On Jan.24, the president of the Acad- emy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was joined by actors and directors in an- nouncing the nominees for the 2016 Os- cars. The problem was that after the set- tling of the announcements, the Oscar nominees more white than the ground coveraging Oswego. It appeared that not a single minority was nominated for the second year in a row. This led to a bevy of criticism from African American actors and actresses, from Jada Pinkett Smith and her husband Will Smith to Viola Davis.
The controversy surrounded the idea that not only are minorities being over- looked for roles, but that when they do get a role they are overlooked by voters for the four big categories of the Oscars. This stems from the idea that the Acade- my is made up of primarily white voters and therefore the nominees are almost all white or all white. These recent snubs of minorities at the Oscars has begun a frenzy of tweets and arguments for and against the Oscars being so white. The implication of the #OscarsSoWhite has only progressed the movement, with some actors and actresses boycotting the Oscars by not attending.
In many ways, this year’s Oscars bring to light an evolving situation in Hollywood that minorities are put last. I find it hard to believe that there weren’t any minorities who were worthy of an Oscar nomination. I stand with those who believe that Hollywood needs more diversity. To some degree there is a working toward a better Hollywood in which actors and actresses are being seen more for their talent than their col- or, but after the recent snubs this year, it is clear that progress is slow. Hollywood is the creation of white
men who sought to entertain people. However, now that the country is be- coming more diverse, one must look at Hollywood and question why roles that can be played by either race are given to white actors. This leads to the argument that certain roles can only be given to certain races, which is true. If a director is basing a film off a real life event then the role should be given to the person that best resembles the character of the real life person. On the flip side, there are roles that presumably anyone can play, yet few minorities get these roles. That is where Hollywood lacks diver- sity. There must be opportunities for
minorities. With that being said, it also comes down to talent. If the white actor or actress is deemed more talented, he or she is the one who should get that role. However, my whole being sides with the many who support the mi- norities because I do believe they were overlooked this year.
There were an established amount of films this year that had minority ac- tors and actresses that I believed are worthy of an Oscar nod. From “Straight Outta Compton” to Will Smith’s role in “Concussion,” these movies and actors deserved a nomination. I am not in this business and not a movie critic, but I do believe in diversity and this year the Oscars are just too white.
