Following the rise of the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite when the 2015 Academy Awards nominees were released, this hashtag is still relevant to the film industry today. This hashtag was coined by blogger April Reign, to shine a light on the fact that the only people of colour nominated for a major award that night were Selma, Best Picture, and Alexander Inarritu, Best Director. #OscarsSoWhite began circulating on all social media channels, most notably Twitter, accumulating thousands of tweets highlighting the issue on the lack of representation in Hollywood.
The hashtag first began as a conversation between avid film goers who noticed the lack of people of colour in a mostly homogenous industry gaining attention and the movement was soon supported by celebrities such as Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett-Smith who boycotted the ceremony that year. In spite of the conversations ignited following the trending of the hashtag in 2015, the Academy failed to progress and managed to overlook any films with actors of colour in lead roles such as Straight Outta Compton and Creed for their major award categories in the 2016 season despite the backlash from the previous year (LA Times).
Movements such as #OscarsSoWhite that began online may be dismissed by some as “it’s just Twitter”, but with enough supporters behind it, changes can be made. #OscarsSoWhite magnifies the already existing social dynamics of the power of online presence and how it connects to one’s offline presence; people have lost jobs due to offensive content posted online, people have gotten jobs because of their work online (Vanguard Communications). It also magnifies the power and presence of influencers who have a large following online and in real life. Endorsements by social media influencers play a huge role whether it be to raise awareness for social issues or for crowdfunding or to promote certain branded products; the greater the following, the greater the reach.
Two years since the #OscarsSoWhite first trended, in 2017, Naomie Harris was up for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Moonlight, alongside co-star Mahershala Ali for Best Supporting Actor, and both Viola Davis and Denzel Washington were up for nominations for their work in Fences in the Best Actor and Actress categories respectively (Vanity Fair). With the 683 invitations that were sent out to join the Academy by the President in 2016 with efforts of having more diversity within the Academy (The Verge). From the first tweet with #OscarsSoWhite, progress has been made through the thousands of tweets it has accumulated, but as the movement continues to gain traction over time, more changes that we can see will be made.
Citations:
Dukes, Stephanie. “#OscarsSoWhite and the Power of Digital Activism.” Vanguard Communications, 24 Aug. 2017, www.vancomm.com/2016/02/25/oscarssowhite-and-the-power-of-digital-activism/.
Keegan, Rebecca, and Steven Zeitchik. “Oscars 2016: Here’s Why the Nominees Are so White — Again.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2016, www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-all-white-oscar-acting-nominees-20160114-story.html.
Opam, Kwame. “#OscarsSoWhite Creator April Reign: ‘There’s Still a Lot of Work to Be Done’.” The Verge, The Verge, 3 Feb. 2017, www.theverge.com/2017/2/3/14490632/academy-awards-2017-oscars-so-white-april-reign-diversity-interview.
Robinson, Joanna. “Nominees Caution That the ‘Oscars So White’ Fight Isn’t Over Yet.” HWD, Vanity Fair, 12 Feb. 2017, www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/02/viola-davis-bafta-win-dev-patel-mahershala-ali-oscars-so-white-naomie-harris.