Oscar Boycott

[ljbab728]

Who else thinks this is just silly.

Calls for boycott of Oscars grow over diversity of nominees | NewsOK.com

The Oscars in recent years have been very inclusive of black performers. And now just because there have been two consecutive years without any major nominations we need a boycott. If the Oscars decide they have to have a quota system of nominees based on color, I'll be boycotting them also.

[Urbanized]

Meh, I think the overall gripe has some merit, though you're right that a quota system would be dead wrong. Idiris Elba and Will Smith were probably both deserving of nominations, for instance. There IS a problem with the composition diversity of the Academy itself, not just in race but also in age and gender. It isn't reflective of society in general. "Straight Outta Compton" won't register with a 65 year old white man, for instance.

But the real problem is not with the Academy, it's with the roles available to non-white actors. A very few (Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, for instance) have managed to get completely past this, but for the most part the best roles in the best movies still go to white actors, which studio heads will surely tell you behind closed doors is a money decision.

All of this is sssssllllllooooowwwwwly changing, but it has taken decades and still pretty much sucks if you are a black actor, so I get the outrage. Just not sure it is directed in the right place, and not sure if boycott is the right approach.

[MadMonk]

Meh, couldn't care less. IMO, the less we focus our news and attention on the 1st-world problems and opinions of mere entertainers, the better.

[Bullbear]

I really like Janet Huberts response to Jada.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9eY-kKXBnQ

[TU 'cane]

How many white actors are there, both American and British, compared to black actors within the same spheres? That is a question not being asked nor obviously answered. And I believe the answer will be very telling in regard to this "situation" when you break it down to a simple mathematical equation.

I also read that Chris Rock has already started making jokes about it after the black community called for him to boycott. His joke was something like "The Oscars are just the white BET awards."

Not sure if that's 100% valid or not, anyone is free to fact check.
Honestly though, MadMonk's post hits this right on the head for me.
I couldn't care less if they were all white or all black. It's an awards ceremony for the rich celebrities who WE pay to lie to us (via acting). It's a shame we let this trickle down to our level of priorities as a society.

[adaniel]

Meh, I think the overall gripe has some merit, though you're right that a quota system would be dead wrong. Idiris Elba and Will Smith were probably both deserving of nominations, for instance. There IS a problem with the composition diversity of the Academy itself, not just in race but also in age and gender. It isn't reflective of society in general. "Straight Outta Compton" won't register with a 65 year old white man, for instance.

But the real problem is not with the Academy, it's with the roles available to non-white actors. A very few (Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, for instance) have managed to get completely past this, but for the most part the best roles in the best movies still go to white actors, which studio heads will surely tell you behind closed doors is a money decision.

All of this is sssssllllllooooowwwwwly changing, but it has taken decades and still pretty much sucks if you are a black actor, so I get the outrage. Just not sure it is directed in the right place, and not sure if boycott is the right approach.

Good points. I'll add that, while I do think its disappointing those movies were not nominated, the Oscars are just one award show out of many. I disagree with a boycott and to suggest celebrities do so is asking them to possibly put their careers on the line.

The movie business, for all its proclamations that is a bastion of progressiveness, is largely a good ole boys club. It lacks roles not only for blacks, but Hispanics, Asians, and LGBT communities as well, at least those that aren't wildly stereotypical. At the same time, there is ample evidence that diverse movies actually make more money. Television is already way ahead of the curve. IMO the focus should be expanding those roles in the first place, not necessarily making sure they are up for a specific award.

[Jersey Boss]

Spike Lee on Oscars: 'I have never used the word boycott'

Spike Lee says he is not calling for a boycott of this year's Oscars over the lack of diversity in the nominees, but the filmmaker still says he won't attend the ceremony.

Speaking on Good Morning America on Wednesday, Lee told ABC's George Stephanopoulos he plans to be at a New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden in New York when the Academy Awards are handed out on Feb. 28.

[jerrywall]

One big problem seems to be how the votes work. Evidently, when someone votes for a category, they rank their votes 1-5. So a movie like "Straight Outta Compton" could get tons of votes (lets say lots of people rate it as #2 or #3), but if it doesn't get enough #1 votes it won't be nominated (there's a minimum number of #1 and #2 votes required). There are multiple categories where there are fewer nominations than slots because of this voting criteria. This site has some of the breakdown on how crazy the voting and scoring is... Oscars complicated counting of Best Picture ballots explained

Another part of the problem is also the makeup of the voters in the academy. There are requirements for each branch (such as actors being in a certain number of films and directors directing a certain number, and for so many years, etc). This will be nature benefit those who've been in the industry longer, so will lag behind current demographics.

All this being said, the Academy has been aggressive about trying to be more diverse, and understands it's a concern, so I think this reaction is unnecessary, and much of it seems to be driven over hurt feelings (grow up Will Smith).

[Stew]

I boycott the oscars every year. I don't have any particular reason other than I boycott every other trade awards ceremony as well.

[TheTravellers]

I boycott the oscars every year. I don't have any particular reason other than I boycott every other trade awards ceremony as well.

The Grammies and AMAs are good to watch for the performances - we record them and skip through all the awards crap.

[jerrywall]

The Tony's are a must watch in my house...

[ljbab728]

The Tony's are a must watch in my house...

You're right. If anyone knows how to put on a live show it's the folks on Broadway.