Oscars Not Diverse
Oscars Not Diverse
The Academy Awards has been around since 1929 when it was first held in a private dinner function with 270 attendees. Since then, it has had its moments of glamor and controversy. Amidst the glamorand excitement that surrounds the atmosphere on every Academy Awards night, it has seemed like there is always a catch. Every awards night has become a night where the media watch out for the announcement of the winners, their acceptance speeches, and yes, even the best and the worst dressed celebrities.
There were rare instances when nominees opted to boycott the event. Some even refused to accept their awards due to various reasons such as discrimination and bias. This 2016, the most recent blow that the Oscars has suffered is the accusation of lack of diversity which is nothing new. Around the time that the nominees were released, African-American actress Jada Pinkett Smith was one of the first celebrities to take note that no African-Americans were nominated this 2016. She further criticized the lack of diversity in the acting category. This year’s event was given an alternative title, “#OscarsSoWhite.”
Adding more insult to injury, African-American comedian Chris Rock hosted the awards night and confronted the diversity issue head on, promising that he would not shy away from the issue. Before the awards night, people were already on the edge of their seats, anxious to witness how Chris Rock would handle the longstanding issue of lack of diversity in the Academy nominations. He started the night with a feisty monologue that would forever be remembered.
He mentioned some thought-provoking sentiments by asking rhetorical questions, while still managing to keep the audience entertained by his use of humorous metaphors in between. He also criticized other celebrities who asked him to boycott the event. However, he also made it clear that he understood why actresses like Jada boycotted the awards night. Over the years, he added, African-Americans had other more important protests than not getting nominated for an Oscar.
In the end, he capped his monologue on a serious note that what African-Americans really want is to get more acting opportunities. His stand became clearer in his sentiment that Leonardo DiCaprio gets a great part every year, while African-American actors do not. However, some netizens criticized Chris Rock for only speaking in behalf of African-Americans while other races were not nominated as well. Nevertheless, many people thought that what he did was brave and brilliant.
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