Ah, remember those socially progressive awards show days of yore? All the way back five days ago when the Golden Globes were all about feminism, trans visibility, and shining light on the very real truth that Selma is now? We were moving forward! Hollywood was being a part of the change we want to see in the world! Oh, they were good times. Here to burst your bubble, though, are the nominees for the 87th annual Academy Awards. Guess how many people of color were nominated for acting awards? Go on, guess.
If you guessed zero, you are correct.
Guess how many women were nominated for directing Oscars.
Yep, zero!
Guess how many women were nominated for writing Oscars?
You’re correct again! Zero!
Much like midterm elections, the 2015 Academy Awards will finally shine a light on that long oppressed and often overlooked minority group: Straight white men. Well, except for Tegan and Sara, who were nominated for “Everything Is Awesome,” their song from The Lego Movie. And Selma, which got a nod for best picture and best song. That’s something, I guess, but it’s not even close to enough.
The problem, of course, isn’t just that women and people of color were overlooked by the Academy; it’s that there is still a dearth of opportunities for women and people of color in Hollywood. Lupita Nyong’o and Steve McQueen‘s wins were the exception, not the rule.
Here’s a list of nominees in the major categories.
Best Picture
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
Best Director
Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman)
Richard Linklater (Boyhood)
Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher)
Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game)
Best Actor
Steve Carell (Foxcatcher)
Bradley Cooper (American Sniper)
Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game)
Michael Keaton (Birdman)
Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything)
Best Actress
Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night)
Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything)
Julianne Moore (Still Alice)
Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)
Reese Witherspoon (Wild)
Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall (The Judge)
Ethan Hawke (Boyhood)
Edward Norton (Birdman)
Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher)
JK Simmons (Whiplash)
Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
Laura Dern (Wild)
Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game)
Emma Stone (Birdman)
Meryl Streep (Into the Woods)
Adapted Screenplay
Jason Hall (American Sniper)
Graham Moore (The Imitation Game)
Paul Thomas Anderson (Inherent Vice)
Anthony McCarten (The Theory of Everything)
Damien Chazelle (Whiplash)
Original Screenplay
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr, Armando Bo (Birdman)
Richard Linklater (Boyhood)
E Max Frye and Dan Futterman (Foxcatcher)
Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Tony Gilroy (Nightcrawler)
Animated Feature
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of Princess Kaguya
Best Foreign Language Film
Ida
Leviathan
Tangerines
Timbuktu
Wild Tales
Original Song
‘Everything is Awesome’ (The Lego Movie)
‘Glory’ (Selma)
‘Grateful’ (Beyond the Lights)
‘I’m Not Gonna Miss You’ (Glen Campbell… I’ll Be Me)
‘Lost Stars’ (Begin Again)
#OscarsSoWhite is a thing that’s trending right now. It’s beautiful.
https://twitter.com/Awkward_Duck/status/555742165662728193
https://twitter.com/fakerapper/status/555740227189219328
https://twitter.com/IjeomaOluo/status/555737024846520321
https://twitter.com/dmcrawford/status/555734535582015488
https://twitter.com/IjeomaOluo/status/555734288465817600
https://twitter.com/TUSK81/status/555745781647683584
https://twitter.com/curlyheadRED/status/555745506853658624
https://twitter.com/OhGoshJ/status/555745280214433794
Maybe I’ll just rewatch The Golden Globes on Oscar night. Or Orange Is the New Black for the one hundredth time.
