Sharesale
Entertainment NewsCelebrities#BoycottTheOscars Goes Viral: Spike Lee Boycotts the Oscars

#BoycottTheOscars Goes Viral: Spike Lee Boycotts the Oscars

Date:

Spike Lee calls for the boycott of the Oscars.

The call for a boycott of the Academy Awards are growing over the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ second straight year of nominating mostly non-white actors, as Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett Smith each said on Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend that they will not attend this year’s ceremony.

In a long Instagram post, Spike Lee said he “cannot support” the “lily white” oscars. Spike Lee said he was fed up: “Forty white actors in two years and no flava at all,” he wrote. “We can’t act?!”

Spike Lee added: “The Academy Awards is not where the ‘real’ battle is,” wrote Lee. “It’s in the executive office of the Hollywood studios and TV and cable networks. This is where the gate keepers decide what gets made and what gets jettisoned to ‘turnaround’ or scrap heap. This is what’s important. The gate keepers. Those with ‘the green light’ vote.”

Spike Lee Chiraq

In a video message on Facebook, Jada Pinkett Smith said she wouldn’t attend nor watch the Oscars in February. Pinkett Smith, whose husband Will Smith wasn’t nominated for his acting in the NFL “Concussion,” movie said it was time for people of color to ignore the Academy Awards.

“Begging for acknowledgement, or even asking, diminishes dignity and diminishes power,” she said. “And we are a dignified people and we are powerful.”

She added: “Let’s let the academy do them, with all grace and love. And let’s do us differently.”

We must stand in our power!We must stand in our power.

Posted by Jada Pinkett Smith on Monday, January 18, 2016

Last year’s all-white acting nominees started a boycott, but nothing of this year’s magnitude. Many of the boycotters were Twitter users but now the boycott is spreading to mainstream actors and filmmakers. And it had an impact, the 2015 Oscars ratings were down 16 percent from the year before, sparking a six-year low.

This year, Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs has made a point of creating more diversity. However, the lack of minorities nominated for an award made her feel “disappointed” in the judges.

The February 28th broadcast will be hosted by Chris Rock and produced by “Django Unchained” producer Reginald Hudlin and David Hill. On Saturday, Chris Rock called the Oscars “The White BET Awards.”

The hastag #BoycottTheOscars has continued to go viral. Here are some of the responses on Twitter:

What do you think? Share with us your thoughts in the comments below!

spot_img
Megan Dianehttps://www.projectcasting.com
Hi, I'm Megan Browne, the Head of Partnerships at Project Casting - a job board for the entertainment industry. As Head of Partnerships, I help businesses find the best talent for their influencer campaigns, photo shoots, and film productions. Creating these partnerships has enabled me to help businesses scale and reach their true potential. I'm excited to continue driving growth by connecting people with projects they're passionate about.

More like this
Related

‘Mission: Impossible 8’: Everything You Need to Know

Key Takeaways: - The previous installment, "Mission: Impossible — Dead...

Tubi Adds Robin Williams’ Classic 90s Comedies ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ and ‘Jumanji’ to its Library

Key takeaways: - Robin Williams' well-loved comedy films 'Mrs. Doubtfire'...

Marvel’s Zombies Series Set to Spook up Halloween on Disney Plus

Key Takeaways: - Marvel Zombies will debut on Disney+ in...

Netflix’s ‘Time Cut’: Everything You Need to Know

Key Takeaways: - "Time Cut" revolves around Lucy Field's journey...