Yeah, I thought the same, it is a slightly racist comment but certainly not in a deliberatly racist way. It wouldn’t make me think the guy who made the comment is racist but it says a bit about the whole hollywood system where not too much changes, they have their top blonde bimbo, beefcake, hispanic guy, couple etc.While not overtly racist it can, however, reveal an unconscious, elitist, condescending attitude.
That’s a very insightful point. The Hollywood elite have long thought of themselves as above all forms of discrimination even though they frequently display it in their films, statements and casting practices. I still think it shows Ebert that he’s not as open-minded and free from racism as he probably thinks that he is.