Jamie Foxx Calls Spike Lee ‘Irresponsible’ for Criticizing Quentin Tarantino

The star of "Django Unchained" defends his director and adds that the film is "supposed to" make viewers angry

Jamie Foxx is calling Spike Lee "irresponsible" for criticizing Quentin Tarantino and his latest film, "Django Unchained," without even seeing it.

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"I respect Spike, he's a fantastic director. But he gets a little shady when he's taking shots at his colleagues without looking at the work," Foxx told the Guardian during an interview published on Thursday. "To me, that's irresponsible."

Also read: Spike Lee: Quentin Tarantino ‘Disrespectful to My Ancestors’ With ‘Django Unchained’

Lee has accused "Django" of being "disrespectful" to his ancestors and as a result, he will not watch the movie that has been nominated for five Academy Awards and won two Golden Globes last Sunday.

"I can't speak on it 'cause I'm not gonna see it," Lee said in December. "All I'm going to say is that it's disrespectful to my ancestors. That's just me … I'm not speaking on behalf of anybody else."

The "Do the Right Thing" director isn't alone in complaining about Tarantino's most controversial, yet highest-grossing film. Many have been outraged by the violent depiction of slavery and offensive language in the Western-set revenge tale, but the actor who portrayed the movie's titular character feels Lee's outspoken criticism is often unwarranted.

Also read: Sorry, Spike – 'Django Unchained' Is Now Quentin Tarantino's Highest-Grossing Movie 

"The question for me is: where's Spike Lee coming from?" Foxx asked. "He didn't like Whoopi Goldberg, he doesn't like Tyler Perry, he doesn't like anybody, I think he's sort of run his course."

Lee has revealed a particular disdain for Tarantino since "Django" hit theaters. Even though Lee admitted to using the same racial epithet that he criticizes Tarantino for using in his films, he suggests the "Pulp Fiction" director is inappropriately "infatuated" with it.

"I'm not against the word …  and I use it, but Quentin is infatuated with the word,” Lee told Variety. “What does he want? To be made an honorary black man?”

But Foxx doesn't believe that the color of Tarantino's skin should be an issue and compares the filmmaker's scripted dialogue to Eminem's music.

"You can't tell me that Eminem ain't hot 'cus he's white or that Elvis Presley isn't a bad motherf—er," Foxx adds. "Or that Quentin Tarantino can't do whatever he likes, 'cus damn straight he can."

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