Comments on: The Dark Side Of The Academy? Charlotte Rampling Says Oscar Diversity Issue Is ‘Racist To White People’

By: Stacey

Stacey — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

Carroll Ann, thanks for you honestyy. Wish others had your viewpoint. Honest Guy, you are an IGNORAMUS, plain and simple.

By: Peggy

Peggy — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

At the end of the day, it\’s still based on someone\’s opinion. Opinions are subjective, and you cannot get around that aspect, with any of these types of awards. What do these awards really mean in the over all scheme of things, not much I would say. It\’s a big night of patting a bunch of millionaires on the back. Let\’s give this kind of energy to issues that can create real change, for people who don\’t begin to have the opportunities these individuals do.

By: Dale

Dale — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

As a white person, i shake my head at all the white people in this comments section.

By: Kobby Edwards

Kobby Edwards — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

So many people are missing the point on this one, I think. For the record, I\’m black. Consider Sir Michael Caine\’s comment objectively and you\’ll agree that the AMPAS voters didn\’t have much of a choice. There weren\’t enough meaty roles for minority actors. Solution? Black and other minority filmmakers starting out should focus on making Oscar-worthy indie films. That could be a start if they do not have access to the major studios as indicated by director Spike Lee. Again, black filmmakers shouldn\’t just make "black" films. They should also be thinking like Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings), the Wachowskis (Matrix), and George Lucas (Star Wars). What\’s that? Well, it means not just black biopics, but other more imaginative genres like sci-fi, fantasy, adventure, etc. Then they could use minority actors in lead roles (based on merit of course!)… More to follow.

By: Ed

Ed — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

So does it mean absolutely nothing that Latino filmmakers are currently on the top of the Oscar race? Or is this just about the African American community? I honeslty don\’t understand why have we all fallen on the agendas of an angry wife that can\’t accept that her husband\’s performance was not good enough for a nod. I mean, last year the Latino community (a minority) took home all the awards, the year before that 12 Years a Slave won AND the year before that Ang Lee (another minority from the Asian community) took BEST DIRECTOR for Life of Pi, a film about a Hindustani boy as a protagonist. I get that some people are saying stupid things, but is the argument being defended here not idiotic and subjective as well?

By: cirkusfolk

cirkusfolk — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

I just shake my head at the bias this article has. You could just report the facts, but instead you have to put your own two cents in and say a current Oscar nominee\’s opinions and thoughts are wrong. I don\’t think what Michael Caine said was any different but it sounds like you\’re giving him a pass. This actress is actually nominated which means she is the victim of this "diversity" outrage. They wanted black nominees. That can only mean that some people shouldn\’t have been nominated right. And they could think she is one of them. EFF that! I\’d be pissed too.

By: Serena

Serena — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

What really stuck out to me is her notion that people can be "too white." She works in an industry that cast Jake Gyllenhaal as a Persian prince. There\’s no such thing as "too white" in Hollywood, at least not to producers and casting directors.

By: frederique

frederique — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

anne, i agree with you that those excellent performances by berry and washington should\’ve been the films they won awards for: dandridge and malcolm x. i also agree with you that the problem may just be the lack of good films being made about/or featuring people of color (native americans, mexicans/latinos, african americans etc). most of all i do agree with this: "Your quality of work should speak louder than your skin color." and i would add gender to that too. the problem may be that the people in power at studios and voters in the academy are largely white men who see from a certain perspective. we need more diversity in the stories being told and the performers/producers/writers and directors telling them. likely the rest will follow.

By: lulu

lulu — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

So if the black actors weren\’t nominated because they were undeserving, does that mean rampling was undeserving of a BAFTA nomination, in which case then why was she deserving of an Oscar nomination, and was Elba only deserving of a BAFTA nomination but not an Oscar nomination? Or in other words all this rationalization is bulls*** and bears no relation to human nature and instinct, especially when nobodies looking, such as when you\’re filling in your voting ballot or as we see with the ironically named @HONESTGUY when you\’re anonymously commenting on a webpage.

By: Dheep\'

Dheep\' — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

This is almost Funny, watching folks on both sides of this issue get All Spun up about it.
On the one and, minorities (And NOT just Blacks – Asians – Especially – Native Americans – Hispanics – Poor of every color- on & On) – they all have a good case.
But then White Folk of Every shade & Hue, have a point too.
And NO ONE on either side will give an Inch !
As someone surely said in the Past – You Can\’t Legislate Love. It\’s what is in their Hearts, not in a Law that will change this Stupidity & Hate. But everyone forgets that Humans are Animals & very shortly removed from Caves & Campfires Woolly Mammoth Rugs. It will Take more TIME !
And while all of us Little People fall for this BS, this distraction, A%$#*&@s of every flavor are stealing the world out from under us while we bicker & Hate.

By: Franka

Franka — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

Amazed at these comments too. Really scary the way a lot of people think and often reductive missing of greater point. But Americans are incredibly stupid hence the boat they are in and their overall toxic culture and political climate full of buffoons. Sad.

By: Daniella Isaacs

Daniella Isaacs — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

Over the years there have been debates about "fixing" the foreign language film category and the documentary feature category, to make them more diverse (including the documentaries people actually see, and the artistically distinguished foreign language films that actually matter, rather than the one\’s retirees in the academy vote for because they have time to go to all the special screenings). Nobody screams bloody murder about that. But when people talk about diversity of human beings, all these people come out of the woodwork and scream bloody murder. By crying that there\’s no racism in the Academy this way they\’re actually offering more proof of the existence of racism than if they just held their tongues.

