SPIKE LEE BOYCOTTING MOVIE AWARDS/

[harry brown]

SPIKE LEE   ,ACTRESS  JADA  PINKETT SMITH  SAY   THEY  WILL  BOYCOTT   THE  ACADEMY   AWARDS   SHOW, BECAUSE   NO  NON WHITE  ACTORS WERE   NOMINATED/WILL    SMITH SAYS   HE  WILL NOT  GO  TO   AWARD  SHOW.WILL   SMITH       WAS  NOT NOMINATED  FOR HIS MOVIE   CONCUSSION.THE ACTOR   FOR CREED  SHOULD   HAVE BEEN////

[Troy]

I think the little boy who played in Beasts of No Nation should have been nominated too.

It is hard for me to get worked up about the state of Black film given the state of Black books and journalism.

I never watch the Academy Awards program, so it is hard for me to care very much about it.  It is celebrity driven and in many ways I think our culture is too focused on celebrity as it is.

Perhaps Chris Rock will say something to support his brother and sisters.  It is not enough for me to tune in though, cause I know whatever he says, that is relevant to the cause, will be on the web 5 seconds later.  When (if) that happens I'll grab it off Youtube and post it here.

Otherwise I'm sure I'll have nothing to contribute to the conversation about a white award program designed to celebrate the accomplishments of other white people.

 

[Cynique]

With news of an impending blizzard disturbing my intermittent hibernation, before dozing back off, I will set my body clock to bestir myself so when it comes on TV,  I can watch the Hollywood whiteout a/k/a the Academy Award ceremonies.  I am an unabashed pop culture vulture and a fan of live TV and have no intention of boycotting the televised airing of an event that will bestow an Oscar on whichever nominees got the most votes from the overwhelmingly white academy membership.  I'm depending on the scathing wit and insight of my guy Chis Rock, social critic extraordinaire, to put all this bullshit in perspective, and that includes the reprimands of a pouting, flag-waving Will Smith preaching about Hollywood representing an American Dream that anybody should be able to aspire to, Being the Prince of Bel-Air and a celluloid hero has apparently led the "man in black"  to believe he is somebody to be taken seriously.  Puleeze. In spite of the self-importance exhibited by him and his wife, Jada, the other member of the "Smith Egos Matter" movement, in pleading their case for white validation, Hollywood is not what they proclaim and demand it to be. It's a white-run private industry that revolves around money, insider politics, and institutionalized racism. Political correctness is out this year so get real, Will. Your last 2 movies bombed and your overwrought emoting in an African accent during the last one was more mimicry than acting. Black Englishman Idris Elba has a more legitimate gripe when it comes to the faux American dream. Diversity in Hollywood? What's the bottom line? Will it fill box office coffers more than Medea's latest outing or Ice Cube and Kevin Hart's "Ride Along" buffoonery? Will it dilute the creative edginess of "Straight Outta Compton"?  Black audiences present an award every time they buy a ticket to such movies. 

I don't need others to tell me what I should or shouldn't watch. So on Oscar night, my TV will be turned to the appropriate channel so I can glance at its screen from time to time and be amused by what's going on as the parade of "make-believers" stroll the red carpet in all of their one-dimensional designer-clad shallowness, preening and posing, chatting aimlessly about themselves, fawned over by gushing, vapid network interviewers, cheered on by gawking fans from the sidelines, ultimately providing fertile fodder for my ridicule! I wouldn't miss it. And once the ceremonies open and the real life drama begins, there will be the awkward unfunny banter between the presenters, the close-up views of the losers trying to smile away their disappointment as the "speechless" winners fake surprise, quickly finding their tongues to tearfully deliver their sappy life stories, boring everybody with their endless acknowledgements, reminding the audience what the booze-sipping, wickedly snide Ricky Gervais, who hosted the Golden Globe Awards show, said about this ritual. Eventually, nobody but those who win one really care about these useless awards.  How true. Who even remembers the names of last year's winners??? 

Ah, but like millions of others I will indulge my guilty pleasure.  A fascination with the superficial world of celebrity is as American as apple pie, and a yearning by the minority to be included in the mix is as lip-smacking as a sweet potato one.  Undoubtedly The Academy will take notice of black hunger and do better next time. In post-racial America tokenism has to be learned all over again. Meanwhile, on January 30th, I will interrupt my malaise to check out the upcoming award presentation of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG),  a group which was more liberal in its nominations although, Will Smith was still passed over. But at least Carleton, Will's sidekick from Fresh Prince, recently won a Silver Ball trophy for Dancing with the Stars! How's that workin' for ya, Aunt Viv?     

Sleep, don't fail me now. Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z