Academy Awards

[Sjax]

The Academy Awards has recently been critizised for the fact that very few black people win an Oscar. As I understand it, untill yesterday only one man, Sidney Portier, has ever won an award for best actor.
Yesterday two black people won. Halle Berry, for best actress, and Denzel Washington for best actor.
I havent seen any of the films, that got them an Oscar, but do you think they got them because the academy wanted to make up for the many years that black people havent won, because they were black.
Anyway its a no-win situation. If iwhite people had won again, the academy would be called racists, and now that black people won, people will think they only won because they were black (like I just did).
I think that both Halle Berry and Denzel Washington are wonderful actors, and I'm sure they deserved their awards (like I said, I havent seen the movies), but I cant help wondering, if they just got them because the academy wanted to prove that they arent racists.


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Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past. (George Orwell)

[amr]

That's a hard question to answer. The thing you must remember is that the Academy is made up of people: actors, directors, producers, camera operators, etc. These are the people who nominate and vote on the Oscars. Being people, they are not always ruled by pure logic and they have hidden agendas, rivalries, and political affiliations. These factors can lead to decisions that make the average person go "HUH?!!!"

I haven't see Denzel's movie this year, but I've heard that his performance in last year's "The Hurricane" was way better. The Academy probably saw this year as a way to make up for his not getting the Oscar last year.

This would be similar to what happened with Henry Fonda a while back. Through all his years of acting he never got the Oscar until his last movie "On Golden Pond." I think the Academy finally realized that they had never given this great actor the award he deserved so they gave it to him as a make-up prize before he died.

As for the racist issue, it will depend on what movies are released. Sometimes there just aren't any good performances worthy of a nomination. I think most will be happy just to see a good racial mix in the nominations and let the best man/woman win.

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a politician is an arse upon which
everything has sat except a man
--e.e. cummings

[CBranski]

Making up for the past may not have had anything to do with Denzel Washington and Halle Berry winning academy awards-Denzel's been in film and TV since "St. Elsewhere" was on in the early '80's. His performance in "Training Day" was top notch and has proven himslef to be very versatile.

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Tony Soprano for Sherriff!

[Phreakmeister]

What bugged me most about the Oscars was the reaction of Halle Berry. It really annoyed the p1ss outta me. I have no doubt that her emotions were sincere, that's not my problem.
Imagine I would stand there, and I would say: "This is not just a victory for me, this is a victory for every white man".
I would immediately be portrayed as a racist.
Oscars (should) have nothing to do with the colour of the skin. So I think Halle Berry should leave the colour of her skin out of this.

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Do you believe in death after life?

[Sjax]

I agree that the academy awards should have nothing to do with the colour of your skin, but aparently it has. The fact that only one black person has ever won an award for best actor/actress (untill this time) should prove that.
In a perfect world noone would care, or even notice, if the person who won was black or white.

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Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past. (George Orwell)

[cleoeo]

In defense of previous Academy Awards committees, how were they supposed to give awards to black actors when Hollywood didn't turn out any movies with black leads? Up until recently Sidney Portier was the only black actor getting leading roles. Now that black leads are bringing in box office receipts we see more and more of them, and the awards will follow on merit. There weren't very many black baseball players getting Golden Glove awards back when there were no black major leauge baseball players either. It wasn't for lack of talent but for lack of opportunity.

[paulgro]

Moving to EE

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"I have not failed. I've just found
10,000 ways that won't work."


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