Coen Brothers Disagree
But, the Coen Brothers argue to the contrary. The cultural significance of show business shouldn’t have to carry social responsibility. Everyone knows award shows like the Oscars are more about glossy PR festivals than actual achievements accomplished in films. But, they do create an image of the social and cultural state of our society’s reality. If writers and directors are incapable of recognizing the diverse world we as a society worked to achieve, they may be seen as verifying old racial stereotypes. At least, this is how a growing number of people on social media feel. Once the public learned this year’s Oscar nominations, it became clear this would be the second year featuring mostly white contenders for recognition. The #OscarsSoWhite hashtag gained popularity without a hint of slowing. The trend became a national conversation. This worried the Academy enough for them to push for quick reforms to increase the number of colored actors in its membership.How Oscars So White Started
When the Hail, Caesar! trailer hit the internet, its stars included George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Josh Brolin, Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, and the new-to-the-screen Alden Ehrenreich. Almost immediately, a slew of #OscarsSoWhite reactions exploded onto the feeds of various social media platforms. Even Clooney took a piece of the backlashing action, criticizing Hollywood’s lack of “[available] options to minorities in film.” The Washington Post voiced the same opinion, citing the movie’s “pervasive whiteness,” and asking “[i]n Hollywood, must ‘white’ always equal ‘universal?’”
