OPINION: The Oscars are corrupted
Colored actors are overlooked in the Academy Awards.
The Academy Awards honor some of Hollywood’s best for their work. But just as in previous years, all the nominees are white, which is proof of the Oscar’s preference for white actors.
This is not the first time the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has locked out non-white nominees.That’s why the hashtag “#OscarsSoWhite” has been trending on social media.
Black actors like Will Smith and his wife, Jada Smith, are boycotting the event. Will Smith starred in the movie “Concussion”, which received praise from critics, but did not make the nomination. Others are also speaking up about the controversy, like African-Mexican actress and Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o and President Barack Obama.
Movies like “Concussion,” “Beast of No Nation,” and “Straight Outta Compton” all made over $100 million at the box office, bringing fresh storylines, phenomenal acting and great visuals. The actors and directors behind these movies need to be recognized for their contribution to the film industry, yet they’re being completely ignored because they’re not white.
The only nomination for “Straight Outta Compton” went to the screenwriters, all four of whom are white. Ice Cube, the black producer of the film, as well as the other black cast members, did not even get invited to the event. This is proof of the sly racism of the Oscars.
The Oscars are a corrupted system, and the way nominees are chosen must change. The Academy claims that it is ready to make these changes. Let’s hope so: If the Academy doesn’t change their system, people should simply stop watching the Oscars.
Anonymous • Mar 29, 2016 at 6:26 pm
Perhaps if you’d bothered to look at some statistics, you’d see how this isn’t as “slyly racist” as you think.
I’ll go into some detail here:
Black “Best Actor” recipients since 1995:
2006 – Forest Whitaker
2004 – Jamie Foxx
2001 – Denzel Washington
(3/20 = 15%)
Black “Best Actress” recipients since 1995:
2001 – Halle Berry
(1/20 = 5%)
Black “Best Supporting Actor” recipients since 1995:
2004 – Morgan Freeman
1996 – Cuba Gooding Jr.
(2/20 = 10%)
Black “Best Supporting Actress” recipients since 1995:
2013 – Lupita Nyong’o
2011 – Octavia Spencer
2009 – Mo’Nique
2006 – Jennifer Hudson
(4/20 = 20%)
To tally all of that up:
Best Supporting Actress – 20% Black since 1995
Best Actor – 15% Black since 1995
Best Supporting Actor – 10% Black since 1995
Best Actress – 5% Black since 1995
Now for some maths:
20% + 15% + 10% + 5% / 4 =
12.5% of the past 20 Academy Award recipients in the acting category were black.
Blacks make up ~13% of the US population and hold 12.5% of Acting Oscars since 1995
Just some food for thought.
~A