Oscars Continues to Take Heat for Lack of Diversity Among Nominees
...have we learned nothing?
The 2023 Oscar nominees have been revealed, and while several of the candidates up for awards are being celebrated, many people aren't particularly impressed with the roster—but, they also aren't exactly surprised either.
In previous years, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been scrutinized for its perpetual lack of regard in showcasing diverse talent across racial and ethnic groups.
On Jan. 15, 2015, activist April Reign first created the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite after all 20 acting nominations were given to white actors. Within that same day, the hashtag went viral and many Black actors and social activists used the tweet to protest Hollywood's longstanding racism, including Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who also publicly boycotted the production at the time amid growing backlash.
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Reign's bold action created the conditions for a domino effect of social movements—from #WhiteWashedOUT for Asian representation, to Time’s Up for gender parity—that intensified media attention on the industry’s treatment of historically marginalized groups.
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Following the surfaced disparity that was brought to light, it seemed the entity had begun to move toward some form of inclusivity, with 2021's nominations featuring a record for nominees of color.
However, as the controversy seemingly dwindled—or rather, just wasn't being discussed and spotlighted as much as before—hype eventually slumped, with this year's roster stirring up public derision once again.
On Jan. 24, Till director Chinonye Chukwu took to Instagram with her frustration regarding the film's snub, writing, "We live in a world and work in industries that are so aggressively committed to upholding whiteness and perpetuating an unabashed misogyny towards Black women," she emphasized.
Countless social media users in the Twitter-verse have also had enough of the production's exclusionary practices, taking to the sharing platform to express their disdain.
Check out some of the discourse on the touchy yet necessary topic below.
Check out our comprehensive guide on the Oscars and all the 2023 nominees for more information.
As for who will actually take home the golden statuettes, we'll have to wait for the broadcast to see how it all plays out.
The Jimmy Kimmel-hosted 95th annual Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 12, 2023, at 8 PM on ABC.
