Why this Years' Academy Awards Ceremony Was One of the Best

Chris Rock

Every year, there has been enough tension between the day that the Oscar nominations are announced and when the winners finally give their speeches. It is a fun time to speculate, especially if you're a prognosticator who enjoys nitpicking statistics or at any point believing that The Big Short was a front runner of any kind. The race itself was exciting, but this was likely undermined by what everyone else wanted to talk about: Oscars So White. For the second year in a row, every acting category was jam packed with white faces that would eventually lead to notorious boycotts from black celebrities, specifically that of Jada Pinkett Smith and Al Sharpton. This raised a question: how do The Oscars go on? Thankfully Chris Rock was there, and he turned  in one of the best awards ceremonies in years. It was controversial, sure, but Rock and producer Reginald Hudlin turned in a 3.5 hour production that not only addressed the elephant in the room, but reminded audiences as to why The Oscars are so integral to Hollywood, and international representation.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Concussion" (2016)

Will Smith in Concussion

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

Mark Ruffalo Becomes First Oscar Nominee to Comment on "Oscars So White" Movement

Will Smith in Concussion

The news keeps coming out about the Oscars So White movement. In recent days, we've heard from George Clooney, Spike Lee, and even the potential step-down of Chris Rock as host. However, today is possibly one of the first that actually holds levity to this year's actual ceremony. Among the people who might add their names to the list of boycotters is Spotlight actor Mark Ruffalo, who is up for a Best Supporting Actor nomination. In a recent interview, he acknowledge his potential absence. Also, Will Smith speaks up after his wife Jada Pinkett Smith became one of the first voices to publicly decry the ceremony and refuse to go. To say the least, things are starting to heat up, and we're only a week out from this year's nominations. With a month to go, who knows how much worse things will get.

"Straight Outta Compton" Producer, Spike Lee, and More Address Oscars Diversity Problem

Scene from Straight Outta Compton

Last Thursday marked the announcement of this year's Oscar nominees. If nothing else, there was a lot of intriguing genre diversity in Best Picture, with two major sci-fi films competing with prestige dramas. Even the acting fields had their own surprises. However, there's one thing that has come up once again: Oscars So White. Last year it showed up because all 20 of the nominees in the acting field were white. This year unfortunately featured more of the same, with many crying out once again that The Oscars have a race problem. With that said, some major voices in the black community have made their opinion public, and everyone from Spike Lee (who recently won an Honorary Oscar) to Tyle Perry have ways that they could fix things. To say the least, some of them have good ideas.