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| "Take the kids Angie, I'm off to burn a cross in Morgan Freeman's back yard" |
The whole hubbub started after Spike Lee and some woman who used to act before she became Will Smith's wife essentially accused the people who vote for the candidates of being racist. The allegation stems from a lack of diversity in both the list of nominees and the Academy in general.
A cursory glance at the list of actors and directors up for the all important best picture and best actor statuettes does show a punishing lack of diversity. Around 94% of the Academy are old white men, so to be fair, the lack of color critique could also refer to women or people with special needs.
Although, Leonardo DiCaprio did such a good job of playing someone with special needs in What's Eating Gilbert Grape? that everyone presumed he actually was mentally challenged until they saw him in Titanic, so that has to count for something.
Actually, I thought he was retarded after Titanic as well, but then I actually saw Titanic.
An Unfair Label
I have to say though, nobody chooses their race, or indeed their age. I'm sure there are plenty of pleasant, socially just old white men alongside the nasty old racists, so it all seems a little unfair. Liberal people complain about labels all the time, and surely "racist" is a label?
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| "You wont be smiling when we get to the workhouse you little twats" |
To an extent it is very true, although there are a few notable exceptions. But yes, nary a year goes by without some morally righteous but usually very ill-informed star embarking upon a crusade. Often regarding the problems facing the developing world, or sometimes just something as trivial as the Falklands Islands. Either way, I'm sure everyone is aware that the actors and writers and directors and artists that populate Hollywood are regularly called the "liberal elite" by the right wing media, and I am sure that few people would say that the label is entirely unfair.
Indeed, the average Hollywood actor is more likely to adopt a child from the developing world than they are to grind one to mulch and feed it to their pit-bull before a dog-fight. Or break a young woman's jaw for having the temerity to disagree with him. Or snort cocaine of a child prostitutes tits.
Obviously that brand of abhorrent behavior is the forte of the professional athletes that we idolize and consistently praise.
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| "If God didn't want dogs to fight to the death, he would have made them chickens" |
Frankly I think it is completely unfair to suddenly claim that the members of the academy are racist. If I had spent my entire life championing the cause of people of color and ethnic minorities of every stripe, I would be a little upset to be branded a bigot the moment I happened to annoy one actors wife, even if she does happen to be black. The people she is accusing of being prejudiced are the same group that constantly bash the police for the appalling treatment of minorities in the United States.
Obviously I am not going to sit here and deny that racism is endemic in the police force after they shot a 12 year old kid dead in Cleveland, Ohio. Especially after one of the officers insisted the boy should be charged under the "being black on a lawn" act of 1837.
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| "LOOK OUT SHES GOT POP TARTS!" /blamblam |
In fact, I would go so far as saying it is illogical, completely without merit, and looks suspiciously like sour grapes. I have no idea how many hundreds of millions of dollars Will Smith has made out of his stellar career, but I suspect it would be a fair amount less if actual racists were running the show.
Benito Mussolini would definitely not have been a fan of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
I am though, Uncle Phil throwing Jazz through the front door gets me every time.
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| No you fat oaf, that Carlton is the good dancer, Geoffrey is the butler! |
