The annual Oscars gala may not be the same in 2016.
This is the case after Jada Pinkett-Smith and several other stars recently came out calling on actors to boycott the prestigious awards ceremony. Her husband, Will Smith, has also come out in support of the boycott. In addition to the Smiths, renowned producer, writer, director, and actor Spike Lee will also not be attending the February 28 affair.
They all claim that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Oscar nominees list of 2016 is not diverse enough. Basically, they’re arguing that after so many years, the Academy are still overlooking deserving black, and other minority actors.
In a recent Instagram post, Spike Lee asked how it was possible that “…for the 2nd consecutive year all 20 contenders under the actor category are white? …40 white actors in 2 years and no flava at all. We can’t act?!”
Will Smith has argued that the boycott wasn’t about him being nominated. Instead, it was “about children that are going to sit down and watch this show and they’re not going to see themselves represented”.
The #OscarSoWhite hashtag has gone viral on social media and Hollywood is divided on this matter.
There has also been considerable pressure on the host of the evening, Chris Rock, who is also black, to withdraw from the event. In fact, we are told that Rock has begun rewriting his opening monologue given the uneasy nature of this year’s event.
It would appear that not only politicians and economists have to contend with matters of race – but our entertainers as well. Rest assured, this issue will not go away anytime soon.
But the question is: how do you deal with the issue of diversity, specifically in the entertainment industry?
From what I gather, it is not as “regulated” as most sectors of the economy. It is easy when you have a law that establishes specific guidelines on what needs to be done. Such a law could be specific: timelines, numbers, and other stipulations. But in this case, all we have is a commitment from the Oscars organisers that by 2020, the group of nominees will be more diverse.
However, 2020 is four years away. So do we wait another four years just to see a black actor win? What is to be done?
Do we boycott until the list becomes more diverse? And if we do, and the list is in fact more representative, does this mean those actors are deserving or are they just “quota actors”? Does it mean we stop supporting any of the work put out by other artists?
I am always of the view that, rather than bring down the institution you are trying to build, you should do something to change what is before you.
But how do you affect change on something you have no control over?
The list of questions is endless.
Like the title suggests, these are merely musings on this unfolding drama.
And sadly, I have no solutions to offer apart from the fact that something needs to happen to not only preserve but advance what we already have: a range of talented human beings from various backgrounds who just want us to appreciate their work, and rightly so.
Sometimes, I guess, the difficult questions that demand responses are what bring about change – whatever that may look like.
#OscarSoWhite? or Nah?
What do you think is the best way to ensure a more representative entertainment industry? Share your thoughts in the comments below.