Thursday, January 28, 2016

#OscarsSoWhite...For the Second Year in a Row

Who would have thought that a Hollywood awards show would ever become more than just a moment of pride for the famed stars and pure entertainment for the rest of us? Perhaps with ignorance about what these awards actually mean to each celebrity, or perhaps with a simple lack of knowledge about Hollywood history, one month ago I would have never imagined such controversy. However, with the #OscarsSoWhite comeback on social media, I assume this issue hard, if not impossible, for anybody to ignore and even weigh in on--whether it be publicly or in the comfort of their own private conversations. 
For the second year in a row, only white celebrities have been nominated for the 2016 Oscars. Beneath the layer of racial ignorance that has clouded our country for too many years, it’s no wonder celebrities and common people alike have taken it upon themselves to make a statement about this issue. Amongst the many statements that have been publicly made about this problem, there are few that share solutions. This is not because there is no solution, but rather because there are too many different pieces of this problem that yield various actions that it seems not everybody in Hollywood and the rest of our nation can agree on. Depending on where each of us who hold a position on this conflict believe the root of this problem is held, the solutions are all over the place and even contradicting at times. 
Presumably like many, I was surprised, yet attentive to Stacey Dash’s comments about and solutions to the ongoing segregation in Hollywood. As a black actress who has worked for the BET network in the past, Stacey’s solution of getting rid of the BET and BET awards show was not something many people were expecting to hear. Like many arguments that have been made recently, there are both pros and cons to Dash’s position. Arguing that the elimination of this network, as well as Black History Month, will eventually lead to integration rather than segregation, Dash’s solution at glance seems possible and effective. However, thinking beyond surface level, there are further problems that arise from this solution-- one of the most important being the elimination of the recognition of one of the most important stories of American history. We have to understand that there are reasons that the BET and its awards show were created, and to disregard those reasons by simply nixing the results of segregation in Hollywood and across the nation seems as ignorant as it does disrespectful. Again, Dash’s argument does raise valid points, but it may have been smarter for her to have elaborated her thought process further on live television.
Despite the opposition from many, including Stacy’s cousin, Damon Dash, various people can agree on one thing: much of the time that black people have won Oscars have been for roles that have depicted stereotypes. Black actors and actresses receive the most positive feedback and acknowledgment when they have played characters that the people expect them to play, such as slaves. In response to this general lack of recognition and the resulting boycotting of the Oscars, Ice Cube, in an interview on the Graham Norton Show, commented, “You can’t boycott something you never went to anyway.” Though he is speaking for himself on account of his personal experience, Ice Cube’s comment highlights the level of comfort that he and presumably many others have developed with not being properly recognized when deserved.

As a white citizen, I must admit that it is difficult to discuss this controversy, feeling the validity of my statement may be of lesser value. However, just like many citizens of all races and ethnicities, I have taken into consideration the many different root problems and solutions that have been publicized and cannot point my finger at which of these is right, wrong, effective, ineffective, etc. Regardless of whether Hollywood takes action on Dash’s (or anybody else’s) solution, it is important to recognize the opposing sides to each argument and solution and approach them with deep thought, as well as a sense of practicality. 

Kristen Brennand

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