Why Casey Affleck Should Not Be Nominated For An Oscar | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Why Casey Affleck Should Not Be Nominated For An Oscar

Context matters

22
Why Casey Affleck Should Not Be Nominated For An Oscar
Amazon

As expected, Casey Affleck received an Oscar nomination for his role in the melancholy New England drama Manchester by the Sea. Despite his deserving performance, he shouldn’t be nominated.

Two women who worked with Affleck on his 2010 mockumentary I’m Still Here filed lawsuits accusing him of repeated sexual harassment and disparagement, citing disturbing stories of Affleck drunkenly crawling into bed with one of them without her consent while she slept and violently grabbing the other in an attempt to force her to stay in his hotel room. After denying said allegations, Affleck ultimately settled out of court for undisclosed sums.

This incident is rarely, if ever, acknowledged in interviews with Affleck. When Variety brought up the allegations to Affleck in his October 2016 interview, his response was:

“People say whatever they want. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how you respond. ... I guess people think if you’re well-known, it’s perfectly fine to say anything you want. I don’t know why that is. But it shouldn’t be, because everybody has families and lives.”

The few media outlets that have bothered to treat this incident as more than a footnote were quick to point out the differences between how Affleck is treated in light of these sexual harassment accusations versus how actor-writer-director Nate Parker was. Parker – a black man – was repeatedly asked about the accusation of rape brought against him while in college in 1999, despite the fact that he was acquitted. However, major media outlets hardly ever acknowledge Affleck’s – a white man’s – 2010 allegations, showcasing the prevalent double standard in our society.

Race factors aside, Affleck’s Oscar nomination raises an even larger political issue. Just two months ago, Donald Trump was elected to the highest office in the U.S. despite the condemning footage released of him in which he admits to grabbing women by the genitals without their consent. Similarly, Affleck is now nominated for the highest U.S. honor an actor can receive despite the disgusting sexual harassment allegations brought against him by two women, conveniently settled out of court.

By giving Affleck the nomination – and likely the award itself – The Academy is reinforcing exactly what American voters did this election season: the idea that it’s perfectly acceptable to degrade, assault and harass women if you have the money and power to excuse your actions.

Luckily, some celebrities like actress Constance Wu have called out The Academy for their choice.

"Boys! BUY ur way out of trouble by settling out of court! Just do a good acting job, thats all that matters! bc Art isn't about humanity,right?" Wu tweeted.

In another message shared on Twitter, Wu capitalized on the importance of and strong link between art and humanity.

“Art doesn’t exist for the sake of awards, but awards DO exist to honor all that art is trying to accomplish in life,” Wu wrote. “So context matters. Because in acting, human life matters. It’s why art exists.”

To allow Affleck the nomination is to belittle not only his actions, but the lives of the women affected by them. Women’s lives matter in politics and art alike. Women’s lives matter period. And to honor Affleck with this nomination – or worse, this award – is to disregard the validity of women’s lives altogether.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

5 Things To Do That Are Better Than Writing A Paper

Don't waste your time trying to write that paper when there are so many more interesting things you could be doing.

2854
computer keyboard
Unsplash

Writing a paper is never fun and is rarely rewarding. The writer's block, the page requirement, be specific, but don’t summarize, make sure you fixed any grammatical errors, did you even use spellcheck? and analyze, analyze, analyze.

Papers can be a major pain. They take up so much time and effort that by the end of the process you hate yourself and you hate the professor for making life so difficult. Questions of your existence start roaming in your mind. Am I even cut out for college if I can’t write a single paper? Am I even capable of taking care of myself if I lack the energy to open my laptop and start typing?

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Reasons Why Sisters Are The Best

Who could be a better friend than your own sister?

1794
sisters
Taylor Hooper

I can barely remember back when I was the only child. Most would say it’s because it is extremely difficult to remember things as a toddler but I would say it's because I was bored until my sister came along. My mother always says how important the "sister bond" is and with every year that passes I realize how right she is. Instead of writing a novel about all of the wonderful things there are about having a sister I decided to list a few of them instead.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

How To Adult

You're gonna make it after all.

3218
how to adult
Twitter

It is the time of our lives that we are beginning to enter the adult world and most of us, if not all of us, have no idea what we are doing. It's like starting a video game, but skipping the tutorial. We're all just running around aimlessly hoping we accidentally do something right that moves us along the right path. Now that graduation has just happened, or is right around the corner for some of us, it's time to start thinking about how we are going to take care of ourselves once we are on our own.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

7 Signs You're A Starbucks Addict

I'll be the first one to admit I'm addicted to Starbucks.

1736
drinking coffee
Tumblr

If you’re anything like me, you love a good cup of coffee. My coffee always comes from Starbucks; I refuse to drink it from anywhere else. Over the years, it’s become one of my biggest addictions. So, if you are aware that you’re a Starbucks addict as well, or maybe you need to check to see if you’re an addict, here are seven ways to tell.

Keep Reading...Show less
people  in library
Photo by redcharlie on Unsplash

College involves a whirlwind of emotions, whether it’s from the stress of an assignment (or twenty), or from fighting with your roommate. It can be overwhelming at times and it’s important to take a step a back and calmly think things over. Maybe gain some perspective. The following aren’t foolproof tips and may not apply to you, but I was able to find success with them (hope you do too!)

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments