Quentin Tarantino Says Rosanna Arquette’s Criticism Of His N-Word Use: “Shows A Decided Lack Of Class, No Less Honor”

Rosanna Arquette (“The Moment”), a supporting cast member of Quentin Tarantino‘s “Pulp Fiction,” had recently told The Sunday Times that the filmmaker’s “hall pass” for his use of the N-word in his films (“Pulp Fiction,” where the N-word is used 20 times, and had Tarantino himself playing a character throwing the slur around), to her, was “racist and creepy.”

Now, Tarantino is responding to Arquette’s N-word criticism (mind you, this is something also shared by Spike Lee and others over the years) in a snap-back letter/statement (via Variety), in which he says her comments “show a decided lack of class, no less honor.”

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Dear Rosanna,

I hope the publicity you’re getting from 132 different media outlets writing your name and printing your picture was worth disrespecting me and a film I remember quite clearly, you were thrilled to be a part of? Do you feel this way now? Very possibly. But after I gave you a job, and you took the money, to trash it for what I suspect is very cynical reasons, shows a decided lack of class, no less honor. There is supposed to be an esprit de corps between artistic colleagues. But it would appear the objective was accomplished.

Congratulations, Q

It’s really starting to feel like Tarantino is on a mission to mangle his reputation even before his proposed self-retirement bid (said to happen after finishing his 10th movie), after the rude comments he made about actors Paul Dano, Owen Wilson, and Matthew Lillard, which thankfully got pushback from almost everyone who was appalled by the scathing sentiments. The director could have just let Arquette’s opinion linger in the ether and just be added to the heap, but the brash wording toward her criticism comes off as if he felt threatened, rather than just disagreeing.

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We have to point out that “Pulp Fiction” isn’t a one-off; many of Quentin Tarantino’s films casually use racial slurs, going back to his first directorial effort, “Reservoir Dogs.” Also, his slavery revenge Western “Django Unchained” infamously ended up using the N-word nearly 110 times. For some added context, Tarantino again inserted himself in the film with another cameo (using a really terrible Aussie accent), where a group of white men transporting enslaved black men to a mining company disparages the protagonist, played by Jamie Foxx, with more slurs being tossed around.