“This summer, see the movie white people at the Golden Globes were talking about: Hidden Fences,” raved a trailer in the cold open for Stephen Colbert’s Late Show.
The trailer included a clip of Denzel Washington trying to explain to a fence wearing a space helmet that fences do not go to space. And Kevin Costner telling his NASA staff, “They’re going to be asking us questions about our work. I think that’s pretty reasonable, given that we’re taking a fence and shooting it into space and that’s never been done before.”
“Based on a true story of people who think all movies about black people are the same movie,” the trailer’s Voiceover Guy continues. “Starring: black actors, black actresses, Kevin Costner, and introducing: A Fence.”
“If movies starring black people confuse you, then this is the film you’ve got to see.”
NBC News’ Jenna Bush Hager became the latest Bush family member to embarrass themselves, and NBC News, when, in between obsessively asking people on the red carpet if they intended to drink that night, she said to Pharrell, before asking if he intended to drink: “So, you’re nominated for Hidden Fences.” Pharrell, of course, was nominated for best original score for the movie Hidden Figures, about three black women working behind-the-scenes at NASA in the 1960s. Fences is a different movie, based on August Wilson’s play and starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. Michael Keaton made same error during the trophy show in announcing nominees for supporting actress in a motion picture, saying Octavia Spencer had been nommed for Hidden Fences.
Both apologized next day, with varying degrees of success. Keaton sarcastically told TMZ: “Let’s make this official: I’m sorry, I apologize, I screwed it up,” while Bush Hager emoted on Today show “I am not perfect. I am authentic but a human.”
“Anybody watch the Golden Globes last night?” Colbert asked his audience 24 hours after the ceremony. “I hear there were a lot of good movies this year. But two movies got confused twice: Hidden Figures and Fences,” Colbert said, before running the clips of Bush Hager and Keaton.
On the other hand, Colbert snarked, “the African American presenters kept saying Manchester By The La La Land. So it’s fair.”
