Still wondering why there were so many major snubs during yesterday's Academy Awards nominations? We may have an answer for you.
The LEGO Movie. Jennifer Anniston. Gone Girl writer Gillian Flynn. And do we even need to mention Selma? Yes, it got a Best Picture nomination, but that feels like a token nod when the movie's actors and director, Ava DuVernay, were completely shut out. Let's put it this way: Every single acting nomination went to a Caucasian, and every Best Picture nominee focused on a male lead. (Twitter immediately jumped on the all-white nominees with the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite.)
And here you thought Dick Poop was bad.
The answers can be found in the statistics of Academy voters. Out of 6,028 voting members, get this:
• 94% are white
• 86% are 50 and over
• 77% are male
There it is, in crystal clear terms. The vast majority of Academy voters are older white men. For a town that prides itself on promoting diversity, that's an awfully skewed demographic.
Consider this: The average age of Academy voters is 63. The average age of moviegoers in 2014? 30.
So, dear movie buffs, the next time you're disappointed by an Oscar winner or nominee, just remember that they were selected by a group of aging male executives who are almost entirely white. It's probably a safe assumption that they don't share your tastes or values.
