Though I have been following the issue of diversity (and the lack of it) in media and film for many years...since my days in the the late 70's working towards pushing public broadcasting to deal with minorities and women, and later as the head of a distribution group for independent black filmmakers—some things don't or haven't really changed much.
When I expand my lens to look at women of color, as directors and producers and where the power still rests and have to agree with this recently produced video critique:
Women and Hollywood's take on this year's Oscars – we can do better. Commissioned by Women and Hollywood Executive Producer: Melissa Silverstein Written, Directed and Produced by: Jo Chiang
See this infographic from Lee and Low Books:
For full size click HERE
I wasn't planning on writing this today, but I was driving home from work this week, listening to my local public radio station and there was a talk-call in program on with the "leading local experts on film" talking about the Oscars. It has been bugging me. Posted a critical comment to the station website which stayed "pending" for quite a while and disappeared.
These two white film professors immediately jumped into the issue of Selma, and one said "not a well-made film," the other announced that all of the furor around the snub to Selma had absolutely.nothing.to.do.with.racism.
Because they said so. They repeated this. Several times, several ways.... Ridiculous. Why...only last year a film with black people in it got multiple awards, 12 Years a Slave...why...don't you remember the Color Purple. Gee guys...Edward G. Robinson never got an Oscar, so there.
Case dismissed. They (not the host) went on to murder and mangle David Oyelowo's name multiple times, giggling in amusement, and Selma as a film was dismissed as boring, and poorly directed, and Oyelowo's portrayal of MLK was branded by the female "expert" as "a shallow performance."
I worked in broadcasting on air for many years. One of the first things you learn is to make sure you correctly pronounce names of people, places and things.
Oh well...strange and funny African names had to have been too much of an effort for the learned guests.
They should have paid attention to Brad Pitt schooling an audience. David Oyelowo is pronounced "Oh-yellow-woe."
Actor Brad Pitt has been showing off his singing skills at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. The performance came as he took to the stage to present Selma actor David Oyelowo with the Breakthrough Performance Award for his portrayal of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. When Oyelowo finally took the stage, he said: "You know you've broken through when Brad Pitt sings your name."
There is a good discussion of this whole Oscars issue over at HuffPo:
Oscars 2015: So Hollywood Is Still Racist (and Sexist), Now What?
Recently, the Academy Awards nominated the movie Selma for best motion picture, yet many wondered how the academy did not select any of the cast or the director for a 2015 Oscar. People are further questioning how all 20 acting nominees were of European descent or "white." Oscars for the four categories of best actor and actress, along with best supporting actor and actress, have traditionally neglected certain ethnic groups.
This problem is bigger than the Oscars, as numerous people have pointed out that this type of unequal representation in Hollywood is still both problematic and systematic. Even today, people of color are most often cast in supporting roles or as stereotypical characters in movies and on television.
While there are some exceptions, as certain African American men have made headway over the years, women of color are routinely left out of top roles (servants, slaves and mistresses excluding). Even fewer actors and actresses of Latin, Asian, Native American and other non-European backgrounds see adequate representation in U.S. film and media today.
and
Why It Should Bother Everyone That The Oscars Are So White
#OscarsSoWhite that if Common and John Legend win an Academy Award for Best Original Song this Sunday, it will be only the 32nd time in 87 years that a black person has held a competitive Oscar on Hollywood's biggest stage. That's 32 times out of more than 2,900 winners.
"It's a white industry. Just as the NBA is a black industry. I'm not even saying it's a bad thing. It just is," Chris Rock wrote last year in a thoughtful op-ed for The Hollywood Reporter. Rock's piece went viral because of how clearly he laid out the problems in Hollywood: It's a place where at every level, from the top on down, diversity is lagging behind society.
Except here's where Rock was wrong: It is a "bad thing." Last year, 43 million people watched the Academy Awards. This year's ceremony will reach more than 200 countries around the globe. For 87 years, the Oscars have been a celebration of filmmaking. And the message it puts across, however unintentionally, is hard to miss: Certain voices matter more than others.
Sorry for the mini-rant. Had to get it off my chest.
This brown eye will not be watching the Oscars this year.
I will continue to support independent filmmakers.
