Racial discrimination 1n
Hollywood 1s undeniable

> #OscarsSoRacist

Jessica Berget
Staff Writer

 

Ravn all the great actors of
colour who were nominated for
an award at the 2016 Oscars? The 2015
Oscars? No? That’s because there
wast a single one. For the past two
consecutive years, the Academy Awards
has neglected to recognize actors of
colour for their talents. Why? Because
the Oscars are racist. Plain and simple.

The Oscars have been celebrating
white supremacy since they first started
in 1929. It wasn’t until 1940 that the first
Black actress, Hattie McDaniel, won an
award for best supporting actress for her
role as “Mammy” in Gone with the Wind.
An award for which she had to have
special permission to receive because of
the hotel's “whites only” policy. Even then,
McDaniel was not allowed to sit with her
white colleagues, and instead sat at a small
table in the back of the room. It seems
that according to the Academy, people of
colour can be recognized for their talents
as long as it makes white people look
good, but not recognized as people.

The Oscars diversity controversy
is not just black and white. Since 1929,
in the 88 years the Oscars have taken
place, only 6.4 per cent of the best actor
and actress or best supporting actor and
actress recipients have been people of
colour. Unpacking this percentage and

looking over the awardees, 15 of them
have been Black, 5 have been Latino, 3
Asian, and exactly none have been Native
American. Fast forward to now and not
much has changed. Yes, some movies with
more diverse casts and stories are being
produced, but they are receiving little
to no recognition. This is not the first
time whitewashing has dominated the
Oscars, it is far from it. In the 21st century,
95 per cent of Oscar nominations have
gone to white actors. People of colour are
being under-represented, while white
people are being over-represented.
There's the argument that there are
no good actors of colour, or that movies
featuring non-white actors do not deserve
to win simply because they were not good
enough. However, considering the obvious
disregard for the many fantastic actors
and actresses from the past two years such
as O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins,
Jason Mitchell (Straight Outta Compton),
Michael B. Jordan (Creed) (which
Michael B. Jordan’s white counterpart
Sylvester Stallone was nominated for),
Oscar Isaac (Ex-Machina), Mya Taylor
(Tangerine) and Idris Elba (Beasts of No
Nation), this argument holds no weight.
Even when non-white actors are
recognized for their roles in major films,
these roles are only taken seriously
as long as they do not take away from
their white counterparts or follow some
sort of racialized archetype. Roles are

 

often reduced to maids or slaves (Lupita
Ny’ong’o in 12 Years a Slave, Hattie
McDaniel in Gone with the Wind.), the
‘exotic’ lover (Penélope Cruz in Vicky
Cristina Barcelona, Halle Berry in
Monsters Ball) or the classic thug trope
(Denzel Washington in Training Day,
Javier Bardem in No Country For Old
Men). On the other hand, white people are
often given these awards when playing a
non-white character as we have seen with
Linda Hunt as Billy Kwan in The Year of

CBC’s ‘Workin’ Moms' highlights

and reinforces sexism

> Double standards in gender

Cazzy Lewchuk
Opinions Editor

 

he latest sitcom from CBC is called

Workin’ Moms. According to an
IMDB description, it: “follows the lives
of four women as they juggle love,
careers, and parenthood. They support,
challenge, and try not to judge each
other as life throws them curveballs.”

Sitcoms displaying slice-of-life
situations are nothing new, and the
show actually looks pretty funny.
However, the concept and title are
sexist and decades behind the times.

Imagine if CBC premiered “Workin’
Dads.” Obviously, the concept of a
male who has a job and also children
is nothing new and accepted. Women
who have children and a career are
also not new. While the idea of women
attempting to be more than just a
housewife has been mainstream for
decades, the “working mom” stereotype
remains and is judged far too often.

Most moms work, particularly today
when a single income isn’t enough, or
in a single-parent household situation.
They don't just work petty jobs, they
work hard at challenging careers that
require much effort. These jobs come in

 

all varieties, and many of us remember
our mothers working nights and
weekends to support us growing up.
There is still a terrible perception
in society today that women are not as
capable as men in... Well, pretty much
everything, but particularly in having a
career. Because of their gender, women
are considered less qualified to balance
a career and children. A man having
a job he’s good at while also having a
family is seen as incredibly normal and

\

 

al

encouraged, but when a woman does it,
it results in criticism and CBC sitcoms.
Workin’ Moms was created by
a working mother, and I don’t think
she intended for there to be a sexist
message or perception underlined.
Unfortunately, we live in a society where
it will probably always be more difficult
to bea mother than to be a father. The
responsibilities that are expected with
this double standard are ridiculous.
Ultimately, a woman can do

Pals
Lisi ta

Screenshot from the 2016 Academy Awards Nominations

Living Dangerously (1982), William Hurt
as Louise Molina in Kiss of the Spider
Woman (1985) and Jennifer Connolly as
Alicia Lardé in A Beautiful Mind (2001).
When it comes to discussing racism
at the Oscars, the facts are undeniable.
Films should represent people of all races,
ethnicities, and religions appropriately,
as they should be a reflection of the
world. The world is not 95 per cent
white, so there is no reason the Oscars
should be representing it as such.

Promotional image for ‘Workin’ Moms’

literally any task that a man can do just
as well. Some of the most successful
entrepreneurs and CEOs are women at
the top of the corporate ladder in careers,
and there are just as many successful
women working lower-level labour.

A working mother is not a daring or
interesting concept; it is simply a human
being who happens to be female with

a job and at least one child. This is the
complete norm in today’s society.