JADA SMITH ON OSCARS SO WHITE

Jada Pinkett Smith came out and said we, as black people, should boycott the Oscars because of #OscarsSoWhite, the sequel.  Her video is at the end of this post.

And the Oscar goes to...a white person!For the second year in a row, all 20 Oscar nominations for acting have gone to white people.
Posted by AJ+ on Thursday, January 14, 2016

Her calling for a boycott is fine. But I think I would be feeling the racial solidarity a little deeper in my bones if her husband, Will Smith, hadn't just been skipped over for "Concussion."


Now, I didn't see "Concussion" But that's not the point.  The point is, Jada didn't come out and seriously trounce "Oscars So White" LAST YEAR with half the passion...THIS YEAR it looks like a case of sour grapes. 

 So, I'm sorry. I cannot give Jada any love on this...like...at all.

The first "Aunt Viv" on "The Fresh Prince Of Bel Aire" kinda read Jada and Will's motivations on this the same way. (Note: There's bad blood here because, rumor has it,  the first "Aunt Viv" actress was fired from "Fresh Prince" 20 years ago. And rumor has it she was fired because she and a wet behind the ears Will Smith didn't get along.)

AUNT VIV 1.0 DRAGS JADA AND WILL- READ MORE
http://www.awesomelyluvvie.com/2016/01/janet-huberts-jada-will-smith.html

Even so, I do agree with Jada. And it's not like I wouldn't like to boycott the Oscars-- as a watcher. But I already don't watch them.

They've been too white for years. And when a black woman does win it's for a stereotypical role that white people can get behind.


It almost made me vomit to have to be happy for Denzel Washington and Halle Berry when they won best actor and 

Denzel and Halle

best actress at the same time.  Denzel  won for being the thuggiest thug there has ever been in "Training Day" (out of all the other roles he's done exceptional work in) and Halle Berry won for being an abusive mother in "Monster's Ball" and did an explicit sex scene with the most repulsive hillbilly -type character I've seen in a while. Most of the black women I know were offended by that sex scene and by Halle's taking the role in the first place.

HOWEVER, PLEASE NOTE THAT THE OSCAR HALLE WON FOR MONSTER'S BALL LAUNCHED HER CAREER INTO A WHOLE NEW ORBIT.



I think the 2001 Oscars was the last Oscars I even attempted to watch a part of. So, I can't boycott what I already refuse to watch

But I also refuse to say, "I don't care."
I do care.
Know why? 

AMERICA

BELONGS

TO

US

TOO!

And that Oscar means something. That Oscar means more recognition. That Oscar means more roles will offered. That Oscar means you get to tell your own stories with a huge budget. 

You're damn skippy, I care.

"We should make our own stuff," some say.

My answer,  "We do."  

There are black people who have been making their own films for us for decades. You don't know 95% of their names. There are people making black internet series. You know why you don't  know who they are? Because they aren't getting national exposure....AT THE DAMN OSCARS IN THE UNITED STATES AMERICA ON NATIONAL TELEVISION WHERE YOUR ANCESTOR'S BLOOD SOAKED THE SOIL


When we get Oprah's OWN and BET to do 90% scripted black and brown programming, I'll be interested in "Let's do our own stuff" again.

When black people get together,
redefine black excellence as something other than making a whole bunch of money for ONE'S SELF
 and follow up by deciding to
jump up and down on Oprah's head
and whoever own's BET's head
(even if they are white)
I'll be right there with you on
"Let's do our own stuff"


Until then,  we need to focus on the left side of the graphic below: 




Just like we need to stop looking at the cops that murder and look at the judges and prosecutors that set murdering cops loose instead, we need to focus on the people behind the curtain pulling the strings. We need to look at replacing the Academy Judges.




Yes. Twenty nomination going to all white people, even to freaking Sylvester Stallone, even to white people that don't even live in this country, even to white people in movies that nobody even thought about seeing IS a problem. 

But the people behind the curtain,  the mostly old white men behind the curtain, are the biggest problem. Those judges are the ones that must be replaced to the tune of one-third or more.



All we have to do now is figure out how to hurt the Oscars folk in the wallet so that these old white men will be removed.


 When you find a way to take away the money white people sit up and listen. That's an always and forever kinda thing.  So how do we take away the money in a public way, suddenly, that's really noticeable?

Would all black and brown people turning off the Oscars really do it? Would refusing to click one thing on the internet that says "Oscar" do it? 

Maybe we should also think of a new awards show for people of color. We could keep Black awards shows, keep Latino awards shows, and keep Asian awards shows but ALSO have a much larger "People of Color Award Show" for actors. Maybe we need to focus on combining are numbers. We'd need a less clumsy name for the show. But you do get my drift, right?

Let me say this again: If our outnumbering white people is going to mean anything in 2050 or 2060, we better start pulling in the same direction.

Conclusion: Sour grapes or not, I hope Jada's protest attracts the attention of other black actors and actresses and they all refuse to go.  But I'm still thinking about what's next.

Hmmm...I wonder what Chris Rock is going to do. He's supposed to be the host for the Oscars this year. The possibilities are endless...(Insert Mean Grin Here)





#BlackRepresentationMatters

#LatinxRepresentationMatters

#AsianRepresentationMatters

-----------------
UPDATE January 20, 2016:
HAS THE REVOLUTION HAS BEEN CANCELLED? 

UPDATE January 21 2016
Will Says he's not going to the Oscars either:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/will-smith-will-not-be-attending-the-oscars-this-year-either-20160121