Author Stephen King’s surprising admission – and lighting-fast backpedaling – on the diversity of this year’s Oscar nominees earned him an earful of liberal backlash.

After King’s lefty fans declared him cancelled for apparently not being so “woke” after all, the author of “Carrie” and “The Shining” attempted to put out the fire by walking back his view that quality should matter in the arts.

The horror novelist, who has been a vocal critic of President Trump and the Republican Party, surprised those in his progressive circle with his take on the lack of diversity after Monday’s Academy Awards announcement featured no female directors and only one black actor.

“As a writer, I am allowed to nominate in just 3 categories: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Screenplay,” King tweeted. “For me, the diversity issue — as it applies to individual actors and directors, anyway — did not come up,”

As a writer, I am allowed to nominate in just 3 categories: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Screenplay. For me, the diversity issue–as it applies to individual actors and directors, anyway–did not come up. That said…

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 14, 2020

“I would never consider diversity in matters of art. Only quality. It seems to me that to do otherwise would be wrong,” he added.

…I would never consider diversity in matters of art. Only quality. It seems to me that to do otherwise would be wrong.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 14, 2020

Twitter users braced themselves for what was about to unfold.

Uh oh, enjoy being cancelled by the same horde you pandered to for the past 3 years.

— Tizok (@PixelBuff) January 14, 2020

Stephen King about to be cancelled pic.twitter.com/AnVF8hoXM5

— Eyezofnight (@eyezofnight) January 14, 2020

@StephenKing cancelled in 3…2…? https://t.co/xbQLi7sSpQ

— Laura Rambeau Lee (@_RightReason) January 14, 2020

Director and filmmaker Ava DuVernay joined the liberal bandwagon of King’s critics.

When you wake up, meditate, stretch, reach for your phone to check on the world and see a tweet from someone you admire that is so backward and ignorant you want to go back to bed. https://t.co/nPXOeAebkb

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) January 14, 2020

With the utmost respect, I think this is quite a bit unfair. When films created by people of color, irrespective of quality, constantly get overlooked by institutions that are predominately comprised of white men, there is an implicit bias at work here.

— Morgan Jerkins (@MorganJerkins) January 14, 2020

Sir, respectfully saying you as a white man can’t really say that. You had more advantages and opportunities than a person of color would have. They have been wrongfully held back in so many ways just because of their color skin.

— David Weissman (@davidmweissman) January 14, 2020

You’re a very smart person ans one of my favourite writers, but you must acknowledge you’ve had an easier path in your career than a woman or POC, right?
White men disproportionately reward other white men, regardless of quality.

— Faron Gidge ? (He/Him) (@FaronGidge) January 14, 2020

I normally would agree with you, however, in this case you are way wrong. Diversity must always be considered in all matters (especially art). There is no quality without diversity.

— Michael Hall (@AugustEve2012) January 14, 2020

The heat must have been too much as King soon returned with an explanatory tweet to follow up.

The most important thing we can do as artists and creative people is make sure everyone has the same fair shot, regardless of sex, color, or orientation. Right now such people are badly under-represented, and not only in the arts.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 14, 2020

You can’t win awards if you’re shut out of the game.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 14, 2020

King’s confusing declarations did little to quell the Twitter outrage.

You can’t win awards if you’re shut out of the game.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 14, 2020

He caved. Everyone knew what he was throwing out there and he caved.

— Sam (@h1x_sam) January 14, 2020

Earlier you said it shouldn’t matter….
Creativity should stand on it’s own.

Make up your mind. ?

— 5..6..7..8..Pounce! (@OnPointe28) January 14, 2020

But scattered among the Twitter jabs there were some who came to King’s defense and his momentary show of reason.

Probably the first tweet of yours I’ve ever agreed with… apply the same to all careers, sports, politics. #CollectivismKillsQuality

— MC Druggist (@VoluntaryistDPh) January 14, 2020

Ooooh hell! A temporary moment of clarity for a left wing nut? Can it be, he finally realized we are NOT all created equally and NEVER be treated as such? He’ll change his tune when the liberal sheep start trending #boycottstephenking pic.twitter.com/CozcIPzDA0

— AJBirdie (@AJthebird) January 14, 2020

While he may have since walked back his perfectly sensible observation on quality vs ‘diversity’ in the judgment of art, at least @StephenKing briefly dashed the hopes of aesthetic wannabes (and aspiring academics?) whose defining characteristic is their gender, race etc.

— PhilipTerzian (@PhilipTerzian) January 14, 2020

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Frieda Powers

Senior Staff Writer
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

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