Filmmaker Spike Lee to stay away from Oscars over ongoing diversity row

[webfact]

Filmmaker Spike Lee to stay away from Oscars over ongoing diversity row



LOS ANGELES: -- In Hollywood they preparing for the Oscars – the movie industry’s biggest night. But how much is all the work papering over the cracks of a world famous institution weakened by the ongoing row over the lack of diversity.

Filmmaker Spike Lee, winner of an honourary Oscar won’t be there taking in a ball game instead. His wife will also be absent. He stopped short of using the word “boycott” but his sentiments are shared by many stars though not everyone thinks staying away is the best form of protest, a point made by Gil Robertson, co-founder and President of the African American Film Critics Association

“I don’t think the right side is boycotting the Oscars. I think the Oscars is a well respected institution in the entertainment community,” he said.

But it is not just the Oscars which have a diversity problem. Women, minorities and the LGBT community are vastly under-represented throughout Hollywood failing to reflect the make up of the US population. That’s according to a report from the University of Southern California.

“Across the 414 films, television shows and digital series that we evaluated, over 20 percent didn’t have one black or African American speaking character. Over 50 percent didn’t feature one Asian or Asian American character. Across 11,306 speaking characters, across the entire study, only a third were girls and women and only 229 were LGBT,” explained Professor Stacy L Smith, University of Southern California.

Inequality spreads beyond colour and ethnicity. Last year Patricia Arquette, who won an Oscar as best actress in a supporting role pointed the finger at the gap in wages between men and women, another sensitive topic in Hollywood where actors are still paid more than actresses.

“The Academy has been active for the last three, four years about including new and different voices, filmmakers, whether of gender or race or national origin. We felt it was important for the world to know that we are on this,” stressed Cheryl Boone Isaacs, President Oscars Academy.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has promised to double the number of women and representatives from minorities in the organisation by the year 2020.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-02-24

[ezzra]

People like him misses the whole point of the Oscars, the Oscars is about excelling in movie making and acting

and what all that is connected with it, and if you didn't excelled this year, why would you want to be getting

a prize or acclamation for not being good enough.... it's like a degree in learning, would you expect to get a diploma

if you didn't do well or attended any studies?.....

Some how I'm sure if Mr Lee had a movie with a chance of an Oscar, he'd be there with bells on.....

[canuckamuck]

Shame on America for having so many white hetrosexuals.

[pedro01]

And we all know Spike Lees movies are shining examples of diversity.

hypocrite

[daoyai]

And we all know Spike Lees movies are shining examples of diversity.

hypocrite

"Do the right thing" was diverse, but the story was about the changing demografics of a NY neighborhood and the last Italian-american owned business in a black hood... actually a good film, some great actors, John Torturo, Danny Aielo, Ossie Davis, Cisely Tyson in cameo roles AND Rosie Perez's bewbs.

The uni study of what race or sexual orientation is reped in films is just stupid, it is a commercial product, the buying public dictates what gets made, and how much the "stars" are paid.

[ggt]

Minorities will likely always feel they are not getting their fair share of just about everything...

Nevermind many minorities have been given opportunities that whites only dream of...

The privileged white majority have the privilege of providing for much of the rest of the country...

People do not deserve jobs because they exist...they need to perform quality work...excel at something...not just complain all the time...

Black lives matter...but theirs are not the "only" lives that matter...so just get over it...and get on with your life...

Quit making a fool of yourselves...

[spidermike007]

It is kind of funny how his film Chi-Raq was not nominated, and now he is boycotting the Oscars. I do agree that there is not enough diversity, and that the Oscars are lily white. I agree that blacks, Asians, Latinos, and Native Americans, are under represented, for the most part. But, the last good film Lee made was Inside Man in 2006. Prior to that one would have to go back to 2002, for 25th Hour. He is a bit like Oliver Stone. A once great filmmaker who has lost the magic. Like Stone, it seemed he had only four or five great films in him. Now, he does mostly TV work, direct to video, documentaries without much power, made with a certain amount of anger, coming from a multi millionaire. Work that feels about as genuine as the anger within an Eninem song. or work that is hardly seen. Chi-Raq did not deserve any mention. It was mediocre, at best. A rambling diatribe, and a feminist rant about the ongoing issue of male emasculation in America. The number one ho in Chicago decides to close shop, and start depriving her fans of her body. Hard to sit through, though entertaining at times. So, if we do not all stand up and take notice when he complains, there are reasons why. Now, Will Smith is a different story. He is still capable to turning out a great performance. I think he is bold, for not attending, and I give him credit for that. Spike? Who?

