"It's hard to imagine that in today's free, democratic, and equal society, there are still issues of racial discrimination."
On the stage of the live broadcast hall, Oprah had just finished the prelude to this talk show. The main event was about to begin, and she was looking forward to it.
As the undisputed number one talk show in the USA for thirty years, she would maintain a relatively fair stance. Regardless of who won this confrontation, Oprah's show would be the true beneficiary.
With a hot topic, immense fame, and the exception of presenting it live, she believed this talk show would set new viewership records.
Matthew stood at the entrance to the stage, looking towards the opposite entrance where, if he guessed correctly, Spike Lee was also waiting to make his appearance.
As the music's tempo slowed, Oprah's voice echoed, "Today, a renowned Hollywood star has been troubled by accusations of racial discrimination from the media..."
"Please welcome... Matthew Horner!"
With Oprah's introduction, Matthew walked onto the stage, waving to the camera and the audience.
He was dressed in an ordinary long-sleeved T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, looking no different from a young man on the street. His friendly, natural smile made everyone feel his warmth.
"How could someone like him be the extremist described by the newspapers and those black people?"
In the somewhat old house in Westwood, Daenerys pointed at the TV screen and said, "It's clearly slander! Those bastards are framing our Matthew!"
Thompson's dark face was filled with anger. "If I ever see that Spike Lee bastard, I'll beat him to a pulp."
Behind him, a dozen members of the fan club voiced their disdain for Spike Lee, Naomie Harris, Paula Patton, and Jada Smith.
The room was in an uproar.
Brian Lister quickly intervened, "Quiet down. Matthew is prepared this time. I..."
He whispered a few words, and the surrounding people suddenly understood, then started laughing.
In the live broadcast hall, Gilberto Silva saw Matthew shake hands with Oprah and sit on a single sofa. Unconsciously, his hand reached into his crossbody bag, touching the eggs inside.
Oprah looked at Matthew, her signature smile on her face. "You've been facing a lot of trouble recently, haven't you?"
Matthew's look today was meticulously planned to be relatable to the average person. With a troubled expression, he said, "When your home is blocked by many reporters and people who don't know the truth, it's hard to sleep at night."
"Don't know the truth?" Oprah caught the key phrase and asked, "Are you saying the people blocking your door don't understand the truth?"
Matthew spread his hands innocently. "Isn't that the case? If they knew the truth, they wouldn't be blocking my door. They've been misled and deceived."
Oprah didn't give Matthew a moment to breathe and immediately asked, "Are you saying the media reports and those accusing you of racial discrimination are lying?"
Hearing this question, Matthew realized that Oprah was much tougher than any journalist or host he had faced before.
"I didn't lie."
In a mansion, Jada Smith sat in front of the TV and said to Will Smith, "He did take the lead role from you."
Will Smith remained silent, his eyes fixed on the TV.
Spike Lee stood at the other entrance to the stage, dressed in a high-end suit. Even the glasses on his nose were limited edition Chanel, making him look extremely dignified.
"They are misleading the public," Matthew stated truthfully. "Some of their statements are true, but they have fabricated parts to mislead public opinion and deceive the public."
Oprah's smile had vanished. "Matthew, who do you mean by 'they'?"
Matthew, looking like a wronged big boy, said, "Recently, their names have been all over the media."
Oprah prompted, "For example, the first person to accuse you?"
"Yes," Matthew nodded without hesitation, guessing that Oprah was leading up to Spike Lee. "For example, Spike Lee. He baselessly accused me, saying many irresponsible things. This whole controversy started with Spike Lee. He accused my role in '300' of killing black people and criticized Clint Eastwood's 'Flags of Our Fathers' for not having black characters..."
He looked at Oprah. "Ms. Winfrey, can I ask, were there any black members in the flag-raising squad on Iwo Jima?"
Oprah shook her head. "No."
Matthew continued, "You've watched many Hollywood movies, right?"
Oprah nodded lightly. "I've seen probably as many movies as you."
Matthew then asked, "How many of the war and battle films you've seen don't have black characters dying?"
Oprah thought for a moment. "Most of them do, I think."
Matthew turned to the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, do you think that just because of this, accusing me and Director Eastwood of racial discrimination is justified?"
The audience was silent for a moment before someone shouted, "No, it's not justified!"
Another shouted, "By that standard, we're all racists."
A loud voice added, "I remember a Spike Lee movie where many black characters died. By his standard, isn't he also discriminating against black people?"
The audience burst into laughter.
Gilberto Silva laughed too, withdrawing his hand from his bag.
The laughter in the live hall made Spike Lee's face darken. He wanted to storm the stage but was stopped by a staff member.
"Please be patient, Director Lee."
Spike Lee looked at Oprah and stopped, cursing in his heart, "That black-skinned white-hearted bitch!"
Helen Herman, standing at the other entrance, smiled. Using Clint Eastwood as a lead was a smart move by Matthew. Most people could see that Spike Lee's attacks on Eastwood and "Flags of Our Fathers" were baseless. Once people recognized this, it was easy to gain support for "300."
Not far behind Spike Lee, James Jackson shook his head. He had advised Spike Lee not to involve Eastwood, but Spike Lee wouldn't listen. Recently, Spike Lee had been attacking everyone he could, using his race as a shield, and no one could do anything about it under the guise of fighting discrimination.
James Jackson sighed, thinking, "Spike Lee, acting as a racial agitator for years, seems to think his black skin makes him invincible."
Spike Lee's initial accusations were full of holes, but in the current social climate of the USA, involving two famous public figures made the accusations significant.
Matthew understood this. All the irrationality became reasonable under Spike Lee's black skin and Hollywood's left-leaning dominance.
More specifically, Hollywood, as the center and leader, had spread a harmful "race conflict" trend across the USA in recent years.
Of course, the "race agitators" were mainly African Americans.
This trend spread rapidly from Hollywood, with California being most affected. California law stated that school admissions should not consider race but should be based on merit and scores. This allowed many Asians to excel academically and get into top schools.
Just like in Hollywood, African Americans were unhappy. For the past two years, they had been protesting and demanding California change its laws to make school admissions consider race to balance the racial proportions.
This sparked significant opposition from Asians, putting the issue on hold.
Recently attacked, Matthew became aware of these issues. He was stunned when Helen Herman showed him the collected data. He had heard of getting into top schools based on scores, background, money, and family influence, but using race as a criterion was new to him.
The world was indeed full of surprises.
Sitting on the stage sofa, Matthew answered Oprah's questions with ease.
In this live broadcast, Oprah's questions were sharp but not biased, which was likely why her show had remained popular for over twenty years.
In just a few seconds, many people, both in the hall and at home, began rethinking their accusations against Matthew. The public could be easily influenced by the media but wasn't incapable of thinking for themselves.
Oprah asked again, "So you believe all of Spike Lee's accusations against you are unfounded?"
If it were Naomie Harris or Paula Patton, Matthew might hesitate. But now, he didn't. He nodded immediately. "Of course! Musa, who played the Persian messenger, has known me for years."
This was true. The black actor was under Angel Agency.
"We were just doing our jobs." Matthew said naturally. "Musa also said in an interview that he received the same respect as any other actor on set."
Oprah nodded slightly, changing the topic. "But Director Spike Lee later said in interviews that he didn't see it that way."
"Would you like to talk to him in person?" Oprah asked.
Matthew slightly opened his mouth, showing a surprised expression.
Oprah wanted this effect. She loudly announced, "Please welcome Director Spike Lee."
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