The Oscars: Academy Members Vote ... We'll Be Less White
The Oscars Academy Members Vote ... We'll Be Less White
The Motion Picture Academy is getting some "brothas on the wall" -- to quote Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" -- after unanimously voting to increase its minority and female membership.
Thursday night's vote -- a clear reaction to outrage over a lack of black Oscar nominees recently -- will not affect this year's ceremony, but instead aims to double the Academy's diversity by 2020.
Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs said they will immediately begin recruiting new minority members. She also announced new rules to ensure that the only members who get to vote on Oscar nominees will be those who are still actively making films.
Bottom line: If you're an Academy member who's old and out of touch with the latest movie culture ... your days might be numbered.
What the vote doesn't address is what Spike talked about -- which is more minorities at the studio level who decide which films get made.
Baby steps.