This year’s Oscar nominees have been the center of quite the hubbub after many have criticized the list as not having enough diversity. Which is to say, that not enough black people are on the list. This has been a very divisive incident in Hollywood as of late.

 

Jada Smith and her husband Will Smith have unofficially led the pack of celebrities to boycott the award show by not attending. They claim that the lack of diversity is an obvious case of discrimination. The Smiths will perceivably be relaxing in their $40 million home instead.

 

If you look at who wins Oscars proportionally, then you will find that while blacks are represented with similar numbers to their population in the United States, it is actually Latinos and Asians that are underrepresented. Yet contrary to this, the black community has failed to talk about those who actually do have reason to be boycotting, and made it purely a black issue.

 

So why has the black community in Hollywood completely ignored those who have tangible evidence to protest? If it were those groups protesting, they would have actual historical data to prove their claims. It seems that those leading the boycott movement have dressed up a bad year for their films as an obvious case of discrimination.

 

Many movies with highly prominent black actors such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, have been nominated for many accolades. That is not taken into account by those boycotting the Oscars primarily because no Oscars have gone to black actors specifically.

 

Calvin Broadus, Jr., also known infinitely better as Snoop Dogg, has spoken out on the issue saying he agrees with Jada Smith, and that there should be an award show only for black people. It seems some are promoting segregation rather than integration.

 

To argue that the Oscars are prejudiced and behind the times is ridiculous because at the same time they are fawning over movies such as The Danish Girl, which depicts a man in the 1920s with a firm belief that he is a woman.

 

The Oscar winners and nominees are determined by a large group of 6,000 voters. These voters serve for life. Because this is so, demographic changes within the group are going to be glacially slow compared to the changing demographics of America as a whole. Even so, Academy has scrambled to add more “diversity” to the group, in a clear act that contradicts the statements of the various boycotters. Homogeneity does not always equal prejudice.
These actors and directors have, in a sense, bit the very hand that feeds them by claiming that the movie industry is racist, yet it is that very industry that has given them their positions of wealth and fame.