2016’s awards season has been fraught with controversy.
Across the pond this year’s academy awards have been jilted by an astonishing lack of diversity in their list of nominations with all its acting nominations consisting completely of an all-white line-up.
The subsequent #OscarsSoWhite Twitter campaign has seemingly shaken Hollywood and called to arms the likes of Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith who have boycotted this year’s Oscars by not attending.
The film industry’s struggle over its troublesome relationship with diversity continued in last week’s BAFTAs.
The British Academy has received less stick for its lack of diversity, as Oscar-snubbed actors Idris Elba and Benicio Del Toro were both included in the best supporting actor category.
But BAFTA’s efforts to dodge the controversy were unbridled.
Pitch Perfect actress Rebel Wilson and Borat and Bruno star Sacha Baron Cohen called attention to this much-needed issue in last week’s ceremony.
“I have never been invited to the Oscars, because as you know they are racists,” joked Wilson when she took the stage to present the best supporting actor category.
While Baron Cohen quipped: “The nomination for best white actress goes to…” These teasing jibes only slightly call attention to a shocking problem in 2016.
Don’t think this problem is merely privileged Hollywood celebrities crying out for attention.
This is an engrained social problem regarding a general lack of opportunity for non-white people.
Social tension regarding black Americans and the police in the US and Trump’s racist political campaigning has spilled on to the red carpet as our most loyal allies are under pressure to acknowledge and embrace diversity.
If you think this issue is contained to Hollywood think again.
BAFTA’s all-white best actress category highlights this glaring problem is very much a British problem as well.
Related Articles
A lovely night - A review of La La Land
La La Land has been described as the hottest film around at the moment. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling star in the 2016 American romantic musical-comedy drama. The film has been nominated for 14 oscars. Here is our review of the biggest movie right now...
Film Review: The Danish Girl
A film review on the Lili Elbe biopic with Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl.
Don't Blame Chelsea for Racist Football Fans
This week a video hit the realms of the web depicting a scene in which a large group of rowdy Chelsea supporters pushed a man off a tube train in what was undeniably an act of racial discrimination.