There’s been no shortage of tributes to Nelson Mandela since his death on Thursday. He’s been praised for his role in ending apartheid, his grace after serving a 27-year prison sentence and his commitment to social justice. But for celebrity blogger Nikki Finke, Mandela deserves special recognition for inspiring a recent movie that’s drawing “awards buzz.”
In an attempt to honor Mandela on Twitter, Finke noted that the former South African president was the subject of the feature film “Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom,” which opened late last month.
R.I.P. Nelson Mandela, subject of Weinstein Co’s Idris Elba-starrer ‘Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom’ which opened Nov 29 and has awards buzz.
— Nikki Finke (@NikkiFinke) December 5, 2013
The tweet earned Finke a ton of mockery and prompted a hashtag that imagined how she might write obituaries for other icons. Mediaite rounded up some of the best responses. An example:
RIP Ike, JFK, LBJ and Nixon who were portrayed in the film Lee Daniels’ The Butler which may land Oprah an Oscar nod. #FinkeObits
— Jeffrey Field (@kiribatiwriter) December 5, 2013
For her part, Finke defended the tweet, reminding her critics that she writes “about the entertainment biz.”
I write about the entertainment biz. And that movie is a wonderful tribute to Nelson Mandela since it’s based on his autobiography.
— Nikki Finke (@NikkiFinke) December 5, 2013
