Debate rippled throughout much of the U.S. film industry after the announcement of this year’s Oscar nominees, reported AP, which for the second year in a row are all white actors and actresses, causing similar debate here on BYU-Hawaii’s international campus.
Plans to boycott the ceremony, to be held on Feb. 28, were first introduced by director Spike Lee and actress Jada Pinkett Smith on the Monday following the announcement, reported AP.
Mark Ruffalo, actor for the Hulk in “The Avengers,” who was nominated this year for Best Supporting Actor almost forfeited his invitation, but ultimately chose to attend to represent his film ‘Spotlight.” Will Smith has also announced he will not be attending.
“I think that the Oscars and all award shows are kind of dumb altogether,” said Carrianne Kimball, a freshman biomed major from Utah. “I do think it's cool they're taking a stand against it, because it doesn't seem right.”
The Oscars are presented by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, an organization with nearly 6,000 motion picture professionals as members who vote for award winners. This year will be their 88th Annual Awards ceremony.
According to The New York Times, current Academy President, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who is the first African American president of the academy, announced that she and the academy’s Board of Governors endorse changes and actions to combat the lack of diversity.
Isaacs said the academy’s goal is to double female and minority membership by the year 2020. A study done by Los Angeles Times in 2012 revealed that 94 percent of the academy’s membership was white, and 77 percent male.
Charlotte Rampling, nominated for Best Actress, countered the arguments and, according to AP, called it racist against whites. “Maybe the black actors didn't deserve to be in the final stretch," stated Rampling. She later told CBS News she regretted her remarks, how they could have been misinterpreted.
“It doesn't seem right,” continued Kimball, “because not all the best candidates are white and old—that just doesn't make sense to me. Especially since a lot of black culture movies and movies like ‘Straight Outta Compton’ are coming out. I could see why there would be a revolt, I guess.”
Actor George Clooney, according to AP, said the academy probably should have given more attention to movies like "Creed," ''Straight Outta Compton," ''Beasts of No Nation" and "Concussion."
Other actors, reports AP, like Janet Hubert, who is known for her work with Will Smith on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” are urging their film industry colleagues to put the issue to rest.
Here are the top three categories of the 2016 Oscar nominations, a full list of which can be found at oscars.org:
Best Picture: The Big Short, Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian, The Revenant, Room, Spotlight
Best Actor: Bryan Cranston, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Fassbender, Eddie Redmayne
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Charlotte Rampling, Saoirse Ronan.