Adjusting his bespoke suit and stepping onto the stage in limited edition leather shoes, Spike Lee walked with the demeanor of an old-school British aristocrat.
Matthew slightly opened his mouth, instantly displaying the look of surprise that was most needed at this moment.
"What the..."
"That's Spike Lee."
"Why is he here?"
The audience was filled with murmurs of astonishment.
In the house in Westwood, everyone was equally stunned. No one had anticipated that Spike Lee would appear on Matthew's talk show.
Brian couldn't help but scratch his head and mutter, "What is Oprah planning?"
Daenerys, however, was intrigued. "Matthew is going to face Spike Lee directly!"
"Why didn't I go to the scene?" Thompson held his dark face, "If I were in the live studio, I'd definitely confront Spike Lee directly!"
Spike Lee's unexpected appearance did not prompt Oprah to silence the audience's discussions. This was exactly the effect she wanted. Without some sensational content, how could Oprah's talk show maintain its absolute leading position?
She glanced at Matthew and then at Spike Lee, noting the stark contrast between the two.
Matthew Horner was dressed in very ordinary casual clothes, blending in perfectly with the young people in the audience, looking like an ordinary member of the public.
In contrast, Spike Lee's dark suit and shoes clearly weren't cheap. From his diamond-studded earrings and gold watch to the occasional glint from his glasses' frame, everything screamed, "I'm wealthy and prestigious."
On stage, Spike Lee had no interest in interacting with the audience. He headed straight toward Oprah and Matthew.
Matthew's initial surprise gave way to a normal expression. He glanced at Oprah, who just smiled at him without saying a word.
She didn't need to explain because this was the Oprah talk show, her show.
Oprah's expression remained unchanged as she looked from Spike Lee back to Matthew. In terms of attire alone, Matthew was obviously more astute than Spike Lee.
Perhaps this famous director had become too detached from the mainstream audience.
Oprah suddenly thought of Spike Lee's directorial style and his approach to life. It seemed he never understood what the mainstream audience wanted.
Compared to him, the more relatable Matthew Horner was inherently more appealing, both in terms of image and past persona.
If Spike Lee couldn't conclusively prove Matthew Horner's alleged racial discrimination, he might find himself in trouble today.
Oprah had seen some pictures provided by Helen Herman before and knew that Matthew was not unprepared.
But Matthew wasn't foolish enough to reveal his trump card to Oprah in advance. Although Oprah was famously seen as a friend to everyone, business was business, and trust was a tricky thing.
As Spike Lee approached, Matthew lightly touched his pocket, feeling two portable hard drives and two USB sticks, his aces for today.
Helen Herman had previously communicated with Oprah, and for the sake of the show's effect, Oprah had agreed to let the production team play the video materials provided by Matthew on the spot.
Matthew knew what Oprah wanted. No matter who won today, Oprah would always be the winner. Leaving things unresolved was the worst outcome for the show.
"Please have a seat, Director Lee." Oprah gestured to the sofa opposite Matthew. Once Spike Lee sat down, she said, "I don't think I need to introduce either of you, right?"
Matthew nodded slightly at Spike Lee. "Hello, Director Lee."
Spike Lee gave him a sideways glance but didn't respond.
Matthew smiled, unbothered, appearing especially polite and gracious.
Gilberto Silva's first impression of Spike Lee was negative. The man on stage seemed arrogant, and although they were both black, Silva instinctively felt they weren't the same kind of people.
"Oprah really pulled a fast one," Will Smith said, watching the TV screen. "She created quite a show."
Jada Smith was excited. "Watch, Will. You always play it safe. Now see how Spike tears Matthew Horner apart."
Backstage, Helen Herman found the production assistant who had tipped her off. She whispered a few words to him when no one was around.
"Don't worry," the assistant assured her. "I'll keep a close eye and make sure nothing unexpected happens."
Helen Herman nodded slightly. She had done everything she could; now it was up to Matthew on stage.
On stage, before Oprah could speak, Spike Lee jumped in. "Do you think your excuses can fool everyone? Huh? Do you?"
He spoke rapidly, not giving Matthew a chance to retort. "Can you swear to God that you don't discriminate against black people?"
