Actors And Directors Defend Academy Award Nominations

A number of actors and directors have shared their defense for the Academy Award nominations. On top of that, they have criticized those who have talked about boycotting the event due to all 20 acting nominations going to white actors.

While Will Smith has now confirmed that he will not attend the Oscars this year, after his wife’s rant about the lack of diversity, Charlotte Rampling has said that the boycott is racist in itself. She shared her controversial view, which has divided opinions elsewhere, that boycotting the Academy Awards is racist to white people. She said that while she does not know the real reasoning behind the nominations, it is possible that black actors simply did not deserve the nominations.

There have been talks about including a quote to make sure there is diversity within the Oscars. This is the second time in two years that no black actor or actress has been nominated for any of the acting roles. However, Rampling went on to say that having a quote would classify people. It would cause more division within the industry.

She is not the only person in Hollywood offended by the boycott. Michael Caine spoke out about the diversity issue in the Academy Awards, saying that it would be unfair to vote for someone based on color of their skin if they were not as good as or better than someone else of a different color. He went on to say that it took him years to win his first Oscar, and it is all about patience.

Producer Gerald Molen went a step further when talking about the Academy Awards boycott, calling those who have spoken out about all nomination being white “spoiled brats.” He went on to explain that racism within the Oscars comes from those who have created an issue about it, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He even went on to say that not all his choices for the “best” categories were realized. There are many performances to be looked at, and many people who miss out on nominations; let alone Oscars.

Molen did admit that he had some sympathy for Smith. He had viewed Concussion as an excellent performance and said that it was Oscar worthy. Unfortunately for Smith, there were others within the voting system who believed differently. Molen continued on to say that at least Smith has been nominated in the past, and could be nominated again in the future.

The controversy over the Academy Awards has been ongoing for the last week. The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite has trended numerous times by white and black actors, as well as directors. There has been a call for a change to the way nominations are made. This has been met with a change to the rules of membership, where all voters must have been active in the industry within a 10-year period to be allowed to vote. The board also said that it would like to increase its diversity by 2020.

There are people all over the world for and against the boycott of the Academy Awards. While many are in support of Smith, Spike Lee and others who have confirmed they will not attend, there are others who side with the likes of Rampling. They want to see people nominated for talent and not for the color of their skin. They also argue that surely the actors would want that for themselves.

Not all those calling or supporting the boycott are black. Numerous white actors and producers, including Reece Witherspoon and William H. Macy, are backing the actors, according to the L.A. Times.

Chris Rock is still set to host this year’s Academy Awards, despite numerous musicians and actors calling for him to step down.

[Featured image from Shutterstock]