Clooney says Oscars moving backwards on diversity

nearly 94 percent of the Academy voters are white and mostly male.

Funny that. Nearly 94% of Americans under the age of 40 couldn't care less about the Oscars.

It's a tricky issue. Although diversity in film should be pushed heavily, the Oscars in the end are for rewarding artistic merit rather than aiming for quotas

There were quality films?

If over 90% of the Academy is white, in all probability there is some form of negative bias, prejudice or implicit racism in play. Not to mention racism of the flat out variety.

Studio owners, producers and directors are dictating the narrative. Last year a Sony exec decided that Denzel Washington didn’t have “international appeal” because the international movie viewing audience was/is racist. Sounds more like wishful thinking, projection or transference. How do they know the international movie viewing audience is racist? Did they ask them? Have they conducted market research in all the world’s countries? Making economic and social decisions based on ethnicity and/or skin color is the cause of most of the social unrest in the States today.

Why does this matter in Japan? Racism and discrimination wastes human capital and all its’ present and future potential and contributions. Therefore, it should be eradicated everywhere.

As for “artistic merit”, is it the black actors who are lacking in talent and versatility or is it the roles and productions in which they are cast (or, in most cases, typecast)?

The Academy should create some new categories to keep the whiners happy. How about:

Best Blacktor and Blacktress;

Best Supporting Blacktor and Blacktress

Problem solved. . . .

N.W.A. biopic “Straight Outta Compton.”

That flick can be awarded and praised on BET Awards. The gesture isn't appropriate for AA.

boxing drama “Creed,”

Nope. That was nowhere near Carl Weathers original performance in the first three Rocky flicks, and that's not saying much.

The Academy should create some new categories to keep the whiners happy.

Agree. Its nonsense. the BET Awards are awarded to only Black. This is a "double standard." Plenty of Black actors and actresses have sometimes been awarded at Academy Awards. . . . . Spike Lee is such a whiner.

You don't hear actors like Jack Nicholson or Harrison Ford complain if an Academy Award was given to (oh lets say, Morgan Freeman) instead.

nearly 94 percent of the Academy voters are white and mostly male.

The one statistic -- and the most important one -- this article overlooked is that 99% of the Academy voters are complete and total hard core liberals

When whining Spike Lee doesn't show up, his seat will be filled with a dressed up white liberal craving to be seen. Spike will be the only one who thinks he'll be missed. . . .

Shame they can't just have a quota system. SC said no quota, but need to be fair and diversify. Sorry SC, but quotas are a tool to diversify. In Germany, quotas are used on boards of directors to ensure equal representation by employees. Their constitutional court doesn't say no quotas but continue as that would leave companies stacking the deck against employees and forcing wages cut and factories shut.

I don't mind Spike Lee he's made some great movies but once he made a comment about Quintin Tarantino's portrayal of love for guns and dropping in the N bomb in his movies all bets were off with Samuel L Jasckson coming to the rescue basically saying it's only a movie, African American cinema back in the 70's when everyone had sawen off shot guns and knew kung fu, Pam Grier anybody, theres been some great movies made over the years but sadly the last few have been rubbish.

Hollywood must be a hot bed of white supremacy.

Ok. Let's just assume that Jordan in Creed is worthy of an Oscar nod. Who does he replace?

See, its a little more tricky when you think about it that way.

And, seriously, where were Smith and Lee last year, or the year before?

The irony of it all is Hollywood is second to none when it comes to market forces determining sales. When those on the right whine about 'librul' Hollywood, they like to forget that. So, too, are Smith and Lee.

My ex co-worker, a black guy, once remarked that black characters in Hollywood movies seem to get killed off first in action/horror flicks.

Not saying this is not another issue in itself, but could this be the reason none were nominated this and last year? I mean, if the character is dead less than 20 minutes into the movie, you hardly remember the guy by the end.

AsianGaijinYesWeExist:

And those wearing red shirts. For the love of all that's holy, do not be a black guy in a red shirt. That is just tempting fate ????

And those wearing red shirts. For the love of all that's holy, do not be a black guy in a red shirt. That is just tempting >fate ????

LOL I have no idea. I don't even know if what he said is true. I usually don't pay attention to racial makeup of the characters in movies.