Matt Damon Is Right

Some social media minions think Matt Damon has some explaining to do regarding diversity in Hollywood.

Or, as they put it, some #Damonsplaining.

The new hashtag erupted this week after video of Damon on the HBO show “Project Greenlight” emerged featuring him arguing with a black filmmaker about race. Damon’s show follows young filmmakers being coached by Damon, pal Ben Affleck and other Hollywood veterans about making a low-budget feature.

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On the most recent episode, Damon disagreed with black filmmaker Effie Brown about how producers should incorporate race into the movie-making process. Brown expressed concern about the sole black character in the film, a prostitute who is beaten by her white pimp.

She feared it could be stereotypical in its portrayal. For that reason, she suggested the “Project Greenlight” team consider choosing a director of color for the project. She chose a directing duo — a woman and a Vietnamese man — as a suitable option. Damon quickly chimed in.

“When we’re talking about diversity you do it in the casting of the film, not in the casting of the show,” Damon said.

Damon, a reliably liberal star, isn’t being dubbed a racist following the exchange. He is being mocked on social media all the same, his sensitivity bona fides hauled into question. The actor’s comments later in the show give him a robust defense, though.

 The actor’s comments later in the show give him a robust defense.

“It seems like you would undermine what the competition is supposed to be about, which is about giving somebody this job based entirely on merit,” he said.

He essentially struck a blow against affirmative action, saying that in 2015 America we need to look at accomplishment, not fulfilling a diversity checklist.

Hollywood certainly does have a diversity problem. A study released earlier this year by the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African-American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that 92 percent of senior management at film studios were white. The number climbs to 93 percent for television executives.

Look closer. Another study released last month analyzed the diversity of speaking characters on screen. The report from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism found roughly 30 percent of speaking parts went to women in movies released from 2007 to 2014.

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The answer, in part, will come from capitalism. Take the “Fast and Furious” films, which boasts as diverse a cast as any franchise could. The saga is thriving on the big screen, drawing a broad demographic audience with every installment. Recent hits like “The Perfect Guy” and “Straight Outta Compton” show moviegoers will line up for films starring people of color.

The rest is up to Hollywood. Consider all talents, not just those from the current system or one’s preferred cocktail party circuit, and you’ll have a deeper pool of talent from which to choose.