[jesimps]

Never heard of him. Doubt he'll be missed.

[mopar71]

If this guy were still around today he would probably give Spike, Will and the others a good kick in the pants...

[EyesWideOpen]

Still waiting to see the hashtag " NBAsoblack".... as

a protest by white basketball players. :-)

[Chicog]

It's not like there aren't a shedload of movies out there made by/for black audiences.

It's just that most of them are crap.

(Equally, most films out of the UK film industry these days seem to be about white gangsters. And they're crap as well.)

And it's not as if black directors or actors have not ever been represented at the Oscars, it's more that American audiences want to watch the rubbish Tyler Perry puts out. Antoine Fuqua has made some terrific films, but what is he best known for? "Boyz N the Hood".

This years crop of moves is what it is.

It's not like black directors and actors aren't being offered the scripts and the parts, it's just that they aren't picking and making ones of anything merit.

It's easier to make "Madea's family afternoon snoozing" than it is to make something more taxing on the old noddle.

[Walter Travolta]

For the same reason, i will NOT be attending this years MoBo awards

Very selective memories these 'minorities' have . . .

[pmarlowe]

Minorities will likely always feel they are not getting their fair share of just about everything...

Nevermind many minorities have been given opportunities that whites only dream of...

The privileged white majority have the privilege of providing for much of the rest of the country...

People do not deserve jobs because they exist...they need to perform quality work...excel at something...not just complain all the time...

Black lives matter...but theirs are not the "only" lives that matter...so just get over it...and get on with your life...

Quit making a fool of yourselves...

um...in another 15 years whites will be the minority

[sead]

So now we have to have xx% blacks and xx% Asians in every movie soon. And the oscars are going to be divided into best Arian movie and best Afro-American movie etc. Because there are so many more movie directors that are men we have to inquote 50% women so that it isnt rascist and protects womens right also. I AM sick and tired of this Equallity shit. I cant remember ive seen 1 movie with Spike Lee but i know his name.

[Pimay1]

Filmmaker Spike Lee to stay away from Oscars over ongoing diversity row

I'm totally crushed.

[retarius]

What a terrible shame…he will be sadly missed by Spike Lee lovers everywhere.

[ronrat]

Film and Tv awards are self licking icecreams. As for LGBT numbers. They deserve stuff all after foisting rubbish such as Queer guys for the straight guy on world wide audiences.

[ggt]

Minorities will likely always feel they are not getting their fair share of just about everything...

Nevermind many minorities have been given opportunities that whites only dream of...

The privileged white majority have the privilege of providing for much of the rest of the country...

People do not deserve jobs because they exist...they need to perform quality work...excel at something...not just complain all the time...

Black lives matter...but theirs are not the "only" lives that matter...so just get over it...and get on with your life...

Quit making a fool of yourselves...

um...in another 15 years whites will be the minority

It will become more difficult to give freeloaders free food, housing, utilities, transportation, education and spending money when that happens...

[pacovl46]

Good riddance! Never liked the guy! He's one who just can't let things go and feels the need to be vocal about it all the time!

[sanukjim]

So I guess now Hollywood will be having a Black Oscars Night ,then A Gay Oscars Night, Asian American Oscars Night,Left Handed People Oscars Night,Disability People Oscars Night,Actors Paid under One Million Dollars Oscars Night,Then we could start listing the religions in separate Oscars along with atheist and nonbelievers,In the film" The Shootest "John Wayne could have competed in regular Oscars and The One Eyed Cowboys Oscars Nights.Any more ?