Oscars kerfuffle.

[RED-DOG]

I don't understand all this boycott the Oscars malarkey. Do black actors want to demand nomination?

I don't know how they can cry racism. Didn't 10 years a slave win a load of awards last year, including a best picture and best actress Oscar and a best actor nomination?

I'm no expert in these matters but Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong'o  look pretty black to me.

[Mohican]

Wasn't last year Red. I think this is the second year in a row that no black actor has received a nomination. Given that there is a lot of quality black actors out there, it's not hard to see their point.

[TightEnd]

which actors weren't nominated that should have been?

[Mohican]

Surprising omissions from the actor race this year included Idris Elba for “Beasts of No Nation,” Will Smith for “Concussion,” Michael B. Jordan from “Creed” and the many young actors in “Compton.”
A trawl of the Internet produced these names. I don't watch many films but for a whole industries awards to represent only white actors 2 years in a row seems a bit much to me.

[DaveShoelace]

Tricky one really. About 15% of the US population is black and a similar number in the UK, it we assume that US and UK make up most of the Oscar nominees, then black actors have certainly been underrepresented for the last two years.

However, the movie business is about as subjective as it gets, it might just be that the standout roles over a small sample have been white actors. The Idris Elba film was Netflix only (I think), the Will Smith film was controversial because it was supposed to be an expose on the poor safety practices of the NFL but was edited to glorify the NFL after objections by ESPN and the Creed movie is just a Rocky movie after all. None of those particular movies seem Oscar worthy (Straight Outta Compton I have no idea about).

If there is a problem, I'd guess it was more about the availability of good Oscar worthy parts in the movies in the first place for black actors.

I bet the Oscar board go overboard to overcompensate next year though (And I like my bet on Eddie Redmayne for best actor Oscar even more now because he played a transgender role and that is the other big political hot potatoe this year).

[DungBeetle]

Lol.  Putting Creed forward for an Oscar is the equivalent of saying Mr T should have got one for Clubber Lang in Rocky 3.

"Any predictions for the fight?"

"Pain"

[DaveShoelace]

Lol.  Putting Creed forward for an Oscar is the equivalent of saying Mr T should have got one for Clubber Lang in Rocky 3.

"Any predictions for the fight?"

"Pain"

He should have, he was fricken awesome.

I guess if we are having to scrape the barrel and suggest Creed as a contender, it probably does highlight that there are not many good roles for black actors.

[RED-DOG]

Wasn't last year Red. I think this is the second year in a row that no black actor has received a nomination. Given that there is a lot of quality black actors out there, it's not hard to see their point.

My bad. I thought it was last year. Still, I think it still stands as a reasonable example of black actors being nominated if warranted.

What do think, are they really prejudiced, and won't black nominations be devalued next year?

 

[teddybloat]

its not just actors, there is a lack of transparency and representation across the upper echelons of hollywood. i think this is a big part of the protests taking place.

the acadamy is very opaque but best estimates have the group making nominations for the oscars as being 96% white, nearly all male with an average age of 60.

white people dont even make up 50% of california's population - so there is gross under [and over] representation there. and this is replicated in the industry as a whole. when decisions about films are being made black people and women in general simply arent involved. the oscars are a high profile target for protest and its even got white poker players in england discussing the under representation of black people, so i guess its having the desired effect

[Doobs]

Selma could definitely have done better in 2014.  This is probably partly a hangover from there.

[TightEnd]

 I hate to admit it, but Spike Lee is right about the Oscars and racism. http://bit.ly/1PiXEsC

[MintTrav]

I hate to admit it, but Spike Lee is right about the Oscars and racism. http://bit.ly/1PiXEsC

He still found it in himself to accept the honorory Oscar he was given in November, despite the racism he has observed. And Will & Jada Smith have scarcely been overlooked in the past. Maybe the wrong people are fronting this.

I find it hard to have sympathy for people with a pampered life complaining that someone else is getting a bit more. Same goes for that actress who was complaining that she was only getting so many million, while her male co-star was getting more. She soon found out that no-one cared. There are an immeasurable amount of problems caused by racial discrimination and lack of opportunity in the US - and this is the race issue that Jada Smith and Spike Lee want to go to war over?

[AlunB]

Tricky one really. About 15% of the US population is black and a similar number in the UK, it we assume that US and UK make up most of the Oscar nominees, then black actors have certainly been underrepresented for the last two years.

However, the movie business is about as subjective as it gets, it might just be that the standout roles over a small sample have been white actors. The Idris Elba film was Netflix only (I think), the Will Smith film was controversial because it was supposed to be an expose on the poor safety practices of the NFL but was edited to glorify the NFL after objections by ESPN and the Creed movie is just a Rocky movie after all. None of those particular movies seem Oscar worthy (Straight Outta Compton I have no idea about).

If there is a problem, I'd guess it was more about the availability of good Oscar worthy parts in the movies in the first place for black actors.

I bet the Oscar board go overboard to overcompensate next year though (And I like my bet on Eddie Redmayne for best actor Oscar even more now because he played a transgender role and that is the other big political hot potatoe this year).

Erm, no.

UK black population is less than 5% I believe.

America is very different to the UK. It's still a very divided country and racism is a huge issue at the moment. And there persists a sense that non-white people have to be exceptional to be recognised. White actors don't.

[Woodsey]

The internet is going to go into meltdown soon I expect....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35380343

[bobAlike]

Sorry I have not read this thread but is this really about the Oscars or is the real problem that black actors aren't given the best roles?