The recently-reopened issue of race and color in the
United States (though hasn’t been closed in the first place) has taken a new
course, and continues on a new battlefield. The new destination: Hollywood!
It all began on January 16, when actress Jada
Pinkett-Smith expressed outrage over the nominations of this year’s Academy Awards,
which were announced on January 14. She tweeted, “At the Oscars … people of
color are always welcomed to give out awards … even entertain, but we are
rarely recognized for our artistic accomplishments. Should people of color
refrain from participating all together?”
Since then, big names, from Spike Lee to Whoopi
Goldberg, from Janet Hubert to Tyrese, from Helen Mirren to George Clooney…,
all weighed in on the issue, adding their voices both for and against the
apparent “Boycott Oscars” movement. Even Donald Trump, the GOP presidential hopeful,
spoke about it. This unprecedented wave of anger from the “colored population”
has finally forced Academy president, Cheryl
Boone Isaacs, to officially announce on January 19, of the changes that the
AMPAS is planning to do in the future with the aim of ensuring diversity.
My take on the issue,
well, my first response to the news was “What’s new about it?” It’s no wonder
the “colored” people have received less attention in the US, regardless of
their achievements in their respective fields, and the film industry is of no
exception. What triggered this discourse now is the fact that no colored
nominees are included for the second consecutive year. And with the recent
cases of abuses on the black people of America, I believe some folks have
become sensitive over this issue.
Then I thought, “Why did
Mrs. Smith get so upset about it?” Well, it’s obvious she might get upset over
the fact that her husband, Will Smith, who starred in the medical biopic
“Concussion,” wasn’t in the nomination for “Actor in a Leading Role” category. I,
for one, agree that Will should get nominated for his performance in the film,
since his acting skills are truly convincing. But, the Academy had its say on
it.
After watching
“Concussion” earlier this week, however, I feel that the Academy’s snub of the
film has got nothing to do with artistic appraisals. Rather, I've got a hunch it’s
more of a “corporate influence.” Will’s character, Dr. Bennett Omalu, a Nigerian-American physician [and more], was brave enough to expose the effects of head injuries
inflicted in American Football games. His findings on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)
have sparked anger at the corridors of the National Football League (NFL) and
loyal fans were furious at him. He was literally stoned for saying “Football
killed the players!” It was seen as a defying act to “crucify” America’s
greatest game. Almost no one was willing to listen to him until 2009, when the
NFL finally forced to acknowledge his findings.
The NFL clubs are owned by
billionaires who’ve got long arms in business. And it wouldn’t be somewhat
silly for one to suspect they’ve got something to do in “convincing the Academy
members not to give their nods” to the film, in order to keep their interest.
Even if they don’t, I suspect many die-hard fans of American football (I don’t
understand why they call it “football,” when the players use their feet on the
ball only on penalties) had a hand on it. So I believe, “Business takes the
upper hand on Art!”
Citations: Oscars 2016 Boycott: A Timeline of
the Controversy, US Weekly,
January 20, 2016
