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AMID CALLS FOR a boycott of the Academy Awards over its all-white acting nominees and Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett Smith both announcing they would sit out this year’s ceremony, the academy’s president said it was time for major changes — and soon.
Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences President Cheryl Boone Isaacs issued a statement promising more diversity, and quickly, after both Lee and Pinkett spoke out.
In a lengthy Instagram post yesterday, Lee said he “cannot support” the “lily white” Oscars. Noting that he was writing on Martin Luther King Junior Day, Lee said he was fed up:
“Forty white actors in two years and no flava at all,” he wrote.
“We can’t act?!”
In a video message on Facebook, Pinkett Smith also said she wouldn’t attend or watch the Oscars in February. Pinkett Smith, whose husband Will Smith wasn’t nominated for his performance in the NFL head trauma drama Concussion, said it was time for people of color to disregard the Academy Awards.
Begging for acknowledgement, or even asking, diminishes dignity and diminishes power. And we are a dignified people and we are powerful.
She added: “Let’s let the academy do them, with all grace and love. And let’s do us differently.”
Last year’s all-white acting nominees also drew calls for a boycott, though not from such prominent individuals as Lee and Pinkett Smith. Whether it had any impact or not, the audience for the broadcast, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, was down 16 percent from the year prior, a six-year low.
Isaacs has made a point of presenting a more inclusive show this year. The 28 February broadcast will be hosted by Chris Rock and produced by Django Unchained producer Reginald Hudlin and David Hill. On Saturday, Rock, unveiling a new promotion for the broadcast, called the ceremony
“The White BET Awards.”
Many had expected nominations for Idris Elba of Beasts of No Nation and Benicio Del Toro for Sicario. The NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton also failed to earn a best picture nomination, despite some predictions it would. Ryan Coogler’s acclaimed Rocky sequel Creed scored only a nomination only for Sylvester Stallone.
Spike Lee’s own movie, the Chicago gang violence hip-hop musical Chi-Raq — celebrated by some and scorned by others — also went unnoticed.
In his post, Lee made it clear the Academy Awards is only part of the problem in an industry with deep-rooted diversity issues.
“The Academy Awards is not where the ‘real’ battle is,” wrote Lee.
It’s in the executive office of the Hollywood studios and TV and cable networks. This is where the gate keepers decide what gets made and what gets jettisoned to ‘turnaround’ or scrap heap.
“This is what’s important. The gate keepers. Those with ‘the green light’ vote.”
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Pity that wasnt around seven years ago , I lost my mam to mouth cancer, there’s absolutely nothing more horrific than what she went through for eighteen months and to visibly see what cancer does was something I will never get over or forget.
Sorry for your loss Michelle
@nucky – you should get your mouth checked – teach you how to keep it shut.
Would getting me to open my mouth in order to show me how to keep it shut not be a bit silly?
I was at a routine dental check when the dentist saw suspicious lesions in my mouth. I was sent to the dental hospital for a biopsy which showed precancerous cells. I was advised to give up smoking which I did and luckily the cells returned to normal. I was so lucky. I advised a lot of people to go for that free check up. I got the fright of my life being told those results.
Well get your facts right and read the article properly.. It says FREE oral screening … and your comment hit a nerve with me..sorry if I insulted you..
Apology accepted. I appreciate the check is free but my experience is that dentists often use this as an opportunity to get you in the door, open wide and then sting you for a shit load of fillings, de-scaling and dental work ‘cha-ching’!
Just sayin’
In that case Nucky, go into the dental hospital when the next screening day is on, all they will do is examine your mouth for cancerous or precancerous lesions. You will be advised to have a family dentist for regular check ups but its entirely up to you if you want to go or not.
No need. I go to my friendly dentist every six months for my twice yearly check up and cleaning.
(AKA: We are dentists and we need some extra cash)
@ nucky..What an idiotic thing to say .. ! Its obvious no member of your family have been affected by oral or throat cancer.. Well my family have but, luckily at a routine dental check- up, (you know what they are do you??) our local dentist spotted a lesion and referred on to an oral surgeon who treated it.. Alls well now thank god.. So keep your uneducated opinions to yourself or change your dentist.. You’re obviously not happy with the one you have…
Its my opinion, no need for the insult.
It points out that it was free service, not a lot of money in free services.
Read all the comments before offering your glib comment.
No need for the insult:) but i like you, you tell it as it is. Its a good quality in a person. A+.
I never insult anybody, not my style.
these checks were done free of charge as part of a cancer awareness day.
@ mucky .. God.. You must be the patient from hell!!
Tks lucille , @ nucky, I’ll gladly show you how to do it!!! ;))
Having seen my dad go through oral cancer, I’d advise anyone to avail of this free check up.
He’s come out the other end because of wonderful advancements in surgery and a remarkable dedicated team of doctors, nurses and surgeons ( angels all of them ).
Wish this check up had been there for him a few years ago as his cancer was found at a very advanced stage.
His life is greatly compromised now, but we still have him and treasure our time together.
have your say