Al Sharpton calls ‘emergency meeting’ over Hollywood’s all-white Oscar list

originally posted by: TheArrow
But why do white people care about anything he says? That's what I don't get. Stop giving him an audience, and he will go away.

As long as politicians and protestors listen to him, he will be around. He's like a cockroach in that regard. He gets his sustaining lifeforce from sources outside of the average American's control. If we ignore him, we will see unfavorable changes occurring at his direction... if we discredit him, at least there is a point of resistance.

originally posted by: TheArrow

But why do white people care about anything he says? That's what I don't get. Stop giving him an audience, and he will go away.

As I stated in one of my earlier posts, he is a constant source of entertainment That's one of the reasons I started this thread. He is a buffoon, trying to convince blacks he really cares about their troubles, when his only intent is to make MONEY!! I could care less what he has to say, I just enjoy a good laugh now and then.

a reply to: burdman30ott6

I think Al Sharpton's entire public existence is a three card monte scam, with everyone thinking that everyone else thinks he's important to the dialog, and the only one keeping him propped up is the media whose job is to make money. As retiredTxn said, he's humorous, and I can't disagree. It's just a shame that a very vital message is being drowned out by a buffoon.

originally posted by: Jamie1
He has a consulting practice.

His endgame is he gets paid by some company in Hollywood as a "consultant" about $100,000 or more to help them with their "race problem."

Then he smooths over their PR by saying they've made progress because they've hired him.

It's his business model.

Don't cha just think that people who use race to divide us are serving the agenda of those that wish to control us by keeping us separate?

originally posted by: theantediluvian
The problem with Al is that he has a vested interested. If racism magically disappeared overnight, he'd immediately lose any relevance he has.

That said, the demographics of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences were released about this time last year and it looks a lot like the Tea Party:

- 94% White
- 77% Men
- 2% Black
- 2% Latino
- >.5% Asian, Native combined

LOL,

Your describing the usual "Progressive Elitist" club. Oh, Hollywood is one of those as well or didn't you know?

originally posted by: TheArrow

The blatantly white history of the Academy Awards speaks for itself, but I think Al is trying to hard in this instance.

Vasa Croe put this link in one of their earlier posts. I'm not saying it is a stellar record, but I do feel it shows a good representation of black actors and actresses included in the nominations.

en.wikipedia.org

a reply to: retiredTxn

hey prince won for purple rain. i didn't know that.


not sure that posted right
purple rain

I didn't realize how important actors were in the big picture of the world. Thank goodness for actors like Liam and Mel to set us straight on issues.

originally posted by: retiredTxn

originally posted by: TheArrow

The blatantly white history of the Academy Awards speaks for itself, but I think Al is trying to hard in this instance.

Vasa Croe put this link in one of their earlier posts. I'm not saying it is a stellar record, but I do feel it shows a good representation of black actors and actresses included in the nominations.

en.wikipedia.org

The Academy has given out 31 Oscars to black people in 86 years. I think the industry is a bit biased toward white people, and the Academy reflects that. I'm not saying it's the Academy's fault, I think it is a symptom of a larger issue with how we perceive the marketability of black people as box office draws.

Would it be possible for this type of line of thought to be brought up and not be called race baiting?
Or is that just the default response now?

I get it cause it is coming from Al, I don't think he does this type of thing on principle alone, but can we not bring up the idea that a film like Selma may have gotten snubbed for nefarious reasons?

Racism is very real, why is it we can't talk about it with out the flamethrowers coming out calling it race baiting?

a reply to: Sremmos80

That's why the media keeps Al Sharpton relevant, it makes it easier to push the actual problems under the rug.

originally posted by: TheArrow


The Academy has given out 31 Oscars to black people in 86 years. I think the industry is a bit biased toward white people, and the Academy reflects that. I'm not saying it's the Academy's fault, I think it is a symptom of a larger issue with how we perceive the marketability of black people as box office draws.

