The Oscars is the undoubtedly the most widely anticipated awards ceremony of the year. The mass variation of stars assembling from all corners of Hollywood, ready to perform their perfected ‘I’m happy to have lost because my competitor deserved it more’ clap whilst they flash their newly polished teeth at the camera, is the only sure thing we can count on. But what is it about this years ceremony that that will particularly stand out? What will catch our eye as celebrity after celebrity walk or trip (sorry Jennifer) up the stairs to accept their award? Is it their blindingly white teeth? Their shiny reflective forehead?
No – it is the colour of their skin.
In light of the recent announcement of the 2016 nominees, the Academy has suffered significant backlash due to the disgraceful lack of black nominees. #OscarsSoWhite has become the chosen hashtag to symbolise the global movement and unify those who agree that the Oscars has ultimately failed in promoting racial diversity. Danny de Vito has boldly commented in a recent interview, putting it bluntly, “generally speaking, we’re a bunch of racists.”
But does the lack of black nominees highlight the racism that underpins the United States of America, or does it accurately reflect the talent of the nation? English actress Charlotte Rampling has twisted the global storm on its head and stated that the Oscars row is in fact racist to white people: “One can never really know, but perhaps the black actors did not deserve to make the final list.” Fair enough. But when groundbreaking films such Netlflix’s Beasts of No Nation failed to make the final list (as did Idris Elba’s nomination for Best Supporting Actor) one has to ask oneself why. Yes, it’s competitive. Yes, the competition gets hotter and hotter every year as the standard rises– but isn’t it too easy to brush off this ‘accidental’ display of racism as merely a ‘coincidence’ and a ‘fair display of talent’? If that was the attitude of the nation, if things like this were so easily ignored, then that surely reflects a darker truth surrounding the attitude of the nation.
Of course, naturally, there are those such as Ice Cube who have nonchalantly dismissed this outburst, publically announcing on the Graham Norton Show that the recent announcements do not particularly phase him: “We don’t do movies for the industry. We do movies for the fans, for the people.” But is this really about the awards? Are people really tweeting #OscarsSoWhite because they’re losing sleep over the thought of some multi-millionaire actor missing out on an Oscar nomination? Is this row really about the Oscars itself?
Unlike Ice Cube, who has denied ‘boycotting’ the Oscars by stating that “You can’t boycott something that you never used to go to anyway,” actors such as Will Smith and Spike Lee have announced that they will not be attending the ceremony later this month, along with other major Hollywood stars who feel shocked and disappointed by the recent announcements. Host Chris Rock, on the other hand, has confirmed his attendance to the ceremony, having rewritten his opening monologue to directly respond to the White race-row – no doubt dripping in satire and irony.
But are satire and irony going to be enough to tackle this ever-present issue? It is not an issue that one comedian can tackle on a stage with a few jokes and controversial comments; and is it even something the Academy can tackle with its pledge to double the number of women and minorities among its membership? Racism in Hollywood is an inherent issue that is not suddenly going to go away just because the public is finally beginning to recognize it. The racist row is not new. But it is becoming desperate.
The Revenant director Alejandro González Iñárritu stated “Cinema is the mirror where we can all see ourselves,” which begs the question – what are we seeing? Are we seeing an equal representation of gender, ethnicity and other minorities? This is not about the Oscars. This is not about the Academy. Heck, this probably isn’t even about Hollywood. All that is clear is that on the 28th of February this year, as the celebrities glide down the red carpet flashing their blindingly bright teeth, it is possible that, as their co-stars fail to make an appearance, their smiles might not quite reach their eyes.
Photo Credits:
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