DIVERSITY: Oscar nominations this year consist of no non-white actors, creating commotion in and out of the film industry.
By Martin Perina, Staff Writer
The Academy Awards, perhaps the most prestigious award ceremony in the film industry, is and has always been a delight in entertainment. But are the nominations this year the whitest selection yet?
This year is the second consecutive year that all actor and actress nominations are white. No non-white actors received recognition, even from movies regarding black culture. One of these movies, Straight Outta Compton, did not receive a single nomination in any acting category for its main cast (5 of 6 being black) but only received a nomination for writing (original screenplay). In another movie, Creed, Michael B. Jordan, a black actor and the movie’s lead, did not receive a nomination as best leading actor. Instead, Sylvester Stallone, a white actor, was nominated for best supporting actor, the movie’s only Oscar nomination. Both directors of these movies are black and received no nomination.
With a primarily white selection of nominees, many have begun to speak up. Spike Lee, a black producer, and Jada Pinkest Smith, a black actress, both announced this year on Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday that they would not be attending the Oscar ceremony in protest. Many questions have risen regarding why and how the Oscars have resulted in protest.
The answers are rather telling. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has a total of 5,765 people. Of this group, 94% are Caucasian and 77% are male. Blacks make up about 2% of the academy voters and Latinos less than 2%. The average age of these members is above 60. To become an academy member, one must first earn many achievements in the film industry. Membership in the academy is for life, meaning that many of the members haven’t been active in the film industry for decades. Votes cast by these members are prone to obsolete tastes and old ideas.
Furthermore, the movies that are up for consideration are sent to the members to watch on their own time, and on a later date, they cast their vote. This leads many members to watch only the movies in which they are interested. Oftentimes, this means they cast a vote without having seen every movie and comparing them. No doubt, with many members being over 60, the interest of several academy members is outdated. Many believe they shouldn’t have a voice in judging today’s works, especially if they are no longer involved in film.
The academy has recognized recent outrage about its members and the lack of diversity within the group and has promised to make changes to fix these issues. As for now, the nominations for 2016 are set, and rather ironically an African American, Chris Rock, will host the show.