Oscars So White

Anonymous
Oscars So White

When last years Oscars rolled around, it was clear that in that year and many years before it, the academy seemed to just blatantly ignore films and actors who were basically of any minority base, and so the hash tag, #Oscarssowhite came about to call attention to the situation, and now here we are a year later with, some may say, a much more balanced field of nominees.

I am in no way a fan of just giving out pity nominations or suggesting that just because someone is a minority, they deserve to be nominated, but you have to actually have the ability to give someone a chance to prove that they can do quality work. To say, minority actors don't do the same quality work as white actors is insulting at minimum on up to racist at it's worst. An actor cannot prove that they can act if at the front door of an audition, they are told that they are not right for the part based on skin tone or ethnicity alone. Does one need to be white in order to play the doctor, the solider, the teacher, the lawyer, the jock, because in the real world, these "roles" are played by every human being imaginable.

Oscars So White

If the only actors, producers, writers, etc. allowed in the door are white, and consciously make no efforts to produce anything but films with all white roles, absolutely, only "white" movies get made starring all white casts. Then of course, it is easy to say, well, we didn't see any quality minority films or actors to nominate because literally there was no opportunity for the academy to do so. It also encourages the myth that only "white" films make money because if only white films get made, then by that logic, of course, only white films make money which if looking at the previous year however, in terms of movies for 2016, there were actually a few choices of movies with critical acclaim with minority actors/producers which did fantastic at the box office, but were ignored.

This year has proven in a lot of respects what minority actors have been saying all along which is let us try, and let the numbers at the box office and in sales speak for themselves. No one can argue a ticket sale, and clearly there is a hunger to see a more inclusive Hollywood not just in the movies, but on tv as well. Many of the most popular shows in the past 5 years that have debuted on tv and cable, have had roles featuring minorities or a heavy minority based cast.

Oscars So White

People want to see themselves reflected on tv and in the movies because both are supposed to be an artistic expression of life in a creative way. What sound argument could be made that everyone's story and experience could be told solely through the eyes of an all white cast in all white movies? I personally don't just want to see my own race everywhere all the time becuase that's not life or reality. Movies and experience don't belong to just one race alone, but to all people who's stories are out there and that want to tell them and Hollywood should reflect that because that is a truth they cannot sweep under a rug.

Oscars So White
14 Opinion