Boycotting the Oscars

[Patch'sD]

So a hotel in NYC is now a crime scene? He was standing outside a hotel and a courier that worked with the guys stealing credit card information said he I think that's one of the guys I usually talk to. Nothing about being armed and he was not in a "crime scene"

Yes, as an ongoing investigation was going on there.
The cops were at the hotel investigating a group of crooks who used phony credit cards to buy cellphones and had some of them delivered there on Tuesday.

When the deliveryman returned Wednesday, the cops arrested a man who received the shipment at the hotel entrance.

The delivery driver pointed out two other men as part of the scam — with one of them being Blake.

 

[AustinTink]

Agreed!


Maybe instead of whining she should put some of her multi millions of dollars to work and open a minority acting school. Or sponsor some young black talent to come to Hollywood. Or produce some films that could showcase some new young minority talent.

Oh, they opened a school alright. But it wasn't a school to help minority actors. It was the New Village Leadership Academy. It was linked to Scientology. They are both coocoo for cocoa puffs. Will just hides it better than Jada and their freaky kids.

 

[JoeA]

19 pages and my only take away: I have something in common with famous actors...neither the Smiths nor I will watch the Oscars!

 

[CPanther95]

It's nutty that roles are segregated like that & it's tolerated when the industry has set itself us as a kind of moral police, they pounce on all sorts of things including the gender identity issue but somehow not this. All ethnicities should be able to fill all roles, can you imagine if a CIO job included a 'type'. I wish actors & actresses would tweet photos of this sort of stuff anonymously, there is a website called 'cafe pharma' where employees in that industry air dirty laundry. It would sure help me make choices, my family spends a fortune on movies because it's our "thing" and I will boycott morons with my money (Tarantino, Woody Allen, Mr Moore can all go scratch from now to forever). I would absolutely avoid any studio or that dared to use race as a type because it's such a personally offensive behavior to me and that's all there is to it... Maybe there would be an exception or two such as "Othello" but that's limited & based on the multi hundred year old play

Of course roles are segregated, they have to be. They need actors and actresses that fit the profile of the role they are filling. The ideal of "all ethnicities should be able to fill all roles" is not just impractical, it's an impossible goal to strive for.

Are we going to force the studios to give us a transgendered James Bond? Will we boycott if one of the greatest actors of our time - Peter Dinklage - isn't allowed to audition for the lead role in "The Kobe Bryant Story"?

 

[AustinTink]

Will we boycott if one of the greatest actors of our time - Peter Dinklage - isn't allowed to audition for the lead role in "The Kobe Bryant Story"?

I would watch that movie.

 

[CPanther95]

I would watch that movie.

LOL. After I sarcastically typed that, I started thinking the same thing.

 

[wilkeliza]

Of course roles are segregated, they have to be. They need actors and actresses that fit the profile of the role they are filling. The ideal of "all ethnicities should be able to fill all roles" is not just impractical, it's an impossible goal to strive for.

Are we going to force the studios to give us a transgendered James Bond? Will we boycott if one of the greatest actors of our time - Peter Dinklage - isn't allowed to audition for the lead role in "The Kobe Bryant Story"?

I think the call though is if gender or race is not paramount to the role then why say AA or Caucasian or Asian female?

So if a casting direct needs to fill the role of a woman who works at the front desk and becomes a love interest of lead it doesn't need to be a white woman or black woman. However 9 out of 10 people who will be called in for that audition are white women. Most of the time black women are only seen for roles where they want some one ghetto or ratchet.

If it is a club scene why should the extras call say AA or a specific race at all. They could just say club scene actors and actresses ranging in age from blank to blank please submit.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I ran across this quote from Stacy Dash this morning:

She said, "We have to make up our minds. Either we want to have segregation or integration, and if we don't want segregation, then we have to get rid of channels like BET and the BET Awards and the Image Awards."

She continued, ""If it were the other way around, we'd be up in arms. It's a double standard. There shouldn't be a Black History Month. We're Americans, period."

Source - http://abc13.com/entertainment/stacey-dash-stirs-up-oscars-controversy/1168115/

I kind of agree with her about not separating things. I know people who don't think they're racist at all, but who would never turn on BET expecting to find a show they'd enjoy. I think portraying anything as "only for a certain group" works against the ultimate goal here.

I tend to agree with her too, but I can also see the arguments for the opposite.

One thing you can't argue is her point about having it both ways. She's spot on there.

 

[mayonegg]

The Economist posted an interesting article this morning talking about whitewashing at the Oscars and in the film industry in general from a numbers perspective. If anyone has access to the Economist, it's an interesting read. But I think the following basically sums it up and I agree:

"The numbers indicate that, whereas the film industry most certainly fails to represent America's diversity, the whitewashing occurs not behind the closed doors of the Academy, but in drama schools (shown in the SAG membership) and casting offices. For most of the past 15 years, the Academy has largely judged what has been put in front of them: minority actors land 15% of the top roles, 15% of nominations and 17% of wins. Once up for top roles, black actors do well, converting 9% of top roles into 10% of best-actor nominations and 15% of the coveted golden statuettes, a bit above their share of the general population."

