2016 Oscar Awards Controversy

For all of its existence, the United State of America has suffered with its representation of minorities in media. From minstrel shows to The Birth of a Nation, diversity in media has been almost non-existent until the latter half of the twentieth century. Although there have been some bright spots like There Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and the works of Langston Hughes, most media have been almost exclusively from a white, oftentimes male, viewpoint. According to a 2016 diversity report done by the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA, minorities are underrepresented 3 to 1 among film leads, 5 to 1 in film writers, and 3 to 1 among film directors. This surprising, as the same reports states that America’s increasingly diverse audiences prefer diverse casts and films, pointing to the fact that diverse films had higher median global box office receipts.

In discussions of diversity, one controversial issue has been whether or not America cherishes its own diversity. On the one hand, Eboo Patel argues that America loves its own diversity and cultures. On the other hand, Jena McGregor opposes that Hollywood has a lack of diversity and therefore does not cherish it. Others even believe that America has a little bit of a Love/Hate relationship and remain undecided to the topic question, “Does America cherish diversity.’’ My own view is that America doesn’t cherish its cultural, racial, and gender diversity.

This is the second straight year in which not a single person of color was nominated for an acting Oscar. Jada Pinkett took it upon herself to bring people’s attention to the lack of diversity in the Oscars and in Hollywood, in a video posted on her face book page. Diversity can be defined as the inclusion of different types of people, race, or cultures in a group or organization. United States of America is a country full of different diverse group of people, races (Black white), culture, and religion. An organization’s success and competitiveness depends upon its ability to embrace diversity and realize the benefits. For example, if workplace diversity issues are handled well in an organization, benefits are reported. Also, according to a broadcast on NPR, Mcevers says, “Right, I mean, one of the findings of your Hollywood diversity reports at UCLA is that movies with more diverse cast tend to make more

Television and film is a huge part of American culture. As the “face” of America changes, it is expected for our media to reflect it. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Since the beginning of film, minorities have been misrepresented and underrepresented. While there has been a significant increase in minority actors since the beginning of film, there is still a huge underrepresentation present in American television and film. Our media needs to reflect out diverse country. This topic is always important and relevant because race, gender, and sexuality, in general, have been issues throughout the growth of television and film. Even today, minorities are subject to

Only 9 non-white actors have been nominated for an oscar in the last five years. The lack of diversity has been the same throughout its entire 88-year history. The problem happens behind the scenes, just as well as on screen. There are more than 450 members in the Academy’s executive branch. 96% of the voters are white, and 87% are men. The 2016 Oscar nominations revealed all 20 nominees for acting awards were white and films with black themes have been shut out of the best picture category. More than 350 whites have been nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress compared to just 21 blacks. Fewer than that have won an

Hollywood not only shows little to none diverse to race but also gender on screen and behind the scenes. When watching a movie to the end credits most the names that are shown are males. The diverse for gender in Hollywood is low. Females are not given the same opportunity as the males. Article from NPR STAFF (2015) informed that women make up half of the U.S. population but only 6% of the females directed theatrical films in 2013(Hollywood’s Homogeneity section, para.1). Even though the study is old the data has not change. Population in females in Hollywood in front and behind the scenes cannot be compared to the nation. Hollywood is own by males which are keeping positions for women to a minimum. The heads of Hollywood are not willing to be diverse so they can stay in control. Among the ranks of top Hollywood film executives, the

In the 2017 media article “How Fair is Hollywood” the main problem is the lack of inclusion that Hollywood has been using throughout their movies . This problem can be solved by having an actor play the role of the corresponding race of his/her character.As noted by Media Mix news in paragraph 1, the author explicitly describes “People have reported frustration with Hollywood’s casting process. That’s because they see non-white actors repeatedly kept out of the spotlight. There is also the phenomenon called “whitewashing,” when roles are written for minorities are given to white actors”. This indicates that people are being displeased by the fact that Hollywood has been doing negative things to put actors to play a  different race from what

For the last two years, the Oscars have come under fire in the last two years with their lack of nominations of people with color. The Oscars otherwise known as the Academy Awards is an award show to highlight and give praise to the best movies and short films of the year, including in this prestigious awards are the actors and actresses that star in these blockbusters and they are, as well as their movies praised on the highest level for their craft. However what has become under scrutiny is the so-called “White Wash” that has come across the ceremony.

Awards this year. In Eboo Patel’s article, “Making the Future Better, Together”, he claims that

It is no secret that the overwhelming majority of the most popular and award-winning Hollywood films feature white characters, played by white actors in the lead roles. Lindsey Hopes' analysis on "whitewashing" in the media examines the extent to which the structural apparatus of the film industry hinders the opportunity for success for minorities. The analysis found that only nine percent of the highest grossing films between 2000 and 2011 featured minorities as their top-paid actor. (Hopes,19)

The Oscar-winning best picture -- extensively prefigured, especially by white liberals, for proceeding an honest discussion of race in the United States -- is, in fact, a holdup in the crucial project of forcing white America to come to terms the reality of race and racism, white supremacy and white privilege.

Instead, he stated that he was baffled by what had happened. He made sure to note that he did not live in Hollywood, but instead he lives in a smaller part of the world where things like this are not thought of too much. The Oscars organization has made statements recognizing the controversy. They have stated that they plan to implement certain measures that will eliminate these racist tendencies and allow for more diversity in their

Throughout history, the American film industry has undoubtedly struggled with a huge racial issue. Despite America’s changing demographics, Hollywood’s most powerful leaders still lag behind in responding to the demands for movies that reflect cultural and racial shifts. America is a melting pot of cultural diversity that is not accurately portrayed in the American film industry. As a result, the demand for more culturally diverse movies has been increasing tremendously. There are many great actors and actresses who are struggling to survive in the film industry because they are categorized as a minority.

“Oscars So White” a phrase that began trending on social media sites after the 2016 Academy Awards announce their nominees for Best Actor and Best Actress, it was predominately white for a second year in a row. The movie industry is no stranger to controversy and since its inception it’s constantly been guilty of underrepresenting ethnic people. It’s evident that film is a type of mass media that has a certifiable amount of power to influence audience’s views, yet this platform constantly disregards the need for diversity in favor of stereotypes. Movies such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), Scarface (1983), and Pan (2015) are all guilty of this. The depiction of non-American characters in Hollywood movies are constructed around racial

All nominees were white much to the chagrin of those who were and weren't part of the acting community. Consequently, hashtags named "#OscarsSoWhite" trended on Twitter and other forms of social media while also being called to attention by respected actors such as Will Smith. Multiple people voiced their distaste with the Academy judges at the selection of nominees and this opened discussion on diversity in the film industry. Also despite knocking down many barriers, the vast majority of major roles in films are cast as white. However, there have been achievements for diversity that have occurred in recent years that will most likely reflect on the future of the film and acting industry. Creators of the film, The Matrix, managed to produce a Netflix show, Sense8 that includes an incredibly diverse cast that includes one trangender actress as well as Indian, black, and Hispanic actors. Moreover, Netflix Emmy-winning show, Orange is the New Black has also been praised for its diverse portrayal of prison inmates and approach towards controversial topics of race. In addition to these attempts of diversity, the British Film Academy of Film and Television Arts has recently implemented a set of rules that encourages the inclusion of minorities into its membership. By following suit of the progressive minds behind these actions, it is safe