#OscarsSoWhite

Are you a George Clooney, or a John Singleton?

Are you a Jada Pinkett-Smith, or a Janet Hubert?

This debate about the Oscars is getting more and more out of control, with a number of celeb A-listers publicly announcing their views on the #OscarsSoWhite discussion.

Whilst I understand the importance of diversity with regards to representation of different races and ethnic groups at public award ceremonies, especially as prestigious and renowned as the Oscars, I must say that I am with John Singleton on this one.

John Singleton (first African American to win Best Director in 1991) claims being nominated for an Oscar has more to do with eligibility than race, and coming from a man of ethnic minority, this is an articulate, concise and reasonable belief. Yes, we need to ensure that equality is exercised, but we must be aware that the actors nominated are done so because of their achievements and not because of their race or ethnic background. When the necessity for representation blindsides genuine talent, it becomes an issue of political correctness encroaching on the film industry.

In contrast, Jada Pinkett-Smith has taken it upon herself to speak for an entire community by boycotting the Academy Awards. I have the utmost respect for Jada; apart from playing the ULTIMATE sass machine Fish Mooney in Gotham, being a total fashion icon and taking on someone else’s child for 20 years, she also always speaks her mind. However in this instance, perhaps she has not considered that the people surrounding her (wildly successful) family are ‘yes-men’. As her and her husband’s rather selective production company (Overbrook Entertainment) demonstrates, the notion of exclusion whispered about in Hollywood is paraded by Jada and Will. I think she has slightly lost her grip on what it feels like to be excluded, as with millions of dollars in the bank, a world famous husband and children who are paving the youth generation’s way through gender identity via fashion campaigns and social exposure, her world makes the most A-list celebrity’s lifestyle look like a mundane humdrum of insurance brokerage.  

Janet Hubert (played ‘Aunt Vivian’ in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air alongside Jada's husband, Will Smith) attempted to make this point via her YouTube response video, but instead of calmly stating her reasons for disagreeing with Jada’s boycott, her speech became a bitter rant exploring a murky past of upset and temper tantrums with Will Smith, rather than focusing on the issue at hand. She was wrong to dismiss the argument as ‘not that deep’ because these are deep-rooted manifestations of centuries of inequality and angst surfacing through this issue. However that still does not change the fact that this debate must be examined in light of present day findings and context.

When George Clooney stated the industry is ‘moving in the wrong direction’, I can see what he means, as in fairness there were more black actors nominated 10 years ago, rather than the all-white Oscar nominations for both this year and last. It is not right to have an all-white nomination list in 2016, especially when you consider Idris Elba’s performance in Beasts of No Nation and Samuel L. Jackson's role in The Hateful Eight. But equally is it right to nominate members of minority groups simply because of their background and heritage, even if somebody else deserves the award more?

We must not take away the achievements and all the hard work from white actors because of a political debate regarding race; it is their talent and effort that is being rewarded. As actor David Oyelowo said, “the Oscars are so important is because it is the zenith, it is the epitome, it is the height of celebration of artistic endeavour within the film making community. We grow up aspiring, dreaming, longing to be accepted into that august establishment because it is the height of excellence”. The Oscars change careers and pave the way to stardom and eternal recognition in the film industry. Is it justifiable to deny this privilege to someone who has worked tirelessly for it, regardless of race?

Such issues are a minefield for any public body, let alone an Academy with nearly a century of cinematic achievements behind it, and can be exacerbated by our expectations, especially when the media dip their little toe into the water to create a few ripples.

Both sides have a valid point. Perhaps this frenzied debate will reintroduce the validity of both talent and race into the spotlight.