The article goes on to talk about how the lack of diversity behind the scenes (i.e. directors) is even worse and how if we want to see change, consumers have a larger impact than they might think.

 

[CPanther95]

So if a casting direct needs to fill the role of a woman who works at the front desk and becomes a love interest of lead it doesn't need to be a white woman or black woman. However 9 out of 10 people who will be called in for that audition are white women. Most of the time black women are only seen for roles where they want some one ghetto or ratchet.

What about when they cast the parents of the girl at the front desk - should they disregard color there also?

 

[katie111]

Just an observation, but why does it always seem like it's the AA population that's complaining? I haven't heard of any asian or hispanic actors complaining and I would say that they are much less represented in Hollywood than the AA population. In fact, I can't even think if a famous asian actor unless you count the dad on Fresh Off the Boat or Jackie Chan.

 

[wilkeliza]

What about when they cast the parents of the girl at the front desk - should they disregard color there also?

Yes actually in some cases it doesn't matter. Someone can be a different race then their parents. You could also cast a mixed race family or just add in a quick comment about adoption or whatever. Unless the story is about an inherited disease and the struggle about the possibility that the main character has it, it is not out of the realm to imagine that a white and Asian couple could have had a black child through adoption or whatever mix you can imagine.

 

[AustinTink]

Just an FYI, casting directors are just the messengers. They take their cues from the writers and directors and put out calls they are asked to do. They are the HR department of the acting world.

 

[wilkeliza]

Just an FYI, casting directors are just the messengers. They take their cues from the writers and directors and put out calls they are asked to do. They are the HR department of the acting world.

It is a little more complex than that. A writer could write a role that has no specific race and then it is up to the director and the casting director together to write the notice. The casting director then widdles down the lot to a handful of people who then go to the create team. Director has final say but how many people get to the director is up to the casting director and their team.

So the issues really could be at any point across the board.

 

[AustinTink]

It is a little more complex than that.

Not by much. Yes, they pre-screen and hold auditions prior to sending the select few to the director for second auditions. But, they do not determine the race of the actors. That is solely up to the writer/director/executive producer team. So, yes, they are the HR of the acting world.

 

[CPanther95]

Yes actually in some cases it doesn't matter. Someone can be a different race then their parents. You could also cast a mixed race family or just add in a quick comment about adoption or whatever. Unless the story is about an inherited disease and the struggle about the possibility that the main character has it, it is not out of the realm to imagine that a white and Asian couple could have had a black child through adoption or whatever mix you can imagine.

So you're saying to cast it indiscriminately, then let the writers rewrite the script to accommodate the cast?

That's taking it way too far. If you want to take it to that extent, you'll need to get a government run studio that has no consideration for profit.

 

[sunshinehighway]

What about when they cast the parents of the girl at the front desk - should they disregard color there also?

Maybe they should. I don't see the big deal. I saw Hamlet on stage. It was a major production with a huge star as Hamlet. Laertes was black but Ophelia and Polonius were white.

 

[wilkeliza]

So you're saying to cast it indiscriminately, then let the writers rewrite the script to accommodate the cast?

That's taking it way too far. If you want to take it to that extent, you'll need to get a government run studio that has no consideration for profit.

You wouldn't really need to rewrite the script. Hell if may never even be mentioned and the audience would just assume as such. It isn't the end all that parents race does not match their child.

 

[wilkeliza]

Not by much. Yes, they pre-screen and hold auditions prior to sending the select few to the director for second auditions. But, they do not determine the race of the actors. That is solely up to the writer/director/executive producer team. So, yes, they are the HR of the acting world.

So I'll use Star Wars as an example. JJ Abrams wrote and directed. Race was not put into either of those. So casting notices goes out for age range, body types, acting styles whatever. They did not mention race. At no point was it flat out said Finn must only be AA actors. So CD puts out notice and sends several people to see JJ Abrams and the rest of the crew. That is how it should work. However, same situation different movie and it happens that only white actors are seen in the final step. So if the writer never wrote a race, and the director didn't care, who only sent white actors in? It happens and to deny it doesn't would be sticking your head in the sand.

Since you know how it works I imagine you are very familiar with the industry so to deny CDs have anything to do with what type of actor gets through is insane to me. I can guess and be right many times over what kind of actors/actresses certain Tesley and Co CDs will pass through just because I've seen what/who they cast or what notes have come back and know what the "look" is they want.

 

[Missy1961]

I ran across this quote from Stacy Dash this morning:

She said, "We have to make up our minds. Either we want to have segregation or integration, and if we don't want segregation, then we have to get rid of channels like BET and the BET Awards and the Image Awards."

She continued, ""If it were the other way around, we'd be up in arms. It's a double standard. There shouldn't be a Black History Month. We're Americans, period."

Source - http://abc13.com/entertainment/stacey-dash-stirs-up-oscars-controversy/1168115/

I kind of agree with her about not separating things. I know people who don't think they're racist at all, but who would never turn on BET expecting to find a show they'd enjoy. I think portraying anything as "only for a certain group" works against the ultimate goal here.

I guess Stacy Dash forgot she was once part of the cast of a BET show.

http://www.eonline.com/news/732786/...mments-can-we-get-our-check-back-for-the-game