"Sure," Matthew said seriously. "If you want, we can go to a church together after the show."
He pointed to the audience. "Anyone interested can come and witness."
Spike Lee seemed taken aback by Matthew's immediate response.
"You haven't shown the respect black people and black characters deserve," Spike Lee continued, his years of racial advocacy giving him a philosophy he believed was true. He stared at Matthew and questioned, "Since entering Hollywood, have you ever acted alongside black actors? Have you collaborated with black directors or producers? Do you have any black friends?"
He raised his voice, answering for Matthew, "No!"
Matthew spread his hands, looking innocent. "What does that prove?"
Spike Lee pointed at him. "It proves you're a white supremacist, that you harbor many vile and despicable thoughts, and that you are suspected of racial discrimination!"
Matthew looked over at Oprah. Since Spike Lee started speaking, Oprah had remained silent, her face calm, as if Spike Lee's words were perfectly acceptable.
Could it be that many black people actually thought this way? Did this bizarre logic have traction...
Suddenly, Matthew thought of Spike Lee's criticism of Eastwood and "Flags of Our Fathers," and how no one but Eastwood himself refuted it; he thought of that black actor from Star Wars 7 who naturally claimed that not having a major black character was discrimination...
Then he understood. Many things he didn't see as issues were major problems in the eyes of black people and many white supporters of black causes.
He recalled Amanda recently telling him that terms like "race" and "diversity" were increasingly becoming trump cards for a small group of people with ulterior motives. If their objectives weren't met, they'd pull out these cards and make a huge fuss.
Faced with this growing trend, some could only bow their heads, some felt resentment, and some were afraid to speak up. Few dared to directly oppose it.
Matthew looked at Spike Lee again. If Hollywood was the center of the racial movement, Spike Lee was definitely one of its core members.
Spike Lee was still accusing him, his torrent of accusations about racial discrimination ready to overwhelm Matthew.
Helen Herman watched the scene on stage, a bit worried. No one knew better than her that by any standard, Matthew was far from being a good person. He wouldn't just endure without fighting back. But Spike Lee's twisted logic was all based on his race, and any counterattack, if not handled well, could really turn Matthew into a racist.
Like before, Spike Lee knew his words were excessive, his logic bizarre, but in Hollywood and even American society, many people and most mainstream media bought it. He had spent years mastering an effective set of tactics.
He was waiting for Matthew Horner to counterattack. These twisted theories, though unreasonable, could easily trap someone in a verbal pitfall.
Matthew appeared relaxed but knew he couldn't casually dismiss Spike Lee's accusations. Especially the ones about not working with black people or having black friends; rebutting them could inadvertently validate Spike Lee's claims...
This Spike Lee seemed arrogant, as if his race gave him carte blanche, but he was waiting to ensnare Matthew.
In today's societal climate, not liking black people or not interacting with them could be seen as racial discrimination.
In other circles, it might not be as bad, but in Hollywood, this trend was increasingly evident.
Matthew knew he couldn't fight the entire environment. He still had to survive in Hollywood.
"Director Lee!" Matthew interrupted Spike Lee. "In 'The Scorpion King,' I worked with Kelly Hu, and we're still friends. She's of Chinese descent. In 'Dawn of the Dead,' I collaborated with Jessica Alba. We had a brief relationship, and she's of Latin descent..."
The audience murmured. Those familiar with Matthew knew he was stating facts.
"That's right," Brian said loudly in front of the TV. "Spike Lee is slandering him!"
"Exactly!"
"Yes!"
Thompson reminded, "Matthew also dated Adriana Lima, a Brazilian."
Spike Lee glanced at the murmuring audience, internally cursing them as fools. He then said, "Please note, I'm talking about black people, not others!"
He looked back at Matthew, ready with his prepared statements. "You and Keira Knightley pressured the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' crew to replace Naomie Harris with Eva Green, correct? You supported white actress Alexandra Daddario over Paula Patton for the supporting role in 'I Am Legend,' causing black director Francis Lawrence to lose the directorship, isn't that true?"
Faced with these questions, Matthew fell silent.
At this point, words were useless. It was time for some heavy artillery.
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