One thing bothering me about this discussion is that it
seems to focus solely on the lack of nominations for black actors and directors.
What about the dearth of nominations for Asians? For Latinos1?
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Would The Martian have been just as good if Chiwetel Ejiofor
was in the lead role? Or Irrfan Khan? Or Jessica Chastain? I haven't seen the
movie, but I imagine so.
This is one of the aspects of film diversity we're talking
about, one of the aspects which frustrates. Revered for their creativity, film
producers generally seem to lack the imagination to have a universal
experience/inspiration/whatever presented by someone other than a white man.
It's as annoying as a screaming toddler on an airplane2.
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I'm not clear on how boycotting the Oscars will affect the
pocketbooks of the producers who perpetuate the problem. Because that's what we
want to affect, right? The money?
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Remember when you saw your first black NFL quarterback or head
coach? And you might have rooted for that team because it was so rare to see
either? Now we don't even blink.
That's where we're trying to get to, and not just for black artists.
A place where there are so many works to choose from it would be impossible to
avoid nominating non-whites in any acting category. (Or several women in the
director category – but that's another branch of the Oscar diversity ire.)
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I wasn't surprised by the nominations, or the backlash. I wouldn't
be surprised if most of the articles were written in November, waiting to be
published.
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And then I remembered Chris Rock was hosting.
1. Yes, I know Iñarritu was nominated, but two nominations (director,
best film) does not an abundance make.
2. No shade intended to the parents of toddlers. I'd still
prefer the screech of a toddler being denied an indulgence than the whine of a
child who has never been told "no". I got your back, parents.
