Spike Lee, Jada Pinkett Smith Call for Oscar Boycott.

Spike Lee, Jada Pinkett Smith Call for Oscar Boycott

Despite receiving an honorary Oscar at last year’s Governor’s Awards, Spike Lee posted on Instagram on Martin Luther King’s birthday Monday, saying he and his wife would not be attending the Oscar ceremony.

Lee’s statement said, “We Cannot Support It And Mean No Disrespect To My Friends, Host Chris Rock and Producer Reggie Hudlin, President Isaacs And The Academy. But, How Is It Possible For The 2nd Consecutive Year All 20 Contenders Under The Actor Category Are White? And Let’s Not Even Get Into The Other Branches. 40 White Actors In 2 Years And No Flava At All. We Can’t Act?! WTF!!”

It continues, “Dr. King Said “There Comes A Time When One Must Take A Position That Is Neither Safe, Nor Politic, Nor Popular But He Must Take It Because Conscience Tells Him It’s Right.”

He then lays out what he sees as the reason for the problem: “As I See It, The Academy Awards Is Not Where The “Real” Battle Is. 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. People, The Truth Is We Ain’t In Those Rooms And Until Minorities Are, The Oscar Nominees Will Remain Lilly White.”

At November’s Governor’s Awards, he told Hollywood, “You better get smart” about making films that represent the population. His latest film “Chi-Raq” has not figured in the awards season conversation.

With a black Academy president, Oscar host and Oscar producer in Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Chris Rock and Reginald Hudlin, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences seems to be pushing for greater diversity. But as Lee points out, the organization itself does not determine which films get made.

On Saturday, Jada Pinkett got the ball rolling when 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?”

Gil Robertson, president of the African-American Film Critics Association, responded to their calls for a boycott on Sunday with the following statement: “I think it would be a mistake to boycott anything. The black community needs to understand that receiving an Oscar nomination is a big deal for anyone, regardless of race. Under Cheryl Boone Isaac’s leadership, the Academy is moving closer to getting in step with the real world. Change takes time.”

I personally liked Creed more than The Martian, Spotlight and Mad Max, so considering there are 10 possible spots for Best Picture I could see how someone might argue that Creed was overlooked. With that said, I'm looking forward to Sylvester Stallone possibly receiving an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Anyways,

Should people boycott the Oscars? Will you specifically join Spike Lee fighting the good fight? Is this much ado about nothing? Should BLM make an impromptu appearance?

I absolutely hate shit like this. I could see if they were making an argument that black actors/actresses were being systematically ignored and were referring to specific snubs that made no sense. But no, what we get is another stupid "there are not enough black people/Asian people/women/ etc" argument without any logic backing it up.

It is just like when I see the calls of sexism when it comes to the lack of women in science fields. Is there really some conspiracy against women to prevent them from entering such fields, or perhaps is there just a LACK of women who care to go in such fields? Unless you can point to systems in place that seriously disadvantage/discourage women from entering such a field, there IS no sexism and instead maybe you need to be encouraging your female co-horts to take interest in science rather than bitching about imaginary sexism (which last time I saw that topic come up someone posted a stat that said women were twice as likely to be hired for positions in those fields than men.)

Perhaps there just wasn't any amazing black performances these past couple years? IDK as I don't see every movie that releases, but I personally can't think of any that stand out. Didn't 12 Years a Slave take tons of awards in 2013 too? Are we seriously suggesting that the Oscar academy suddenly became totally racist in just two years?

Until there are some legit points/examples being made this is just sheer stupidity by someone that I do expect idiocy from so I guess this isn't surprising.

It sucks but it is what it is. I like the nominees from the movies ive seen this year, i think they are all deserving. No need to bully and or boycott, just state your opinions.

The Janet Hubert, lady from Fresh Prince added some funny stuff to the debate.

Lee's less known for movies now and more just moaning constantly.

@LostProphetFLCL: Yeah have to agree.

My problem isn't with the criticism that "there aren't enough black/whatever people in movies", because I can see that as a totally valid thing to be annoyed at. Here's the thing: Spike Lee is a ****ing filmmaker. So he actually has the power to do something about it, to set a precedent, to make an example. But instead of doing that, he expresses his taste for a GENERAL complaint by lashing out at a SPECIFIC entity that doesn't actually make movies.

