delivered by his own hand.
There’s a line in George Orwell’s 1984, “The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”
Perhaps I’ve been too hard on Sparks in a literary sense. I mean, it’s clear he’s into the Classics.
Some people will say, well, that’s free speech, he’s allowed to say or think anything he wants - and I’m one of them. But with that, he’s also allowed to have his hateful, bigoted views brought to light.
Hopefully a bright, sparkly, rainbow-colored one.
And I’m here for it.
