My View by Jim Yacavone
It seems the chickens are coming home to roost in that bastion of nauseating progressivism, Hollywood.
You know what I’m talking about—the place where rich, pompous entertainers harangue us about our carbon footprints after flying their private jets to global warming summits and argue for gun control for you and me while walking around with private bodyguards. They’re the same ones who loudly declaim prejudice and racism in our society while living in exclusive neighborhoods in multi-million dollar mansions with high walls and security gates to keep the hoi polloi out.
But now the shoe is on the other foot. You may have heard that some African-American artists are complaining that the Academy Awards discriminate against black artists because black artists are seldom nominated for Oscars. This follows similar complaints by women artists.
The Oscar nominees are chosen by vote of the 6,000 or so “motion picture professionals” who are members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. While the full roster of Academy members is a secret (to protect the innocent or conceal the guilty?) it is known that Academy membership is predominantly white and male.
The Academy purports to award Oscars every year to the “best” in many different categories. We all know this is pure bull because there is no objective way to determine who or what is best in any of the Oscar categories. It’s hard to think of anything more subjective than choosing the best of something in the realms of art and entertainment.
Once it’s recognized that the Oscar nominees every year are the result of totally subjective judgments, the Academy must concede that the Oscar nominations reflect the inevitable and unavoidable biases and prejudices of the Academy voters.
On the other hand, what proof do African-Americans and women have that they have been the victims of prejudice? By making these claims they are saying that more black and women actors, directors and films should be nominated for Oscars. But if there is no way to objectively determine who or what is best, then we’re back to the fact that it’s a totally subjective opinion on who or what deserves to be recognized.
I suppose one solution would be to use a quota system when it comes to Oscar nominations and awards. For example, if 20 percent of the films have leading actors who are black or female, then 20 percent of the nominations for leading actor should go to women and African-Americans. But that’s ridiculous. It assumes that all acting performances are artistically equal. If that’s true then it’s pointless to have an elaborate awards ceremony to recognize the best acting performance.
The real problem is that these Hollywood narcissists take themselves so seriously. Box office numbers feed big egos which makes them think they should open their big mouths and lecture the rest of us. The truth is that the Academy Awards show is a meaningless ceremony that has no connection or relevance to the real world (kind of like the lives of Hollywood stars). It’s just an opportunity for the Hollywood elite, wannabe stars and attractive young chippies in revealing dresses to stroke their egos by parading around basking in the awestruck adulation of their mindless fans.
I, for one, am happy to see that they are getting a taste of their own medicine. That’s my view. What’s yours?
But now the shoe is on the other foot. You may have heard that some African-American artists are complaining that the Academy Awards discriminate against black artists because black artists are seldom nominated for Oscars. This follows similar complaints by women artists.
The Oscar nominees are chosen by vote of the 6,000 or so “motion picture professionals” who are members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. While the full roster of Academy members is a secret (to protect the innocent or conceal the guilty?) it is known that Academy membership is predominantly white and male.
The Academy purports to award Oscars every year to the “best” in many different categories. We all know this is pure bull because there is no objective way to determine who or what is best in any of the Oscar categories. It’s hard to think of anything more subjective than choosing the best of something in the realms of art and entertainment.
Once it’s recognized that the Oscar nominees every year are the result of totally subjective judgments, the Academy must concede that the Oscar nominations reflect the inevitable and unavoidable biases and prejudices of the Academy voters.
On the other hand, what proof do African-Americans and women have that they have been the victims of prejudice? By making these claims they are saying that more black and women actors, directors and films should be nominated for Oscars. But if there is no way to objectively determine who or what is best, then we’re back to the fact that it’s a totally subjective opinion on who or what deserves to be recognized.
I suppose one solution would be to use a quota system when it comes to Oscar nominations and awards. For example, if 20 percent of the films have leading actors who are black or female, then 20 percent of the nominations for leading actor should go to women and African-Americans. But that’s ridiculous. It assumes that all acting performances are artistically equal. If that’s true then it’s pointless to have an elaborate awards ceremony to recognize the best acting performance.
The real problem is that these Hollywood narcissists take themselves so seriously. Box office numbers feed big egos which makes them think they should open their big mouths and lecture the rest of us. The truth is that the Academy Awards show is a meaningless ceremony that has no connection or relevance to the real world (kind of like the lives of Hollywood stars). It’s just an opportunity for the Hollywood elite, wannabe stars and attractive young chippies in revealing dresses to stroke their egos by parading around basking in the awestruck adulation of their mindless fans.
I, for one, am happy to see that they are getting a taste of their own medicine. That’s my view. What’s yours?
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