Let me step aside and ask if you remember back when GTAV came out and there was this online narrative about how female protagonists are under-represented in games, and how GTAV sucked for not having female protagonists. Same thing. There's a very strong case to be made that the gaming industry in general skews towards white male. If you thoink that's a problem, then by all means encourage developers to make more games featuring diverse protagonists. What I had a BIG problem with, however, was the criticism levelled against GTAV specifically. Even if there's a general overall trend within the industry to skew towards white or male (in GTAV's case, specifically male), how the hell is it GTAV's responsibility to make up for the failings of the entire ****ing industry? To pick on GTAV for not having a female protagonist is basically p]taking all of the anger accrued from the ENTIRE INDUSTRY and directing it towards ONE SPECIFIC COMPANY who has not a goddamn thing to do with the actual complaint. It's like if everyone said there aren't enough black action heroes in big-budget blockbuster movies, and then somehow arbitrarily decided to boycott Jurassic World just because Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are white. That's ****ing bullshit. Even if there's a general problem within the industry at large, it's bullshit to arbitraily pick out a SPECIFIC entity and make them the scapegoat for the overall industry's failings.

Same with the Oscars. Is there and underrepresentation or bias against blacks in Hollywood? I dunno. Maybe? I suppose it's possible. But even if that's the case, the Oscars are not ****ing responsible for the entire Hollywood system. What the hell goddamn sense does it make to pick on the smaller entity (the Oscars) just because the larger entity (Hollywood) has a problem? Did the Motion Picture Academy somehow become responsible for every goddamn movie that Hollywood puts out? The POscars don't run the entire Hollywood system, it's just a freaking awards ceremony. REven ifthere's a racial bias in Hollywood, it makes ****-all sense to direct that anger towards the Oscars. As if the Oscars are obligated to have a set number of token black award winners every year just because movies in general don't take blacks seriously. That's bullshit. It's like going up to a random fast food cashier and harrassing them just because you heard a rumour that fast food employees in general hate customers. Or it's kind of like if you had a bad experience with Jews or Christians or blacks, and then you decide to harrass that specific Jewish Christian Black Guy as if he's responsible for all of your bad experiences with the entire group. WTF is he supposed to do? He doesn't represent all those people, he just does his own shit.

@MrGeezer: No one ever made it easy and simple to change things, and like anything else you go after targets strategically. Some people will go after soft targets (In other words, their friends, a la Black Lives Matter targeting Democrats first) in order to get the ball rolling, and recruit support. Some people will smash their heads against the wall targeting a well protected source of discrimination or indifference. Different strategies for different fighters, but its all the same fight. If he thinks Hollywood as a whole is to blame, then every single target in Hollywood is fair game for not speaking up and doing something, or doing something more about it.

It seems disingenuous to say, well its not this particular persons responsibility, they are being unfairly singled out given that in the meantime, they benefit from the flawed system. He's saying the system is broken, therefore he logically has every right to demand of EVERYONE in the system to speak out and change things less they be called out for propping up an unfair system.

Context also matters, I feel like its important to remember that he isn't punishing the Oscars, so much as embarrassing them. If he seriously tried to cause the Academy to lose its venue in Hollywood, or some other draconian thing that would seriously hurt the Oscars then I would agree with you. But asking for a Boycott is clearly an embarrassment at most, even if wildly successful.

**** that shit. By that logic, NO ONE should ever make a movie that doesn't have black protagonists front and center, until the entire freaking industry changes. Do you have any goddamn idea how much it would hurt film if EVERY filmmaker suddenly had to rework their movies from scratch just to accomodate a black protagonist, just because a lack of black protagonists suddenly became a hot-button issue?

Like I added to my previous message after you started this message, but before posting, context matters. Your remarks, analogies, and hypotheticals are really hyperbolic and over the top. No, it doesn't mean every movie must have a black actor. It means every director and producer should think about and be sensitive to the fact that they are part of a flawed system, and make adjustments where they can. And again, he's not calling for the Academy to be firebombed or banished, if he were I would agree. He's not calling for draconian punishment, but mild embarrassment of a cultural center of the Hollywood system at a time when eyes might be upon them. It seems like an reasonable way to go about drawing attention to the problem.

In THE MARTIAN there is this indian NASA Director Vincent Kapoor, they put black guy Chiwetel Ejiofor as a indian.Chiwetel Ejiofo is a awesome actor, but there could've put Kal Penn there atleast as he's also good in such roles and he's indian. Talk about racism LOL.

This. So much this.

I'm half Asian and I completely agree. If you want to promote diversity within the industry, by all means do it, but I'm so sick of people just throwing out horseshit like this without evidence. And worse, people actually take it seriously.

I remember a time when people didn't get all pissy about this and just enjoyed content for what it was worth. And I'm not even 25 yet.

