Behind the Gold Statues

BY AMANDA FLYNN

The Academy and The Hollywood Foreign Press. Two of the most well-known bodies in Hollywood. What’s one thing they both have in common? Controversy.

There is more to award shows than the glamorous red carpet, the prized trophies and the extravagant after parties. From blatant snubs, deep-rooted bias and an immense lack of diversity, several award shows and their voting bodies have been receiving attention for their lack of inclusivity and fairness, not only this year, but since the beginnings of these shows.

In 2015, this issue gained traction through a hashtag you may be familiar with: #OscarsSoWhite.

This social campaign sprouted after activist April Reign posted, “#OscarsSoWhite they asked to touch my hair,” on Twitter on January 15, 2015 after the 87th Academy Award nominees announcement. All 20 of the nominees in the acting categories were white.

Reign told the New York Times that, “It could’ve been a bunch of different things — there were no women in the directors category, there were no visibly disabled people nominated — so #OscarsSoWhite has never just been about race. It’s about the underrepresentation of all marginalized groups.”

In 2016, #OscarsSoWhite continued on, more present than ever. For the second year in a row, all 20 acting nominations belonged to white actors.

“One time you could call a fluke, two times feels like a pattern,” says Reign.

The hashtag brought attention to the lack of diversity within the voting body of the Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Cheryl Boone Isscac, who represented the Public Relations Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 2013-17, also told the New York Times that, “The statistics showed that our membership was 94 percent white and 77 percent male. People would say to me that it wasn’t on purpose, and I would ask them: Are you sure?”

Seven years after #OscarsSoWhite, some changes have been made to the voting body that could permit more diverse nominations.

In June 2020, the Academy announced that it met its goal of increasing diversity within its membership. “The 2020 class is 45% women, 36% underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 49% international from 68 countries.”

But, there is still room for improvement so that minority groups, such as women, have the chance to be recognized.

For example, only seven women in the 93-year old history of the Oscars have been nominated for best director. Two have won. In the best cinematography category, only one woman, Rachel Morrison, has been nominated. It was in 2018.

With that, the inequality seen within voting bodies, raises the prevalence of blatant snubs.

Due to the fact that the voting bodies and their branches, in the case of the Academy, are lacking diversity, actors tend to be left out in acting categories.

A recent example of this occurred at the 2020 Academy Awards with Bong Joon-ho’s legendary thriller, “Parasite.”

This celebrated South Korean film took home four awards; all of which did not include acting.

The lead actors in this best picture-winner, were praised throughout award season by critics, but when it came down to the Academy, the acting branch snubbed all cast members.

International films tend to be overlooked in acting categories – Though getting better, as seen with Youn Yuh-jung winning best supporting actress last year for “Minari,” the Academy has been stuck in their ways of nominating A-list actors from domestic films.

Further, The Academy is not the only body under fire in recent years. This year, the Hollywood Foreign Press (HFPA) was the center of attention.

In a 2021 study done by the Los Angeles Times, it was reported that the 87-person voting body responsible for awarding Golden Globes, had zero Black members.

In response to that, the 2022 show still went on, except it was not broadcasted to millions from the Beverly Hilton. The HFPA decided to instead, quietly publish the names of its winners for its 79th show on their website and social media.

Perhaps this discussion raises the question of how to view these “prestigious” awards. Shows such as the Golden Globes, and more specifically, the Oscars, do not need to be the defining factor of success for films in the industry. Are these shows truly the peak of filmmaking success if they fail to recognize the marginal group of creators over and over again?

To show support for filmmakers that are not getting the praise and attention they deserve, former Britannica intern Imaan Yousef says, “Streaming platforms increasingly provide filmmakers at the forefront of diverse stories a medium to reach a wider audience.”

“By showing up to support films that resonate with people’s diverse experiences or identities in new ways, audiences can work toward revolutionizing systems of validation for films.” A gold statue does not define success. The next time you tune into award shows, try to think about what may be hiding behind the gold.