News/Blog

Oscar Voters Are Very White and Very Male

February 21, 2012 By Mike B

A majority of Oscar voters are very white and very male, according to the research of L.A. Times. The roster of 5,765 members is 94% Caucasian and 77% male. As if it wasn’t obvious already, this is why only certain types of film are consistently recognized, even though the Academy is called “the world’s preeminent movie-related organization” of “the most accomplished men and women working in cinema.”

Just look at that picture above. Don’t be surprised if they pulled one of these.

Not only that, the median age of Academy voters is 62 years old. So, the Academy is mostly made up of old white men. Only 2% are black, less than 2% are Latino and only 14% are younger than 50 years of age. This explains why Clint Eastwood films get nominated all the time.

“If the country is 12 percent black, make the academy 12 percent black…. If the nation is 15 percent Hispanic, make the academy 15 percent Hispanic,” Denzel Washington said.

So, when you’re watching the Oscars, know that it’s not the best of the best in film, it’s the best of the best of films preferred by white old men.

“In the past 83 years of Oscars,” reports Los Angeles Times, “less than 4 percent of the acting awards have been bestowed on African-Americans. Only one woman — Kathryn Bigelow — has received the Academy Award for directing The Hurt Locker.”

No wonder it took Gary Oldman so long to “earn” an Oscar nomination…

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