I don't care about or ever watch these types of award shows. It would be hard to know for sure if they have a valid point though. With the very little amount of information I have on this subject it kind of just seems like they are asking for preferential treatment, it doesn't seem to me there is any discrimination happening. But I could be wrong, feel free to educate me on the matter if you wish.

@LostProphetFLCL: Dayum. You killed it.

Some people just reek of self importance. As I haven't seen all the movies I can't say if there more deserving nominees. On the other hand I find award shows self congratulatory ego shit. Nonetheless I have seen minorities nominated and winning in the past so I don't buy the shit these two are spewing.

Is she upset there's no black actors up for best actor or that her husband wasn't nominated for Concussion? I mean, he's already twice been nominated for best actor for Ali and Pursuit of Happiness. Spike Lee himself seems embittered by being unable to finance the films he wants to make, and the stuff he does get made isn't that widely commercial successful. Hell, I didn't even hear of Chi-Raq until this story went big and even then I really don't want to see it.

Anyhow, are there any good nominations that were ignored that blatantly got missed? That would definitely go a long way toward making a stronger argument. I mean, Straight Out Of Compton is the only thing that came to mind and that got nominated for Best Screenplay category.

I've heard it argued well in the past though the systemic problem with the nomination system is in the lack of diversity in the Academy body itself, that there's a systemic problem of who they often give and who they pass over as having voting privileges. But there's a whole set of other conversations we can have. Chris Rock got mentioned a while back in a discussion about Latinos in Hollywood, and the lack of them, and he wasn't even talking about actors and writers and directors. He's talking about how California is over half Hispanic and yet they're routinely passed over for smaller behind the scene support jobs in Hollywood and are barely representative there, and how that was wrong. It might not be a race thing necessarily, not entirely, Hollywood itself has a severe problem with nepotism that can probably explain how things remain racially segregated.

So, is she going too far calling for a boycott? No, not too far. But I'm not going to boycott the Oscars either. Not when there's another Mexican director up again.

There will probably continue to be many racial problems in the industry, and as part of our greater discussion about what we expect out of our pop culture. After all, we can probably have a discussion about how Finn in Star Wars is a British actor, like many of the actors and actresses in the Star Wars films, yet Finn doesn't speak with a British accent, rather he speaks with an American one. I think it isn't hard for one to suspect this was done to make him more consumable for American audiences. And I think strangely that probably was the case they did it for those reasons, and doubly so for the predictable reaction Americans would by and large probably think it weird to see a black British actor with an accent. Maybe we shouldn't really condemn Hollywood entirely for that move, but maybe we should take a look in the mirror ourselves about how we as a society define our comfort zones when it comes to minorities.

1+

Feeling entitled to awards because the color of your skin is pretty racist.

I can't remember these actors that supposedly deserved rewards that stood out this year. Maybe these people are just whiners.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but didn't Straight Outta Compton get nominated for best Writer at all?

Well, on a positive note this whole discussion led me to a movie I didn't even know about (Beast of no Nation) which looks fantastic...so I'll def watch it when I can. As far as the actual Oscars I couldn't care less.

Yes, but the 4 screen writers of Straight Outta Compton are white so it doesn't count.

Did anything worthwhile miss the nominations? That's kind of important to this debate.

I think the Oscars are worthless, so I'm really not up to speed.

i boycott the oscars every year.

seriously, who cares?

all this means is next year there will be 45 black actors nominated for stuff to compensate.

Spike Lee is racist.

Nah Kal Penn is just wrong for the role. I would have gone with Ben Kingsley or Irrfan Khan.

Plus he could be of mixed background. I have a coworker who is black caribbean and Indian mix. He looks and sound like a black dude but has an Indian last name.

These "award" shows are nothing more than a few hours of elitists padding the egos of fellow elitists. Wasn't there an awards show this past Sunday making it two in one week or so? What I see from certain black actors is the usual whining when something doesn't go their way. By usual, I mean pouting like children. Not once do they fathom how others might not share their opinion(s) on the performance of another performer. Basically what they are saying is to nominate a black actor/actress regardless of the performance given. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though.

Ben Kingsley and irrfan Khan both great choices my freind. Have you seen Ben Kingsley's Gandhi? :)

That's actually first movie I saw Kingsley in.

Good taste + 1

Honestly those people need to be quiet and instead of complaining think about what movies they have out. Also what do they suggest? that a black actor has to have a nomination because they are black? that´s just stupid

Also There are plenty of Black, Hispanic and other Oscar winners and they receive them when they deserve one. like with Birdman and 12 years of slave. Not to mention Denzel Washington is one of the few to win 2 oscars.

