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This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

Arts & Entertainment

Sarah Silverman Defends 'Django Unchained'

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Spike Lee recently made headlines for saying that "Django Unchained," Quentin Tarantino's new movie, is disrespectful to Lee's ancestors who were slaves. "I cant speak on it 'cause I'm not gonna see it. All I'm going to say is that it's disrespectful to my ancestors," he said in an interview with VIBETV at the end of last week.

Some people stood behind Lee and others were pissed, and among the pissed is comedian Sarah Silverman.

Silverman told TMZ that Lee overstepped by trying to dictate what art can and cannot be.

"You can't tell art what to do," she told the gossip site.

Other critics of the film have taken issue with its excessive use of the n-word, which Silverman also defended.

"Doesn't it take place like during slavery? Wouldn't it be odd if they didn't have that horrific word in it?"

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