News Report Of Michelle Yeoh's Oscar Victory Triggers Knee-Jerk Outrage

Conservatives and others pushed back against NPR Sunday for referring to Michelle Yeoh as “the first person who identifies as Asian to win” the Best Actress Oscar .

The controversy brewed on Twitter following the “Everything Everywhere All At Once ” star’s historic victory at the 95th Academy Awards.

Many accused the outlet of taking so-called wokeness to the extreme, even as several Twitter users pointed out that NPR was likely giving a nod to Merle Oberon, a 1936 Oscar nominee who hid her Asian heritage . (Readers later added a note to NPR’s tweet for “context.”)

But the knee-jerk reactions came anyway.

Perhaps in response to the brouhaha, NPR’s headline on the actual story later read: “Michelle Yeoh is the first Asian woman to win best actress Oscar.”

A reader’s note also appeared on the tweet to explain the Merle Oberon reference.