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The 2016 Oscar Controversy

Evan Sennett, IC Columnist

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At some point, every filmmaker becomes entranced by the magic and glamour of the silver screen. Hollywood magic is like mythology for young, aspiring filmmakers. These images seem unreachable, fantastical and wonderful. Hollywood cinema is pure at an early age, but is only the gateway to a larger, more diverse collection of films in the world. As the young filmmakers grow older, their filming styles mature. Much like how children must fall in love with simple picture books, before moving onto complicated novels, the first movies a filmmaker truly falls in love with are simple yet brilliantly crafted too.

As I matured, I have fallen in love with other types of films from all around the world, but I still find myself watching the Academy Awards again each February. The Academy Awards celebrate a certain type of film: the big, American, Hollywood, star-filled films that are usually released around Christmas. I am not ashamed to admit that I find myself caught up in the fun of the Oscars every year. The hype of the event is truly exciting and it speaks to my younger self. It seems futile to pick only one “best picture” out of hundreds. How could any one person possibly see every film made in a year anyway — let alone deem one the very best of them all?

The big elephant in the room in this year’s Academy Awards is the lack of African-American (or other minorities) nominations in any category. This is a big problem, but this is not the only guilty year. Only a handful of non-white males have ever, in the history of the award show, walked home with the gold. I was surprised to find films like “Straight Outta Compton” did not receive any major nominations after so much buzz from earlier in the year. Not being able to find qualified minority candidates is a lame excuse and is an offensive way of glossing over and ignoring talent.

The controversy really makes me sick, and I am ashamed of the Oscars. In most cases (other than in the category of best actress), the amount of female representation is also appalling. Films like “Joy” and “Mad Max: Fury Road” at least showcased strong female protagonists. I may not be the biggest fan of action films like “Mad Max,” but it’s not completely a man’s genre anymore. For mainstream Oscar-recognized films, it is nice to see stronger female characters. This does not excuse the fact that the creators behind these films are hardly recognized at the Oscars unless they are male. Only one female director in the history of the Award show has ever won best direction, and there aren’t even any nominated this year.

The other big problem with the Oscars is the repetition, year after year of the same faces, stories, directors etc. If I see Jennifer Lawrence or Leonardo DiCaprio get another nomination next year, I will not be surprised at all. There are certainly regulars when it comes to the Oscars — and maybe that is why we all find this show so comforting. However, diversity in the nominations would allow other talents to emerge.

Progress is slow, unfortunately. Although I am sickened to even think about all of the minorities that go unfairly (and maybe intentionally) unrecognized by the red carpet, there is something about Hollywood’s glamour that will always attract me. The good thing about the Oscars is that it is the one night when everyone in America celebrates the movies — and that’s something I can get behind.

The issue is that after every year, we seem to forget more and more what it should really be about. “The work is what’s important,” said director Spike Lee, “because that’s the stuff that’s going to stand for years.” In other words, nobody even remembers who won the trophies anyway. The goal of filmmaking should not be to win awards! The goal of filmmaking is to communicate ideas and emotions, so that the viewer feels that they are not alone. Filmmaking should be an art that recognizes every creator and every viewer.

Evan Sennett is a first-year majoring in film studies, and he is also an IC cartoonist.

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