By: Rakella

Rakella — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

Why are there not more whites in the conversation for NBA Mvp of the year?

By: MAL

MAL — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

White + privileged = racism
Black + lazy = racism
You can\’t cry racism by defining a population based on race and expect to be taken seriously.

By: Tryingharder

Tryingharder — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

I\’m amazed at some of the comments here. Racism is alive and well….just look in the mirror my fellow Americans. If you truly don\’t believe that, please check out the stats re white/black murder/incarceration/suicide. This doesn\’t occurr because they are "lazy, lawless, stupid, different,"; it\’s happening because the playing field is very uneven. Yes affirmative action helps (although it fuels anger in many white because of its "unfairness.") Systemic racism is eradicated overnight, but it also isn\’t eradicated by ignorance, passivity, excuses. The Academy is a club of white privilege, that\’s all. They have no more power/knowledge of "an academy worthy" performance than the next guy. After all, we are the reason they exist. Remember your audience Academy, and try to become relevent or you will devolve into exactly what you are currently…..white, privleged and out of touch.

By: Cee

Cee — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

To minimize Denzel\’s performance in Training Day as merely a stereotype seriously does the performance a disservice. He played opposite his usual on screen type and absolutely nailed it. It was an exceptional performance. It also neglects the point that he\’s been nominated 6 times and won 2. For an actor who doesn\’t also direct, that\’s pretty impressive.

By: Carroll Ann

Carroll Ann — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

My thought is that as a white American female, it is likely impossible to understand the drag that racisim still has institutionally in this country. That is not to say that I shouldn\’t try to understand. Only 6 decades ago, Rosa Parks had to sit in the back of the bus. There has been progress on the inequities of racisim, but still lots of room for more. I don\’t think it\’s helpful to say people of color (POC) should work harder, be patient, stop whining. There is anger here, and it should be heard. The OscarsoWhite issue is likely a reflection of systemic racism. I can\’t become a non-white female, but I can try to look from a wider perspective. Lastly, the "Academy" is really just a club of affluent white folks. No more, no less.

By: Gabe

Gabe — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

Poverty on the rise… massacres daily… climate change eating away at planet… civil liberties vanishing… infrastructure falling apart. Americans be like: "How come no blacks at Hollywood award ceremony!?"

By: MAL

MAL — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

Perhaps I\’m being obtuse but I completely fail to see why what she said is (in the author\’s words) "ridiculous." How is blaming white people for something any different that blaming black people? Both are prejudicial. By definition, placing blame on people because of their race is racism — making her statement absolutely correct. Keep in mind, too, that 13.2% of the American population identifies as African American. Each acting category has five nominees, so if one nominee was black (i.e. 20% of the nominees), that ratio would be exceeded. I know this is an emotional (not a mathematical) issue but to blame the academy members, who select subjectively at best, is truly misguided and — I personally believe — disingenuous.

By: Anne

Anne — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

Honest Guy-your comment is unnecessary. Implying that blacks don\’t work? Really? Come visit me in DC, you would see much different.

My opinion is this-maybe there just weren\’t that many good movies put out. Before everyone gets up at arms about "no black/ethnic nominees", ask yourself honestly, were there any halfway decent films put out? Will Smith had an abomination of an accent in his movie, so that\’s a pass. Idris Elba put his all in "Beasts of No Nation" and that got nothing. Is "Straight Out of Compton" really worth a nod? Not in my opinion.

However, Halle Berry was an educated idiot that beat her kid and flashed her t*ts, boom, Oscar. Denzel played what a lot of folks think blacks represent in Training Day, Oscar. Even though, Spike Lee did a really great job with Malcolm X and Halle was excellent in Dorothy Dandridge. Those were shut out. Amores Perros, another excellent film-nada.

Your quality of work should speak louder than your skin color. But then again, everyone is so hyper sensitive and pc these days, you just can\’t win.

By: John Poole

John Poole — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

I\’d be curious to know how many all white nominated films Al Sharpton has seen. He may have already boycotted many films because of racial prejudice.

By: Tito

Tito — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

I think there is a danger with the current argument which is because very few persons of color were nominated that is evidence of a racist process or institution. The assumption is being that the failure to have minorities nominated is a result of racism. Nominations are a matter of opinion and I am not convinced that the failure to nominate more minorities is due to racism. Perhaps the current nominees are, in the collective opinion of the academy, the best performers of the past year and the fact that very few minorities were nominated is not the result of racism. I feel a more meaningful conversation can be had if the argument is more pointed such as identifying a particular actor that gave a better performance than someone that got the nomination. Such an argument then allows an analysis of the reasons why the particular actor was nominated and the other was not. While not denying that perhaps racism exists in the academy or perhaps in the process involved in obtaining a nomination, I do not think it is helpful to assume racism is the driver when there is no evidence to support such a finding.

By: Honest Guy

Honest Guy — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

Maybe rather than constant complaining blacks could quit bellyaching and actually put that energy to work? Oh yeah, work is hard. Sowwwy, negroes.

By: Dheep'

Dheep' — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

Why exactly is this a "Problematic Line" he (Caine) is walking ? Stating another aspect of Racism is problematic ? And you have declared any alternate view other than your Knee-Jerk views as "Ridiculous" ?
Then you are certainly doing nothing to changes things for the better.

By: 32 years

32 years — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:57:20 +0000

I wonder if the source, the translation, the interpretation is reliable. Hopefully her words are not taken out of the context, which happens really often.