Unmasking Oscar: Academy voters are overwhelmingly white and male

[kwassa]

A Los Angeles Times study found that academy voters are markedly less diverse than the moviegoing public, and even more monolithic than many in the film industry may suspect. Oscar voters are nearly 94% Caucasian and 77% male, The Times found. Blacks are about 2% of the academy, and Latinos are less than 2%.

Oscar voters have a median age of 62, the study showed. People younger than 50 constitute just 14% of the membership.

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The academy is primarily a group of working professionals, and nearly 50% of the academy's actors have appeared on screen in the last two years. But membership is generally for life, and hundreds of academy voters haven't worked on a movie in decades.

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The Times found that some of the academy's 15 branches are almost exclusively white and male. Caucasians currently make up 90% or more of every academy branch except actors, whose roster is 88% white. The academy's executive branch is 98% white, as is its writers branch.

Men compose more than 90% of five branches, including cinematography and visual effects. Of the academy's 43-member board of governors, six are women; public relations executive Cheryl Boone Isaacs is the sole person of color.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/oscars/la-et-unmasking-oscar-academy-project-20120219-story.html

[yeoman6987]

1. It embarrassing that Hollywood typically very liberal would make the oscars a mess

The president of the academy is an African American. I don't know why she didn't say, look at percentages. Let's take the database and Mail more ballots to people of color? How hard is that?

[kwassa]

3. They need to invite more diverse peoples to join the Academy.

and cull those that haven't worked in a long time.

[dembotoz]

2. would be curious as to what percentage of the actors in any given year in major movies are minority

did not see the compton thing
and i refuse to see another rocky movie no matter what

perhaps a more valid question would be if there were more minority roles in major pictures would there
still be non representation at the awards

strictly a numbers thing

protest the casting more than the end product the casting produces

[yeoman6987]

4. It's a lack of roles

The Emmys don't have this problem. The Grammys don't have this problem. Movies just need to catch up.

[kwassa]

5. "Ethnic minorities, who make up nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population,

Ethnic minorities, who make up nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population, received only 17 percent of the lead roles in theatrical films.

http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/02/28/389259335/diversity-sells-but-hollywood-remains-overwhelmingly-white-male

[dembotoz]

7. if 17% of lead roles are minority then 17% of nominations would be minority

some years there seems to be several wonder what the statistical mean is

not that many awards, only 17% representation....some years no nominations would be logical to expect.


fight the casting to bring it up to 40% minority participation and THEN raze holy hell at low awards

[abelenkpe]

6. In entertainment for 20 years

In Los Angeles. Every level is dominated by white guys. Seriously. But especially high profile roles like directors. Women and minority's have a tough time. Interestingly, had a couple of female managers over the years who did more to keep non white guys unnoticed. Not sure what their motivation was. Probably hormones. At least that was the rumor. We need more minority and female writers, producers and directors. Then, hopefully, they'll look to hire more diverse cast and crew. They'll develop stories from a non white POV. There's so much opportunity there. But look to the top. The CEOs, producers, directors, writers, distributors, marketers, voting academy members. Mostly older white males. They're gonna tell their story.

[GreatGazoo]

8. The membership of the Academy is no secret -- if you were nominated for an Award you're in for life.

So if we look at lists of who was nominated and know which ones are still alive then we know who is in the Academy.

Phase 1 is Nominations where only the people in your category vote. So actors nominate performance for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor.

Phase 2 is all the Academy members sees all of the nominated performances (that they haven't already seen) and then vote on everything, inside and outside of their categories.

List of male actors in the Academy:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Actor#Winners_and_nominees
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Supporting_Actor#Winners_and_nominees

Female Actors in the Academy:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Actress#Winners_and_nominees
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Supporting_Actress#Winners_and_nominees

[kwassa]

9. no, the membership is secret, according to the LA Times.

they found out through sleuthing who many of them were.

Procedures for joining the academy have changed over the decades; in 2003, the organization clarified its admittance policies. There are three ways to become candidates for membership: land an Oscar nomination; apply and receive a recommendation by two members of a branch; or earn an endorsement from the branch's membership committee and staff. Membership committees must approve all new members

Meatloaf is a member, Woody Allen is not. George Lucas is not.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-movie-academy-surprises-academy-project-story.html