RHE ACADEMY PLEDGES TO BECOME MORE DIVERSE: BUT IS THAT ENOUGH

This afternoon, after facing intense criticism for its failure to nominate a single minority actorfor an Oscar for the second year in a row, the Academy announced a new plan to dramatically increase diversity within its membership. In its statement, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences pledged to “commit to doubling the number of women and diverse members of the Academy by 2020.” As of 2012, Academy members were 94 percent white, so even with the pledge, the diversity members will make up a whopping 12 percent.

As the awards ceremony date draws closer, more and more actors are weighing in on the controversy. Yesterday, Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon shared a Timemagazine article on the absence of minority nominations on her Facebook page. “So disappointed that some of 2015’s best films, filmmakers, and performances were not recognized,” she wrote. “I would love to see a more diverse voting of its membership.”

While the Academy is planning to expand the race and gender makeup of their membership, the truth is, fixing the voting component of the Oscars is only a small step toward fixing the diversity problem in Hollywood. Viola Davis, who gave an impassioned speech during the 2015 Emmys on the lack of opportunities for black actors, shared her opinion on the matter in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “You can change the Academy, but if there are no black films being produced, what is there to vote for?” she said. “It’s a symptom of a much greater disease.” Davis’s sentiments echo what director Spike Lee wrote at the onset of the Oscars boycott. “As I see it, the Academy Awards is not where the ‘real’ battle is,” he wrote. “It’s in the executive office of the Hollywood studios and TV and cable networks. This is where the gate keepers decide what gets made and what gets jettisoned to ‘turnaround’ or scrap heap.” 

Source: Vogue