As widely reported, a row over race erupted following the nominee announcement of the 2016 Oscars.
Much to the dismay of cultural commentators, not one actor or actress of color garnered a nomination in any of the 20 slots available in the 4 main acting categories.
What’s more, in other categories, there was some yet not much in the way of ethnic diversity.
The episode has reached such intensity that it has forced the president of the Academy, Cheryl Boone Isaacs (a lady of color herself) to issue a statement.
Thankfully, it’s not a run of the mill series of words, it reads like an actual acknowledgement that change is more than needed. It’s necessary.
Her words below…
“I’d like to acknowledge the wonderful work of this year’s nominees. While we celebrate their extraordinary achievements, I am both heartbroken and frustrated about the lack of inclusion. This is a difficult but important conversation, and it’s time for big changes. The Academy is taking dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership. In the coming days and weeks we will conduct a review of our membership recruitment in order to bring about much-needed diversity in our 2016 class and beyond.
As many of you know, we have implemented changes to diversify our membership in the last four years. But the change is not coming as fast as we would like. We need to do more, and better and more quickly.
This isn’t unprecedented for the Academy. In the ‘60s and ‘70s it was about recruiting younger members to stay vital and relevant. In 2016, the mandate is inclusion in all of its facets: gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. We recognize the very real concerns of our community, and I so appreciate all of you who have reached out to me in our effort to move forward together.
Smart play. One we feel is rooted in sincerity.
There does need to be a broader shift in thought, one geared towards inclusivity, from everyone in the mix. The studios, the funders, the scriptwriters, so on and so forth.
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The power of us. But we shouldn’t care. I told you, don’t watch this award show. Let it get low viewers for a few years. Because people like Leo and bored Law shouldn’t be nom every freaking year.
Leo, Jude Law, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp get nominated & never win. They use them as a pawn to get viewers to tune in!
Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, and Leonardo DiCaprio always get looked over. They can get nominated but never win because they suffer from the pretty boy syndrome even great actors such as Christopher Walkens, Gary Oldom, And many other Top Actors who get nominated but never win. But I like Johnny Depp’s attitude about it he simply just doesn’t want to win an oscar because it simply doesn’t validate who he is as an actor he just want people to appreciate his work he simply just don’t give a f***, bu Leo on the other hand does that’s why he always picks those Academy Award bate roles so he really wants to bind in for that Oscar, but little that they know once they get it there careers will never be the same because of the Oscar curse all I say is be careful what you wish for.
Minorities and young people don’t really watch the boring Oscars anyway!
I thought blacks didn’t watch it anyway. I sure as hell didn’t. Unless Bey was invited to perform or something.
That’s not a justification for the lack of representation.
That’s even more pathetic
She’s not really saying here, the question in everyone’s mind is what are they doing about it now? Don’t tell us about your effort in the 60s and 70s, tell us about now.
you’re right, she ain’t saying s***. she’s just the academy’s colored puppet wielding zero power. scare off the advertisers and the academy will think twice about marginalizing another community.
Black people get oscars for singing or sleeping with a white man thats it.
I always felt like black people are so much better than any other race because ppl learn so much from us take it and use it. The problem is black ppl don’t know it and understand it because if they did they would apply it.
Black ppl work together and watch the outcome.
While we’re screaming for equal rights alot of ppl are laughing at us.
Look at asians there minority but dont get mad
As well as mexicans.
What exactly did the Greeks and Romans take from Africans? There are still groups living in mud huts when 2000 years ago, Europeans already had grand cities, governments, literature, water systems, social welfare systems, currency, the list is endless.
Apart from the Egyptians, Africa as a whole has NO technological advancement until the Europeans brought it. So again, how are they better than every other race?
as well as the mexicans??? where the f*** did you get your education & where do you look for your current events because none of this makes ANY SENSE! You didn’t see anything about the protests shutting down Hong Kong last year? You don’t see the waves of mexican-american’s standing up against the white machine for their rightful claim to this land?? People of color are held in bondage to the Academy when they are not given their recognition in a fair manner because of skin color. STFU with your uneducated logic
I will NOT be watching this award show. So they can have our SINGERS sing dumb hollyweird songs.
