The Oscars

Anybody interested in them at all?

No black actors/actresses nominated has caused a bit of an hoo hah this year, I guess in future they will be 'politically correct' nominations to reflect skin colour, gender, age, religion, shoe size and whatever else is more important than honest opinion (I find it hard to believe that in LA of all places, after decades of Oscar awards that the hundreds of people who do the nominating have somehow secretively got together to specifically exclude black actors this time around!).

I'm not really bothered who wins so I wont be stopping up to watch them tonight - will you?

Couldn't give a toss.

I believe Chris Rock is hosting it this year. Could be a laugh with the controversy of no-one black having been nominated and many black actors and actresses boycotting it as a result. Hopefully someone gets up and makes a big and controversial statement (or fool of themselves).

I also couldn't give a damn about who wins because I can't think of anything I have seen in the past year that as really, really good.

Next time they're going to double the nominator type persons to make it more women and more ethnic persons. I liked Will Smith in a couple of his films but don't know if they were oscar material. Same as Morgan Freeman in Shawshank Wotsit and I think he should have got one but it does have to be the BEST, not just some guilt trip, and I'm surprised at Spike Lee. Perhaps he should ban all white people from watching any of his films if they are black oriented. Personally I think they should bin the oscars. Additionally it'll be interesting to see who pitches up at Cannes next time around.

finlaymcdanger wrote:I believe Chris Rock is hosting it this year. Could be a laugh with the controversy of no-one black having been nominated and many black actors and actresses boycotting it as a result. Hopefully someone gets up and makes a big and controversial statement (or fool of themselves).

I also couldn't give a damn about who wins because I can't think of anything I have seen in the past year that as really, really good.

The head of the Academy is a black woman who wants to change the voting to account for minority representation.  Should be interesting when Chris roasts the old white men in the audience.  The suggestion is to take away the vote from those who are older.  Watch out for those older men with canes!!!!!!!   The preshow now begins 6 or 7 hours before the event.  It's a big deal on this side of the pond... but don't miss the opening monologue... daggers will be out! Beware Lady Macbeth!

Why should it just be for the film industry, why not give one to a spigot maker.

Lard Lad wrote:Why should it just be for the film industry, why not give one to a spigot maker.

It might have to look like this.

Surely the nominees and winners should be the best artists in each category over the year, regardless of nationality or colour. Tokenism is just racist in itself. 

 In any case, this year two winners were Mexican and one Swedish. There have been plenty of winners, including blacks, from many different nations in the past. 

A fuss drummed up to be pc with little regard for the real talent over the year? Inarritu is hardly white, and nor is his winning cinematographer.

okocha wrote:Surely the nominees and winners should be the best artists in each category over the year, regardless of nationality or colour. Tokenism is just racist in itself. 

 In any case, this year two winners were Mexican and one Swedish. There have been plenty of winners, including blacks, from many different nations in the past. 

A fuss drummed up to be pc with little regard for the real talent over the year? Inarritu is hardly white, and nor is his winning cinematographer.

As you could tell from the presenters, there have been many persons of color and from other countries who have been nominated and some who have gone on to win.

Who can say these are not stars of colors that have won… Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whittaker, Louis Gossett, Jr., Cuba Gooding Jr., and Morgan Freeman.  Halle Berry was the first African-American actress to win the Best Actress Award, but before her in 1939, Hattie McDaniel won for Supporting Role in Gone With The Wind.  41 years later, Whoopie Goldberg won for Supporting Role and she was followed by the incomparable Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls.  More followed with Mo’Nique, Octavia spencer and Lupita Nyong’o winning in 2009, 2011, and 2013.
 
Many other big names have been nominated for these awards including James Earl Jones, Paul Winfield, Will Smith, Don Cheadle, Terrence Howard, and Chiwetel Ejiofor on the men’s side.  On the ladies side, there was Dorothy Dandridge, Ethel Waters, Alfre Woodard, Diana Ross, the incredible Cicely Tyson, Diahann Carroll, Angela Bassett, Gabourey Sidibe, Viola Davis, Ruby Dee, Queen Latifah, and the most talented Oprah Winfrey plus many more whose names are not as famous.
 
There are scores of others who have been nominated or won in other than acting categories, including cinematography, costume design, director, documentary feature, documentary short subject, editing, original score, original song, short film sound mixing, adapted screenplay, original screenplay, and as producers of best picture.  Additionally there have been many honorary awards given by the Academy to people of color… men and women.
 
As you pointed out, there are many more from other countries who have been nominated or won, including back-to-back wins by Mexican director, Alejandro Inarritu. 
 
The Economist magazine (http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2016/01/film-and-race) stated that their analysis of film casts and awards shows, the number of black actors winning Oscars in this century has been pretty much in line with the size of America’s overall black population. 
 
But with Idris Elba overlooked this year, and Selma’s director, Ava DuVernay overlooked in the nomination for best director last year, fingers are being pointed at the overall whiteness of the Academy voters.  But the real issue is whether meaty roles are being offered to actors of color.  But The Economist also reports that minority actor’s land 15% of the top roles, 15% of the nominations and 17% of the wins. 
 
So it might be construed as much to do about nothing.  It really depends on what your expectations are.  I’m sure there is plenty of discrimination, but Oscar voters are very discriminating and most often very liberal.  They vote for what they perceive is the best in any year, and there have been plenty of nominees and winners of color and from other countries.  These are the same voters who helped make Barack Obama President of the United States.

Blimey, Observer, that's really excellent! Saved me the trouble of researching the facts to support my perceptions and memory.

This year I've been blown away by Alicia Vikander's performances and Maggie Smith was really terrific again, of course. But I've just seen and been mesmerised by Brooklyn and the Irish  lead actress whose name I can't spell. A beautiful, touching film, with a screenplay by Nick Hornby,and featuring magnificent cinematography,acting and direction. Having been nominated, it must have been in the Academy's thoughts as a potential winner and no one could have grumbled. (Great cameo by Julie Walters too!)

I liked the Academy's final choices of winners: Inarritu and Lubezki make an awesome pairing, as their multiple awards testify, but best film needed to go to a work that made more of a significant difference to all of us in society. The catholic church has been shamed.