_A hashtag's starring role at the Oscars
In 2012, a Times investigative series called attention to the overwhelming white maleness of the film academy. So when, for a second year in a row, the acting categories of the 2016 Oscars were filled with white faces, #Oscarssowhite became more than a hashtag.
The ensuing criticism and calls for a boycott, which started right after the nominations were announced in January, made it clear changes must be made. A Times analysis found that wouldn't be easy, but the Academy began addressing the problem, vowing to double the number of women and minority members by 2020.
Times staff members offered their own list of 100 possible candidates, many of whom became part of the academy's unprecedented opening up of its membership, achieved by inviting 683 to join its largest and most diverse class.
In a new Times analysis, we crunched the numbers on the new class and found the academy still has a long way to go. And yet, as we head into a new awards season, a slate of Oscar favorites include films revolving around female characters and what the African American Film Critics Association called the best year in film ever for people of color.
_The return of O.J. Simpson
The trial of the last century was revived in February with Ryan Murphy's star-studded FX series "American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson," which enthralled audiences, critics and, later in the year, Emmy voters and gave new meaning to the term "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia." Months later, Ezra Edelman's amazingly ambitious documentary "O.J.: Made in America" debuted in theaters before moving to ABC and ESPN, making it the first television docuseries with real Oscar hopes. Meanwhile, the man himself remains just another number in the Lovelock Correctional Center in Nevada.
_Winter came, and it was good
While George R.R. Martin continued working on his long-awaited sixth book in the series, HBO's "Game of Thrones" roared on (Season 6 concluded in June), racking up record audiences and breaking Emmy records. The only question is, how will any show hope to replace it?
_The Nobel prizes, they are a changin'
Long considered by many to be the people's poet laureate, it became official in October when it was announced that Bob Dylan had won the Nobel Prize in Literature, redefining the nature of the prize just as he redefined American music and culture. But while the world gasped, Dylan remained Dylan; the day after winning, he played Vegas and later announced he would not attend the December ceremony.
_Nate Parker and 'The Birth of a Nation'
In January, Nate Parker was the darling of the Sundance Film Festival. His film, "The Birth of a Nation," which he wrote, directed and starred in, was acquired for a record-breaking $17.5 million and seemed fast-tracked to Oscar glory. But what seemed a ready-made answer to the #Oscarssowhite issue soon morphed into scandal when accounts of his 1999 trial, and eventual acquittal, for rape resurfaced. Responding to the news that his accuser, a Penn State classmate, had committed suicide in 2012, Parker published a statement on Facebook, saying he was "filled with profound sorrow," which prompted more headlines, as defenders and detractors continued to speak out. Some screenings of the film were canceled.
While "Nation" co-star Gabrielle Union shared her thoughts in an eloquent Op-Ed for the Times, Parker began deflecting questions in the weeks leading up to the film's October opening. In the end, "Birth of a Nation" became the next big thing that wasn't.
_The untimely death of a local icon
Upon his death in October, Gordon Davidson was mourned, but, more than that he was memorialized. The founder of the Mark Taper Forum, he didn't just help bring serious theater to Los Angeles, he helped build the connections that made Los Angeles a world-class center of the arts.
_Art and gentrification in Boyle Heights
The arrival of international art galleries in the industrial area that rings Boyle Heights raised alarm among residents about issues of gentrification and displacement. Using the neighborhood as a case study, the Times looked at how art and artists became identified with gentrification _ and how ongoing protests shine a spotlight on the need for housing and more thoughtful city planning.
_This just in: Celebrity news
It was a year of splits and political appearances and surprises, unpleasant and otherwise:
Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt; Amber Heard and Johnny Depp settled an ugly divorce battle; a judge finalized the Lamar Odom-Khloe Kardashian divorce; Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne separated and reconciled; and Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston called it quits.
The presidential election ensured that some of Hollywood's biggest names were out on the campaign trail. Beyonce, Katy Perry, Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi made appearances on behalf of Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump's celebrity supporters included Ted Nugent, Kid Rock, Stephen Baldwin, James Woods and Clint Eastwood.
But wait, there's more: Kim Kardashian was held at gunpoint during a robbery in Paris. Kanye West was hospitalized for an apparent breakdown, and afterward he met with Trump for a "multicultural" conversation.
