Boycott the Oscars

“# Oscars So White” is the hot topic again this year as preparations get under way for the 88^th Academy Awards. This is the second year in a row that all of the nominees in major categories are white.

A Los Angeles Times study found that Oscar voters have a median age of over 60 years old, and are 94 percent Caucasian, and 77 percent male.

“This [year’s group of nominees] is a literal reflection of the members who make up the academy,” actress and comedian Alexandra Karova said. “They are old school dinosaurs; they do not reflect what the people are feeling at all.”

UCLA’s Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies Studies looked at movies, television and digital platforms in 2012 and 2013 in its recent Diversity Report, and found that minorities had only half as many acting roles as whites, and are proportionately under-represented in writing and directing as well. Over the course of its 87 years, only 35 awards have been given to African American actors and actresses, and Halle Berry is the only African-American woman to win best actress, in 2002.

CSUN Africana Studies Professor Marquita Pellerin-Gammage, author of “Representations of Black Women in the Media: The Damnation of Black Womanhood”, said many of the roles offered to African American actors and actresses reflect negative stereotypes.

“African Americans are pigeonholed into these stereotype roles,” she said.  “They almost validate the reason why they are not nominated for these types of awards, when they’re only granted such narrow representations.”

Many movie-goers are expressing their concern about the lack of diversity among the nominees on social media platforms, calling this year’s Academy Award nominations ‘a controversy’.

“This is not a controversy, because it has been happening for so long,” Cinema Television and Arts Professor Nate Thomas said. “They need to stop talking and do something about it.”

Some minority actors and actresses are choosing to boycott this year’s Academy Awards ceremony. Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith and director Spike Lee have vowed not to attend this year’s award show.

Karova said she believes that Oscar nominees should not be the only ones who boycott the Oscars this year.

“Do not give them the ratings,” she said. “Let’s give it to the other shows, [who give awards] that are based on talent, not based on appearance. Stop giving [the Oscar telecast] our eyes and money…and start paying attention to shows where people are paying attention to us.”

Moderator: Glenna Dixon

Anchor: Anna Logan

Producer: Harry Abelson

Social Media Editors: Harry Abelson and Jasmin Dalton

Reporters: Jasmin Dalton, Kiara Draper, Anna Logan and October Primavera