The Hollywood Elite (as Conservatives love to call LA show biz) have found themselves in a heap o' trouble once the Oscar noms were announced and not one actor of color has appeared on the ballot...AGAIN. The names Will Smith, Indris Elba, Michael B. Jordan (the actor, not the baller, hence the B, damn your cracker eyes) were kicked around, but did not make the cut. STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON, one of the best reviewed films of last year was MIA as well with the exception of a screenplay nod. But them's the facts, Jack. So does this garner a call to arms?
Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett Smith think so, calling for a boycott of this white devil party. The Rev Sharpton wholeheartedly concurs.With these three leading the charge, what could possibly go wrong? First off, Spike's new film CHI-RAQ has received the only decent reviews of his work in a decade, so he was probably looking for a nom. (Wouldn't it have been a hoot if John Cusack was only actor singled out from his cast?) So, Mr. Lee wouldn't be at the ceremonies anyway. To say he's boycotting the Oscars is therefore redundant. He's replaying a scene from DO THE RIGHT THING. "Hey, Sal, howcum they ain't no brothers on the wall?" I would say Jada's miffed because she had her gown all picked out when she would have been on the arm of her shoo-in Best Actor husband Will from the disappointing CONCUSSION. But he's out of the running. Now He's not going either. Neither am I, Will. You know why? Because I wasn't nominated either. As for the Rev Sharpton? Who gives a shit? Shut up, Al. By the way, Tawana Brawley want to know why you don't return her calls.
White Hollywood Liberals are tripping over themselves to jump onto this bandwagon. That is, those that don't have a dog in this year's fight. Ain't that right, George Clooney? Ol' Lonesome George is telling us that Hollywood is moving in the wrong direction. "We did it better ten years ago," he said. What that when you directed GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK with how many actors of color? Was it LEATHERHEADS? THE IDES OF MARCH? MONUMENTS MEN? Well, perhaps you can lead the way, Cloon...or don't you know another brother you can work with besides Don Cheadle? Oh wait, you're directing a new movie this year with...Matt Damon, Julianne Moore and Josh Brolin. Thanks for stopping by, George. Next time, practice what you preach. NOT YOU, AL!These are the Oscars, people. It's all a game. Is all this fire and brimstone for the Hollywood's Annual Circle Jerk pointing to an even bigger problem? Sure it is, but in the most glad-handed way possible. All this posturing over the lack of diversity in an awards show cheapens the message and trivializes it into non-existence. Yeah, there's a problem in this damn country. The last few years have proven that if anything, we've regressed. Damn right the black community is pissed and everything becomes a hot button issue. But honestly, folks, this is some misguided bullshit. Should CREED or STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON been nominated? Don't know, but I was as surprised as the next person (not you, Al) by their exclusion. The argument that CREED is a sequel and therefore not usually on the ballot goes out the window with MAD MAX: FURY ROAD sitting pretty. But Idris Elba would not have been nominated for BEASTS OF NO NATION because the Academy isn't ready to honor Netflix with anything but scorn. (Yes, honor with scorn. Move along.) Where all the outrage for actresses of color? Directors? Writers? Film composers? If you're going to be pissed, then make it an all-inclusive piss.
How else to fix this? There's talk of asking Chris Rock to step down as host. Quittin' ain't representin', now is it? The Academy is also considering raising the number of nominations.That way, SIX white actors will be nominated instead of five. Oh, then some sort of Affirmative Action should be put in place? How about if everybody gets a participation trophy? I'm sure there are going to be concessions over the next couple of years, just like before. A couple of nominations here, a couple of awards there. These are called tokens, a label that should be avoided. How about the industry itself? Real change won't happen until the studios themselves become truly diversified, especially at the top. I say you shoot for the stars, people. Go for Disney. It's time to take make it a truly Wonderful World of Color.I'm going to get a head start on next year with an early nomination bid-a two-fer, in fact. Kevin Hart and Ice Cube, double Best Actor nominees for the current number one movie in America, RIDE ALONG 2. Unfortunately, neither will win. As what always happens when two actors are nominated in the same category, they'll spit the vote. Sorry. And the winner is...Michael Fassbender for anything he's in this year, simply because he's overdue.
The real beauty of all this is not only is the Left caught with their tits in a PC wringer, but the Right is not even paying attention. This is an absolutely golden opportunity for them to mock and point out to the rest of the country how out of touch Hollywood is with mainstream America, one of their favorite topics. They are in the freaking catbird seat for this boondoggle. But they're not smart enough to latch unto it or else they've all been struck dumb by the unbelievable shrieking of Palin's voice. (Dear God, I though the smoke alarm had gone off when she endorsed Trump.) Don't expect President Bam or Hillary to mention this either, not while Hollywood checkbooks are out.
The Great Divide grows wider and wider. Welcome to the abyss.
By the way, I'm not on Twitter, so feel free to use #BlackNomineesMatter.
Not you, Al.
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