Obama Honors Fallen Troops
'Tough Love: New Orleans' Swamp Date
As controversial as the Oscar nominations usually are, there is one issue that stands out more than most. Namely, why are there no black Oscar nominees this year?
In fact, this is the first Academy Awards since 2001 that features no black actors in the nominations. For the last ten years, African-American actors have accounted for roughly twelve percent of the nominations, leading to seven Oscars being awarded.
It's not as if black performers haven't featured in decent movies this year. At a glance, you have Morgan Freeman in Red, Don Cheadle in Iron Man 2, Denzel Washington gave us a couple of blockbuster action movies and Halle Berry returned to the big screen in Frankie and Alice, playing a schizophrenic (usually the type of difficult role that the Academy applauds).
Berry received a Golden Globe nomination for her role, but hasn't made the Oscars shortlist since winning an award back in 2002 for Monster's Ball.
It also seems that there may not be that many opportunities this year for African-American actors to make the shortlist either. Two big films that might change the situation are The Help, about the lives of housemaids during the segregation of the Civil War-era, and Winnie, a biopic of Winnie Mandela starring Jennifer Hudson and Denzel Washington.
Source: Moviefone
Kevin Eason is a freelance editorial cartoonist and Illustrator from New Jersey. His brand of satire covers news events in politics, entertainment, sports and much more. Follow him on Facebook.
Comments: (26)
Add a comment
By: Mack on 2/27/2011 9:59PM
You haven't named an actor in an Oscar-worthy role in the past year. Do we nominate blacks JUST to fill a racial quota or for their contributions to film? I can't think of any roles this past year with a black actor/actress that deserved nomination. Let's not be so quick to play the race card...
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: ADMR on 2/27/2011 10:10PM
What Did Ya'll Expect Said David Allen Greer Amongst Other Black males Who Have Called out Racism where They See/Have Seen It AND
Kevin Said: He Wants A Divorce Effective Immediatly.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: cole on 2/27/2011 10:37PM
We have to start doing better films. We have to start taking better roles.
Just because we have a movie at the theater, doesn't mean that it's good. Or just because we are "in" a movie, doesn't mean it's a good role.
Spike Lee used to say that it's hard getting Hollywood to OKAY an African American movie.
And now, with the economy, it's probably really hard.
I don't know when things will change.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Offthepink on 3/05/2011 4:01PM
He was right...because black movies are always about the same damn things. You have to be fresh and stand out, not by doing the same old movies that have been done before, but with a different cast, but by covering subjects your black peers lack the imagination to. We're in the same damn rut we've been in since the 70's: Sports, gang life/crime, "cooning/minstrel" (Medea, and the majority of Wayans bros movies), get-me-a-white-hoe (Save The Last Dance and all its imatators) and women's sob stories. Do some damn fantasy (some brother needs to direct a film about Marvel Comics' black super-hero T'challa, The Black Panther), martial arts, or some sci-fi...idunno...how about a movie where Earth became unlivable, and everybody had to live on space colonies. Have the hero a non-ghetto brother be from "New Zimbabwe". You have to have vision to succeed in movie making. You can't just keep churning out the same types of movies that even black people (well, thinking black people, anyway. The non-thinkers will still line up for the minstrel movies that make us look like buffoons) are getting tired of.
Report This
By: Mike on 2/27/2011 11:10PM
Kevin Eason, you want to talk about not having many opportunities or being represented at award shows? Take a look at how Hollywood treats Asians, the most disrespected group in the entertainment industry. This may come as a shock to you, but there are other minorities in this country besides African Americans. Yet, every year, people like you are always complaining about how African Americans are treated unfairly. Give me a break. Hell, the first movie in Hollywood's history to feature two male Asian leads was "Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle," which came out in 2004. Yes, it took UNTIL 2004 for a Hollywood movie to feature two male Asian leads. That's a complete disgrace. And let's not forget how the practice of yellowface is still acceptable today and is not nearly as known as blackface. There's an upcoming film about Genghis Khan that stars Mickey Rourke. Now, let's say if there was an upcoming film about Martin Luther King, Jr. starring Tom Hanks. People would be up in arms about it. But, when Asians are involved, nobody gives a damn. So, please, don't act as if African Americans have it bad. There are other groups, particularly Asians, that have it far worse.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Kiki on 2/28/2011 2:00AM
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Thank you for bringing to our attention the "disrepect" Asians recieve in the entertainment industry. However, this IS a site that focuses on "Black voices" so if Kevin wants to put his opinion up, he is more than able to do so without being bashed. Black people represent the largest minority group in America and I think it's only fair to say that one would expect to see at least one Black nominee for an Oscar. If there were none worthy this year then so be it, but I don't see the point in getting upset about someone else's thoughts on their culture and position in the industry.
Report This
By: Leah on 2/28/2011 6:33PM
I'm the first one to say the Academy consistently and persistently overlooks black actors and their performances come awards season but Don Cheadle in Iron Man 2?? You can't be serious.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: teabaggeredgar on 2/28/2011 2:42AM
OSCARS: No COLORED nominees. @ KE, Stop playing the race card. Some of your movies [FOR COLORED GIRLS] Do not desered an OSCAR.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: David on 2/28/2011 8:17AM
@teabaggeredgar/Greg/Mike or whatever name you are using. You are the only one playing the race card.
It's long overdue for Blackvoices to get a moderator in here to start taking out the white trash on a black blog.
Report This
By: Deborah on 2/28/2011 9:28AM
This is for teabaggeredgar: It is quite obvious how racist you are by your use of the word, "Colored" whch was presented in a condescending way and the racists overtones in your every one of your post! You have no love for blacks or anybody else so why do you continually come to this site and spew your racist venom?
I also agree that Hollywood overlooks many of our Asian actors and Latino actors too. When The Joy Luck Club was released in the 90's, not one nomination for that movie! Hollywood needs to recognize that this world is made up with many other minorities and that they too need to be recognized as well.
Report This