Hell guy, the Academy didn't give any to black actors/actresses until 1958's nomination of Sidney Pointiers, and in 1963 he won the first award for a black person. What was happening through all those years? A different time, many struggles, and that was just how it was. In the last twenty years, this year is the first time no blacks were nominated.

I don't blame anyone but the actors/actresses. Had they done better, they would have gotten the nod. As someone said earlier, the head honcho of the Academy is a black woman. Don't you think if this was pure racism, she would have come out and said so?

I just want to see the day we get past blaming racism for everything that occurs, and move on. The Academy made a decision on who deserved nominations based on merit or whatever system they use, and this one year, no blacks were included. I can't change that.

a reply to: retiredTxn

Don't you think if this was pure racism, she would have come out and said so?

Why?
She didn't get to where she is by biting the hand that feeds.

You don't know her or her principles.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: retiredTxn

Don't you think if this was pure racism, she would have come out and said so?

Why?
She didn't get to where she is by biting the hand that feeds.

You don't know her or her principles.

And you do? Maybe she got there because she EARNED it. Give her a call and get back to us.

a reply to: retiredTxn

I am not the one claiming to know them.
I am sure she did earn it, and knows how easy it is to make that all hard work for naught.

Just saying you can't say that there is no racism cause one black person isn't bringing it up.

a reply to: TheArrow

you gotta be kidding.

may i introduce to you, the best guitarist in the history of the world, anywhere


best actor


best comedian


best actress (have you seen whoopi in ghost?)


and there's sidney poitier (Ever see him in blackboard jungle?), morgan freeman, bill cosby (he was my favorite comedian as a kid, till he was replaced by eddie murphy)

ever hear that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?

well beyonce made this

and some white ladies made their own version of it. hehe


good grief. hollywood knows these people are hot items. i don't buy for one second, that they don't know that.

a reply to: undo

I didn't know that either.
Well deserved imo. Prince is phenomenal, and many have learned from his successes.

a reply to: undo

Funny you should bring up Jimi Hendrix, I thought Andre Benjamin was snubbed for his turn as Hendrix in "All Is by My Side". The movie was pretty good, but Andre was incredible.

Yup, all great actors, but it doesn't change the fact that you listed a -handful- of the thousands of black actors that won't get a chance to be in a Hollywood movie because there aren't roles for them because Hollywood doesn't value black characters or stories in a way that is meaningful to this dialog as evidenced by 31 Oscars in 86 years.

a reply to: retiredTxn

As a black person I agree with you. There are a lot of black actors out there who have talent but I never see some of them in mainstream movies. When I watch movies I tend to try to go for movies that have people that look like me in them, because I relate to those kind of movies better than I do with movies that have an all white cast.

Like you said when movies come out that have a mostly black cast it seems to deal with civil rights or slavery in some way. I like seeing those kind of movies too, but it's the 21st century and we need to start moving forward and trying harder to be in those mainstream movies that doesn't always deal with slavery or civil rights.

I remember reading an article like a year or two ago about a black actor talking about how if you're not white you will mostly get looked over for these top hollywood movies. That's really sad, because a person shouldn't be signed on to a movie based on skin color but on talent.

In response to the OP, Al needs to let this battle go because in my opinion it's not worth fighting. I say that because in my opinion those award shows are stupid and I can't believe they are still going strong....but whatever.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: retiredTxn

I am not the one claiming to know them.
I am sure she did earn it, and knows how easy it is to make that all hard work for naught.

Just saying you can't say that there is no racism cause one black person isn't bringing it up.

I didn't say I know them. I just find it ludicrous to play this off as racist. Do you really think if she spoke out, she would lose it all? I don't think so. If nothing else, she would open more discussion of this topic, and maybe even bring forth more diversity amongst the Academy. If this was a racist agenda on the part of the Academy, it would be her duty to bring it out into the open, would it not? Being the insider she is, she would have more info than the rest of us.