OPINION
Oscars So White and Male Even after the all-white nominations in 2015 and 2016, the Oscars still lack diversity in their voting pool and list of nominees. BY KAMRYN ROGERS PRINT CO-EDITOR-INCHIEF
When watching AsianAmerican actor and producer John Cho and African-American actor/ writer/producer Issa Rae host the two-part live Oscar nominations announcement, many might have assumed they were a direct reflection of the diversity found in the nominations. But when you turned on the television and watched the 92nd Academy Awards Feb. 9, the lack of people of color in the room was surprising. Though #Oscarssowhite began in 2015, this has been a problem since the Academy’s founding. In this year’s nominations, only one of the 20 actors and actresses nominated for Academy Awards was a person of color, and no female director was nominated for Best Director. Cynthia Erivo in “Harriet” saved the Academy yet again from an all-white slate, being the only person of color nominated in the Best Actress and Best Original Songs categories. Besides the acting categories, 77% of this year’s nominees are male, according to a recent study by the Women’s Media Center. This is partially due to the fact that white and male voters still make up the majority of the Academy’s 9,000-member voting pool. This pool recommends the final list of nominees and therefore determines which parts of American culture deserve to be idolized. Following and watching our favorite movies throughout the year is ingrained in American culture.
As the Oscars approach, millions wait for the Academy to release the nominee list; however, each year certain films, actors and actresses are snubbed from the final list. More specifically, people of color and women are consistently excluded from each category. Statistically, films that include actors and actresses of different races cater to a larger audience, thus generating a larger income for films that promote diversity. Yet, these movies are historically underrepresented at award shows in general, not just the Oscars. This year’s snubs included Awkwafina in “The Farewell,” Eddie Murphy in “Dolemite Is My Name,” Lupita Nyong’o in “Us,” Jamie Foxx in “Just Mercy” and “Queen & Slim” director Melina Matsoukas, among others. When taking a closer look at the gender bias in each category, the nominees are overwhelmingly male, except for the categories specifically for women. In the Oscar’s 92-year history, only five women have been nominated for Best Director, including the 2018 nominee, Greta Gerwig, for her work in Lady Bird. In 2017, history was made when the Academy nominated Rachel Morison for Best Cinematography for her work in “Mudbound.” These are positive strides towards female representation within award shows. However, both of the previously mentioned women are white, and it is rare for women of color to be included in these categories. While the Oscars are working to diversify both their voting pool and their nominees after their all-white nominations lists in both 2015 and 2016, there should be more progress by this point. Turning on the television and seeing nominees who look like you should be a reality for all Americans. But the Oscars remain a reflection of a non-diverse Hollywood.
NOT SO OSCAR WORTHY
2 out of 20 nominated for Oscars were to people of color
12 LE JOURNAL
Some of this year’s snubs 1. Pictured is Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith in Queen and Slim 2. Pictured is Greta Gerwig, director of “Little Women.” 3. Pictured is Jennifer Lopez in “Hustlers.” 4. Pictured is Lupita Nyong’o in “US.” 5. Pictured is Awkwafina in “The Farewell.” 6.Pictured is Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx in “Just Mercy.” 7. Pictured is Eddie Murphy in “Dolemite is My Name.” (Photos by MCT Campus)
