One thing we know about the industry now is that they prefer their women naked and on their backs. One they don’t like – women behind the camera. I would add to this consider filmmakers of color. Consider other narratives than those that serve middled aged white males. Unstick from the romanticized nostalgia of the past: Argo, The Artist, The King’s Speech…in a year where the first black president was re-elected due in large part to the changing tide of women and gay rights, the rise of immigrants the industry has decided to do what it does best: worship the white dudes. Moreover, to choose a film, Argo, that does nothing to define what’s happening in our world right now but only massages the need to remember when white men ran Hollywood and the CIA. I am happy that (supposedly) Jimmy Carter will be vindicated. But less happy that it’s such a safe choice and evidence of the devolution of the Oscars.
Will a change ever come? I’ve been at this 14 years and I’ve only seen it go backwards. I’m still waiting. I advocated for Halle Berry to become the first black actress to win. Ever. She won. No other black actress has won since. I advocated for Kathryn Bigelow in 2009. She won. But good luck getting close to that ever again. Why does it matter? Look around you.
