One Oscar Voter is bashing the #OscarsSoWhite viral campaign.
Stephen Verona, a member of the Academy’s directors branch, has just weighed in on the #OscarsSoWhite controversy and his response is far from neutral.
In a report by The Hollywood Reporter, the director of The Lords of Flatbush, which featured Sylvester Stallone and Henry Winkler, finds the latest Oscars backlash offensive.
I never, never hire anyone because of their race, religion or political beliefs. To be lumped in as “racist” by the likes of Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett Smith is totally out of line. I believe talent is what should be honored — gifted individuals who help make movies great.
Try telling the NBA to hire more white, Latino, Chinese or Eskimo basketball players and see the backlash. And by the way, why doesn’t Spike Lee return his honorary Oscar if he’s so incensed? If people make better movies, they will be rewarded. That’s as simple as it can be.
The director is the latest industry insider to address the latest criticism and calls for change after the Oscar nominations were announced on January 14th, and not a single actor of color received a nomination for the second year in a row.
