Source: Al Seib / Getty
Pretty much everyone has weighed in about the lack of diversity at the Academy Awards. Specifically for the the past two years, no minority actors have been nominated in any of the 20 categories in either year. Black actors, directors, singers, and entertainment fans alike have all expressed concern about minorities receiving no recognition for their films. Including Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith, Spike Lee and Idris Elba, just to name a few. Jada, specifically, announced in a viral video that she and Will will not be attending or even watching. Some accused her of insinuating to boycott the awards show. The only thing black at this year’s Oscars will be host, Chris Rock.
Other celebrities have taken a more nonchalant attitude towards the Oscar nominations. Some have even gone as far to say these so called prestigious awards shows were never meant for us anyway, which is why the Soul Train Awards, BET Awards and NAACP Image Awards exist in the first place. Even though some of us choose not to acknowledge that these awards shows were created for a reason, but I won’t say any names…Stacey Dash!
The #OscarsSoWhite hashtag started trending as soon as the nominees were released, and SNL even had a sketch poking fun at the Oscars debate this past weekend.
President Obama, who is also a huge movie fan, speaks about the controversy. He agrees that everyone should get a fair shot, and the debate is the expression of a larger social issue America is still facing.
“I think that when everyone’s story is told then that makes for better art.”
Watch his interview with ABC7 below.
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