Another year, another round of missing names on the list of Oscar nominations. For many filmgoers and creators who follow award shows, the snubs of the 92nd Academy Awards are disappointing, but not totally surprising. It was back in 2016 that the infamous #OscarsSoWhite backlash made headlines after all nominated actors in the lead and supporting categories were white.
In 2020, it seems like the demands to diversify the Academy Awards have fallen on deaf ears. The Best Directing nominees are all men (and aside from Bong Joon-ho, director of the Korean film Parasite, all are white), and the only nonwhite actor nominated is Cynthia Erivo for her role in Harriet—a movie about slavery, which tends to be one of the only topics that Hollywood will recognize black actors for. As Issa Rae said after the Best Directing nominations announcement, “Congratulations to those men.”
If you’ve engaged in any sort of online discourse about the disappointment of the Oscars, you’ve probably come across two main questions from critics: shouldn’t we be recognizing quality over forced diversity, and do Oscars nominations really matter anyway? First, it’s important to realize that no one is asking for women to be nominated just because they’re women or to have actors of color receive nods just to ~spice things up~. The conversation at hand is that directors and actors that have displayed serious talent have still been shut out of the nominations. While we can always stand to have more stories from and about underrepresented groups, the Academy Awards had their fair share of choices this year that they neglected to reward, instead favoring the same unsurprising films and names. This is not a criticism of the talents of those who were nominated; rather, it is yet another criticism of the Academy for refusing to expand its narrow lens and make a real commitment to inclusion.
If you need examples, there are plenty. Take Greta Gerwig, who was nominated for Best Directing in 2018 for Lady Bird (which was also up for Best Picture). Gerwig proved her talent again with Little Women, a fresh and masterful retelling of the beloved novel. While Little Women was nominated for Best Picture this year and snagged five other nods (including Best Adapted Screenplay, also courtesy of Gerwig), her name was notably missing from the Best Directing category. For a film that has garnered a respectable amount of attention across the other categories, shouldn’t Gerwig be recognized for her skill in directing?
Gerwig isn’t the only one. Lorene Scafaria was the director behind Hustlers, a film about former strip club employees who run a scam against the rich men of Wall Street to survive the 2008 financial crisis. A hit at the box office for its all-star cast and honest consideration of the true story from a New York Magazine article, the film didn’t receive any nominations at the Oscars. Both Scafaria and actress Jennifer Lopez, who had previously been predicted to at least get a nod for Best Supporting Actress after receiving a Golden Globe nomination, were notably snubbed. Also missing from Best Directing? Lulu Wang, the Chinese-American director behind The Farewell. Like Hustlers, the movie made no traction at the Oscars, even though Awkwafina just took home the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical.
Another way the Golden Globes and Oscars differed was in the treatment of Dolemite is My Name, which was completely shut out by the latter. The film was based on the true story of comedy pioneer Rudy Ray Moore, played by Eddie Murphy. The Golden Globes nominated it for Best Musical or Comedy, and Murphy was a nominee for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.
Shut out by both the Globes and Academy Awards was Lupita Nyong’o, who gave a haunting performance in Us. Nyong’o was praised for her ability to convincingly portray two entirely different personalities throughout the well-loved horror film. Award shows’ bias against horror flicks could be the main culprit here, but when this stellar performance by a black actress is neglected while yet another story about slavery and suffering is rewarded, it’s hard to not turn an especially critical eye to this snub.
We weren’t lacking in diverse talent this awards season. There were many talented performances and creative efforts to award here that broke away from the mold of stories about white men. When the Oscars overlook that, it’s frustrating to see the demands of the majority are being ignored.
“Who cares?” you’ve probably seen people say in Twitter replies. “There are real problems in the world that are more important than the Oscars.” Sure, we have a ton of problems with the world and everything is pretty much going up in flames around us. But as Lady Bird said, “Different things can be sad!” I can fight to prevent climate change while also calling out the Oscars for refusing to diversify its nominees. People can fight for a cause without diminishing the importance of another!
I’m totally fine with boycotting the Oscars (as many did when #OscarsSoWhite gained traction) and looking past nominations, wins, and all the politics behind awarding films. But I will stay part of the conversation: if you don’t care about the Oscars, I urge you to at least think about the implications of the show holding these overdone films to such a high standard. Here’s my call to you: watch movies that the Oscars won’t acknowledge, and appreciate the value and talent in them anyway. Know that the Academy does not create the be-all, end-all verdicts on films and that its refusal to acknowledge underrepresented groups will not go unnoticed. Support the people in and behind films that had to break glass ceilings to get there.
Maybe we should all be like Elsie Fisher, who took to Twitter to create her own film awards, dubbed the Elsie Awards. After all, I like her opinions more than the Academy’s. Maybe these awards should be our new standard—I trust a 16-year-old girl more than the Oscars.