In the wake of award season, there is definitely crisis stirring within the Hollywood. And although there are many bigger fish to fry (such as the Flint Water crisis) representation struck me as an issue that deserves some managing as well. As I’ve discussed in a previous post, the Oscars will celebrate it’s 87th anniversary this year and throughout all 87 years of this Award Ceremony only one woman of color has ever won the Academy Award for Best Actress (Halle Berry) and only one woman has ever won the Academy Award for Best Director (Kathryn Bigelow). Selma Director Ava Duvernay says there’s “there’s a belonging problem in Hollywood.” Director Spike Lee said "and all you people out there in the position of hiring, you better get smart because you'll work for us. Reflect what this country looks like," when discussing his views on representation in Hollywood. Actress Jada Pinkett -Smith among others have decided to boycott the Oscars all together.
The issue isn’t that there’s a lack of films, black actors, or directors, etc. In 2015 alone there were very deserving films, actors and actresses and more; such as Michael B. Jordan, “Creed”, O’Shea Jackson Jr., “Straight Outta Compton”, Idris Elba and Abraham Attah, “Beasts of No Nation”, Jada Pinkett Smith, “Magic Mike XXL”, Audra McDonald, “Ricki and the Flash”, Adepero Oduye, “The Big Short”, John Boyega, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, and lastly Teyonah Parris, “Chi-Raq.”
This crisis isn’t solely exclusive to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the “belonging problem” begins far before the Awards ceremony and the list of nominees. Let’s look at films Cleopatra (2014) in which Angelina Jolie this monumental person in African history, or Exodus Gods and Kings (2014) which also had an entirely Caucasian cast, or even more recently the upcoming British television comedy series Elizabeth, Michael & Marlon in which Michael Jackson will be played by Joseph Fiennes, who is also Caucasian. As of now the #OscarsSoWhite controversy has sparked direct response from the Academy and calls for a boycott; as well as HBO documentary films director, Sheila Nevins, to order a documentary on the Black Lives Matter movement.
The issue isn’t that there’s a lack of films, black actors, or directors, etc. In 2015 alone there were very deserving films, actors and actresses and more; such as Michael B. Jordan, “Creed”, O’Shea Jackson Jr., “Straight Outta Compton”, Idris Elba and Abraham Attah, “Beasts of No Nation”, Jada Pinkett Smith, “Magic Mike XXL”, Audra McDonald, “Ricki and the Flash”, Adepero Oduye, “The Big Short”, John Boyega, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, and lastly Teyonah Parris, “Chi-Raq.”
This crisis isn’t solely exclusive to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the “belonging problem” begins far before the Awards ceremony and the list of nominees. Let’s look at films Cleopatra (2014) in which Angelina Jolie this monumental person in African history, or Exodus Gods and Kings (2014) which also had an entirely Caucasian cast, or even more recently the upcoming British television comedy series Elizabeth, Michael & Marlon in which Michael Jackson will be played by Joseph Fiennes, who is also Caucasian. As of now the #OscarsSoWhite controversy has sparked direct response from the Academy and calls for a boycott; as well as HBO documentary films director, Sheila Nevins, to order a documentary on the Black Lives Matter movement.