The year 2015 was full of amazing movies and had a range of various genres. So, obviously, everyone was anticipating this year's Oscar nominations.
Instead of the usual joy and excitement at the announcement of the nominees, many voiced their disappointment at the lack of Black actors nominated.
Many took their outrage to where everyone takes their anger now-a-days; Twitter. The hash tag “OscarsSoWhite” reappeared once again after the nomination revealed that there were no African American actors or movies nominated this year.
There were two movies that had an African American cast, but they were nominated for their White writers or the White actors. "Straight Outta Compton" is nominated for Best Screenplay, but the writers of the movie are White. However, Sylvester Stallone was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in the movie "Creed," starting breakout African American actor Michael B. Jordon – a bit backwards in the eyes of many.
Many tweets came from non-African Americans. So the people who are saying that the hash tag is only from “Black tweeters” are very wrong.
With three critically acclaimed movies and breakout actors with leading Black characters and cast, no one understands why this has happened once again. Well, maybe they do.
What is the Academy? When an actor receives their award, we always hear “I want to thank the Academy" somewhere within their speech. The Academy is The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which is comprised of over 7,000 accomplished men and women working in cinema. But most of the board is made up of elderly White men, according to the Huffington Post.
And now Jada Pinkett Smith is starting a boycott. Over the past weekend, following the nominations and the hashtag “OscarsSoWhite," Smith expressed her own feelings on Twitter.
The tweets have received multiple sources of feedback, and it seems that many agree.
What’s most ironic thing within the #OscarsSoWhite trend is the fact that Chris Rock, an African-American comedian, will be hosting the Oscars, for the second year in the row.
Talk about diversity in Hollywood.
If everyone follows the lead of Jada Pinkett Smith, will the host still show up?
Is it time for a change in the Academy?