I will NOT be watching this show to see a bunch of SKINNY BOTOX White women in there VALENTINO dresses.
OSCARS go to H_E_:
Oscar nominations shouldn’t be handed out on an affirmative action basis. Hollywood is very liberal, and films starring or produced by African-Americans have done well in the past. Who can say for sure that any of the black films qualifying this year, out of the thousands of movies released in 2015, should have ranked in the top 5 in the categories in question?
Thank you. Oscars should be based on merit not racial origin.
merit should be unbiased and not dependent on skin solor
The only films were black people are doing well is where they’ve either written, produced or starred in a role that consists being downtrodden. The help, great but for being “the help” Halle Berry for being the black woman treated badly Nd then falling in love with the white man. Lupita a s****…
Need I say more.
Her statement was completely unnecessary. There weren’t any Black films or acting roles worth nominating last year. There are only 5 slots per category, and they were taken up by 5 superior actors. Those actors just happened to be White.
your logic = white priveledge (dont matter what shade you are, this is truth)
The problem is people like you probably aren’t proactive to find that in 2015 great black actors in movies like WarRoom, Woodlawn, Beyond the Lights so you actually think there no good black roles to nomiate.
SAME S*** THEY’VE BEEN SAYING FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS NOW… This won’t change until the advertisers start disappearing! BOYCOTT THE OSCARS!
I honestly thought the nominations were done well. Like someone said above, actors shouldn’t be nominated on the basis of affirmative action. We’re better than that. I can’t think of any POC roles that were better than the white ones nominated, though I will say that Straight Outta Compton deserved a nomination.
idris elba in “beast of no nation”
So they sent a n**** to calm the n***** lol… the oscars is a snooze fest anyways… not missing s***
Why is nobody stating the obvious? This isn’t a color issue, is a performance issue.
I have seen almost all of the Oscar nominated films this year, and I stand by the actors and actresses nominated.
To be fair, the people nominated all did terrific jobs with each of their given roles. I do not think this is race issue, I think it is a talent issue. Now, I’m not saying that persons of color are not talented, do not misinterpret my words, but I am saying that an award show nominates quality performances, and quite frankly, the best of the best. I keep seeing names being thrown into the mix, such as Will Smith’s performance in Concussion, and do not understand why people are making this a race issue, and not focusing on other issues out there. Yes, the glitz and the glam of Hollywood are intoxicating, and the Oscars are the cherry on top of all the glitz…but aside from the people who only watch the red carpet to see who’s wearing who, and the film nerds who watch the show and pine for their favorites to win…nobody really cares.
I am admittedly a film nerd, and I will watch the show and pine for my favorite to win, but I am also a person who cares to see a difference made in the world.
Boycotting the Oscars is not helping anything. Jada Smith should be using her B list celebrity status to boycott something else more meaningful, something that will actually make a difference….because she looks like an idiot.
Janet Hubert, aka Aunt Viv from Fresh Price, stated a valid and poignant message: “People are dying. Our boys are being shot left and right. People are starving. People are trying to pay bills.”
Couldn’t agree more Aunt Viv…I say we boycott Jada Smith and her less than stellar career track, because let’s be honest, an Oscar wont coming her way anytime soon, and it won’t be because of the boycott…it will be because she can’t act for s*** and the only reason she is still relevant is because her husband is Will Smith.
I agree with you. Further more there wasn’t that many movies out last year with people of color in it to be honest; so it’s hard to nominate someone when the roles aren’t there. But if you’re acting to get an award then that already says a lot about you. You’re supposed to do what you do because you love it, being recognized for your work should be a bonus.
-sighs- Only in America does the s**** mentality still exist.