Whitewashing the Oscars

The Oscars are so white this year that the host, Neil Patrick Harris, will open the show by saying, “I’m not racist, but…”

In previous years, the Academy Awards has shown its unpredictability with surprising wins and losses, yet this year it is known with absolute certainty that whatever actor wins will be white.

The nominees for the 87th Academy Awards were announced last Thursday morning. Out of the 20 nominations available for leading and supporting actors, not a single actor of color was included.

By whitewashing the Oscar nominations, the academy has not only failed to accurately represent film viewership and celebrate the range of talent displayed this year, but is communicating the idea that little to no progress has been made for minorities in the film industry.

The lack of diversity, specifically in the acting and directing categories, sparked outrage among film fans, celebrities and comedians, as many took to Twitter by creating the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, according to an article by NBC News.

One film that has gained a great deal of media attention for being snubbed in several categories by Oscar voters is “Selma.” “Selma,” a film about Martin Luther King, Jr. and his campaign for voting rights in the South, received a nomination for Best Picture. However, the film was noticeably absent on the list for directing, screenplay, cinematography, and best actor in a leading role.

The Oscars missed out on making history this year by omitting “Selma’s” film director, Ava DuVernay. DuVernay would have deservedly been the first African-American woman to compete for the best director Oscar, according to an article by CNN.

Many critics are screaming “racism” as the Oscars fail to honor the talent involved in “Selma” or any actors of color. Yet, some combat this argument by explaining that “12 Years a Slave” won several Oscars just last year.

What is distressing about this argument is that it is true. History reveals Oscar voters seemingly approve of films where black people are portrayed as victims, rather than when they are active agents working towards their own empowerment.

Unfortunately, statistics concerning the population of the academy reveal it should be no surprise the nominees and winners are typically white. An L.A. Times analysis in 2013 discovered the overall academy was 93 percent white and 76 percent male.

The glaring lack of diversity in the Oscar nominees reflects Hollywood as a whole – an industry that is generally run by white males. Often minorities do not have the connections to be cast in roles or have their films made. And if they are successful, minority actors and directors are limited to specific genres of film.

It’s ironic that “Selma” is the film that sparked outcries over the lack of diversity in the Oscar nominees, considering it is a film about the fight for equal rights and opportunity that occurred 50 years ago.

Obviously, 50 years later we still have a lot to improve upon in regards to equality. The 2015 Oscars should serve as a platform for debate on the gender and racial issues that continue to exist in our nation and control the film industry.

We have made great strides in terms of equality in the last 50 years since Martin Luther King, Jr. led a voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, but we still have a ways to go. The next stop: Hollywood.