After two years in a row in which actors of color were overlooked by the Oscar nominations, the 2017 nominees showcase a more multicultural range of talent, both in front of and behind the camera.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
The 2017 Oscar nominees shattered records for diversity
After two years in a row in which actors of color were overlooked by the Oscar nominations, the 2017 nominees showcase a more multicultural range of talent, both in front of and behind the camera.
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I think that it is great news to hear that recognition is being giving to all those who deserve it. Of course, this should have happened a lot earlier but anyway... I think that a contributing factor to this diversity is that fact that there are so many more diverse stories being told at the movies today. People are waking up to the lack of diversity in the movie business and because of that we are getting stories that are like many others, in a certain time period, about a certain moment in history or story of struggle, but now we are getting them from the perspective of races that went through the same events and struggles without the documentations they deserved. I think rounded out view has made movies bigger in their meaning and impact. I think we still have a long way to go in including the stories of all in movies and getting recognition for those great story tellings, but I am happy to hear that we are at least moving forward.
Like Vanessa, I am happy to hear that film is moving more and more towards embracing the diverse cultures and stories that make up America. This really could have happened sooner though. I must also say that I find the title of this article hilarious, since it really isn't that hard to "shatter" the diversity records for the Oscars. Movies and entertainment have a tremendous impact upon reality, and it is our job, as people who work in the industry, to ensure that we are making a positive change upon others. Good representation in media is vital to encouraging equality. When movies like "Hidden Figures" are made, many of us in the audience look upon the achievements of those women and wonder at how brave and smart they were. But somewhere out there there is a young girl of color who is given a narrative that she otherwise wouldn't hear. Oftentimes, we don't see ourselves as being able to do things (or understanding that it is something we can do) until we see or hear about someone like us doing it. If all you show on film and TV are black men as the villains and miscreants of society - that is how the public will view that demographic and how that demographic will view itself and that is, quite obviously, bad. If horror movies repeated show killers who kill just because they are "crazy" or because the "voices told them too" (thank you "Split") the public will inform their opinion of the people with these "scary" mental illnesses from the films and perpetrate the idea that they are violent (usually the opposite is true and people with neurological disorders or mental illnesses are more likely to be harmed by neurotypical people or caregivers than they are to harm others). Representation matters, lets stop pretending it doesn't.
When I think of shatter in this context, I think of something new and groundbreaking that no one has seen before that's an innovation on what currently exists, but not something that should have already existed. I think a more appropriate title for this article would be "Oscars finally recognize diversity in 2017 nominations." That said, I am so happy that the Oscars seem to have heard the disdain for last year's picks, and how social media was used to help make that happen. Representation is so important, and 7 out of 20 is a good start, but by no means should we stop going. With articles like this, I always worry that people will read it, decide that we have done enough, and stop pushing for more. Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, when asked how many women would be "enough" on the Supreme Court, "When there are nine," and I think that that same mentality can be applied to this as well. We shouldn't stop talking about diversity as soon as a few things like this happen, because in all likelihood this conversation won't be over anytime soon.
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