Joey McFarland, Producer ReleaseHe apologizes for an unsavory decision he made at the movie’s premiere last week.
Back on Nov. 30, the highly anticipated film premiered at Los Angeles’ Regency Village Theater, and Joey revealed the original 19th-century image that inspired the project: “Whipped Peter.”
The photo shows the broken back of a man named Peter, who escaped slavery back in 1863. She “particularly helped turn northern whites against slavery,” according to DateAnd the Release He tells the story of Peter.
Joey McFarland: ‘I’ve been collecting stuff for a very long time’
During a red carpet conversation, Joey was asked how he “came to own the image” that he was.
“I have the picture. This is the original picture from 1863, and I wanted it to be here tonight. I wanted a piece of Peter to be here tonight.”
He went on to say that he took on the personal project of “building a collection for posterity”.
“that it [sad] To say that a lot of artifacts and images have not been preserved, curated, or respected. And I took it upon myself to curate and build a collection for posterity. I’ve been collecting them for a very long time, and my collection will be donated at the end of my life for educational purposes, and that’s something I just want to give back.”
Twitter has all the smoke for Joey
Once the aforementioned clip started circulating, social media users were dumbfounded by the whole situation.
Many have expressed how strange it is for Joey to “own” a group of this type.
Some users have even equated Joey’s flair with Dean Armitage’s Get out.
The situation has also been compared to the episode “The Black Museum” in black mirror.
Overall, the general consensus was that Joey should have kept his “group” to himself.
McFarland apologizes over ‘Shaken Peter’ controversy
After receiving a lot of backlash, Joey issued an apology via Instagram on Sunday.
He began to express his remorse and explain his true intentions. Joy also shared that he hopes the controversy doesn’t distract from the film’s message.
“I sincerely apologize to all those I have offended by bringing in a picture of Peter TB Release the first show. My goal was to honor this remarkable man and remind the general public that his image not only brought about change in 1863 but still resonates and promotes change today… I hope my actions will not distract from the message of the film and the story of Peter and how he had such a huge impact on the world.”
McFarland went on to say that the photo “belongs[s] into the world”, and had always planned “to find a suitable permanent home” for his collection.
“These images, which existed before me, will continue to exist long after I am gone; they belong in the world. My goal has always been to find the appropriate permanent home and to ensure that it is accessible, respectful of its importance. They are depicted in photographs and their stories are told with the utmost respect and dignity.”
We should add that Joey made sure to disable comments on the post.
What do you think of the status of the “Whipped Peter” picture, and are you planning to view it Release?