This year it´s just not a very good year and Concussion and Straight from compton does not even deserve a honorable mention, they are both horrible movies.

Jada Pinkett Smith is an awful actor, that is all I wanted to say.

It may seem I'm racist,but I'm not,but black people want their special treatment again.I'm surprised they don't have a black only Oscars.The awards go to the best of the best,if they just so happen to be white or whatever and not a black woman/man,then so be it.It's not racist,but again,blacks want equal rights but they keep siding on their own kind,singling out white and every other race.I'm Not racist,I'm really not,but blacks shouldn't get special previlages because their black.That's part of the reason people are hateful towards other people/races.

There's a pretty lengthy list of african american actors that have either won or been nominated. list of african american oscar nominees/winners

They should really pick something else to complain about.

As a white person, who gives a $hit. There were plenty of other white people who weren't nominated and aren't complaining. So the only movie other than Creed that should get nominated is Straight Outta Compton; a freckin rap movie? Give me a break. These people are rich. Stop complaining. If you're that PO'd about it, then start a black Oscars or make your own movies.

These black actors are suffering from the boy who cried wolf syndrome and the result is others becoming tired of the childish antics .

I really have no problem with them boycotting the Oscars if this is how they feel about the situation. Personally I can't really say whether or not other ethnicities were purposely overlooked or if those that are currently nominated were simply more deserving then the others since I haven't seen all these films. I'll still be watching the show myself though.

This boycott is beyond stupid. I'm tired of hearing blacks demanding special treatment.

I plan to boycott Oscar boycotts.

I like this gal.

Maybe none of the actors were black because none were deserving of an award?

This "I'm a special snowflake, so it entitles me to special treatment" is going to ruin society.

So they propose a racial quota for nominations then? Seems like petulant crying from entitled ego maniacs to me. Jada is a terrible actor, Will is a douche, and Spike Lee/ Al Sharpton are both racist ass hats.

@n64dd:

Absolutely, Spike Lee is very racist.

Concerning the part that I bolded: like hell it does. The (supposed) fact that the "system is flawed" doesn't obligate ANY artist to do ANYTHING other than PRECISELY WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.

And concerning the part that I underlined, you seriously don't see the problem with that? The whole alleged problem in the first place is lack of awards for deserving black artists. As in, someone not getting an award is a serious enough problem to actually warrant taking action. The problem here, is that this isn't the special olympics where everyone gets a chance. There are a limited number of nominations available, and only one winner in each category. So arguing that blacks should have gotten more acclaim necessarily means taking away acclaim from someone else. It's really dipshit and cowardly to argue taking away someone's award recognition while not having the balls to SPECIFICALLY say whose award should be taken away and why. So the very first ****ing thing that Spike Lee ought to be doing is making his OWN list of who should be nominated. That way, when we see who he SPECIFICALLY states isn't deserving of an award, he puts himself in the same position as the Oscars. If he's saying that the people who were nominated were undeserving (which IS what he's saying, seeing as how including more blacks necessitates removing nonblacks from being nominated), then he needs to make his own list so that people can tear his list apart exactly the same as how he's trying to do with the list of those who were nominated. If he thinks that the Oscars screwed up with their nominations, then the very first thing Spike Lee needs to do is to DO IT BETTER. Show EXACTLY where he thinks the Oscars screwed up. Put himself in the same position for people to tear his list apart and criticize it to hell. Until he does that, I don't want to hear him saying shit about who got snubbed. Even if blacks got unfairly snubbed at the Oscars, the academy had the balls to come up with a definitive list of nominees and open themselves up to criticism. If Spike Lee is gonna argue that some of the curtrent nominees don't deserve to be nominated, then I damn sure want to hear him tell me who deserves to get nominated and who deserves to get dropped.

Doesn't mean he's wrong. You guys are spending too much time shooting the messenger and ignoring the message. Spike is really complaining about the ROOT problem...the fact that Hollywood does not finance movies with minority leading men/women UNLESS it panders to that specific demographic. I agree with his overall point. Movie execs are not interested in making movies that speaks to the U.S. population demographic.

As long as American(and global) consumers are happy with seeing one group of people overrepresented in Hollywood nothing will change.

If anything is racist it's what Spike Lee is suggesting.. It is my understanding that blacks have disportionately been represented more in the Oscars than whites when you take into account the % of population the black population makes up in the United States..

How funny would it be if a rich actress that owns a production company and a rich director that go out of their way to try and hire only one race every time it is possible were bitching about institutuonal racism?

Dumbasses, you are the institution and you are both racist as hell.

Racists gonna racist. Oh, and the racist is Spike Lee.