Civil rights activist and White House adviser Al Sharpton has spoken out about what he calls a “fraudulent” state of affairs in Hollywood with regard to “progressive and liberal” attitudes.
The outspoken talkshow host has reacted to Thursday’s list of Oscar nominees, which does not include any actors of colour. It is the second year in a row that the academy has chosen to reward only white performers.
Sharpton, who is a personal adviser to President Obama, believes that “direct action” is needed to redress the balance.
All white Oscar nominations are another example of the lack of diversity in Hollywood. Like the Rocky Mts. The higher u climb the whiter.
— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) January 14, 2016
Hollywood has a fraudulent image of progressive and liberal politics and policies. We must take direct action to correct this. Talk is cheap
— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) January 14, 2016
This year’s nominations excluded Idris Elba for his role in Beasts of No Nation, Benicio del Toro for Sicario, Will Smith for Concussion and Michael B Jordan for Creed.
The academy was also criticised for failing to show diversity in its choices last year, when the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite started trending after David Oyelowo failed to pick up a nomination for his role as Martin Luther King in Selma.
In the past year, the academy has attempted to improve its public image by increasing the diversity of its members. A record number of women and and people from ethnic minorities were put up for seats on the board of governors.
NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton has been trending on Twitter, with many arguing that the film was snubbed in the 2016 nominations. The film’s one nod is for best original screenplay – for its white screenwriters.
This year’s set of nominees has been led by The Revenant and Mad Max: Fury Road, both starring white actors.
