Cheryl Boone Isaacs Re-elected Academy President

Cheryl Boone Isaacs

One of the exciting things about this brief break is that The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) was on the verge of electing a new president. With three-term president Cheryl Boone Isaacs reaching the end of her term, one could only wonder who they had lined up to be next. In a moment that didn't surprise anyone, The Academy decided to do something novel and elect her to a fourth term. While many are likely shrugging their shoulders and wondering what exactly will change with The Academy in the year ahead, one should note that Isaacs has done plenty of good, albeit mostly in the past year. Still, what are we in store with a four-term president? The answer is, as she has outlined in the months passed, more of the same. And that may end up being a very good thing.

It seems easy to nitpick what The Oscars' weaknesses are. For instance, the Oscars So White campaign that has dominated conversation over the past two years has raised awareness about the lack of diversity. It has caused many to boycott, and even has many raising questions about what they can do to change this. In a record-breaking announcement earlier this summer, 683 members joined and bumped up the numbers of minorities and female members. There's plenty of initiatives also announced to hopefully improve this problem within the next four years. 

To say the least, bringing back Isaacs is a good call because of how vocal she has been on improving The Academy's diversity problem in recent years. In fact, it is likely that those who cannot recall former Academy presidents will be able to recognize her for this activity. The only catch is that she is scheduled to be president for a one year term. If nothing else, that will hopefully mean that she will accelerate her plans to hopefully make the most of her goals before she finally retires. 

It was always going to be a tough call, especially in an era where The Academy has done their best to appeal to an ever-changing demographic. Whether it be younger voters in 2010 or race relations today, there's a lot that can be improved. I look forward to seeing what those changes are. And who knows. Maybe this will be the most diverse Oscars ceremony in quite awhile. There's no definitive answers, but that's part of the fun of Oscar season. Now the trick is to wait and see what Isaacs will do to continue improving her legacy and leaving AMPAS a better organization than when she started.