By Miguel Mike Medina
The Academy Awards continue to lose their mind. It is unbelievable that we live in a time when art doesn’t matter anymore. It’s about promoting political agendas and diversity, inclusion equity. This is getting out of hand. Recently, one of my friends sent an article from The Hollywood Reporter published back in March of this year. The article describes the new diversity criteria you must meet to be nominated for best picture at next year’s Oscars.
You heard that well. There will be new rules that filmmakers must meet before they submit their films to the Oscars. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this is the ridiculous idea that we will begin to see more often beginning next year.
STANDARD A: Onscreen
The film must meet one of the following:
At least one of the lead or significant supporting actors is from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.
At least 30 percent of all actors in secondary and minor roles are from an underrepresented group.
The main storyline, theme, or narrative of the film is centered on an underrepresented group.
STANDARD B: The Team
The film must meet one of the following:
At least two creative leadership positions and department heads, such as the director, cinematographer, or costume designer, are from underrepresented groups. At least one must belong to an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.
At least six other crew and technical positions, such as the first AD or script supervisor, are from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.
At least 30 percent of the film’s crew is from an underrepresented group.
STANDARD C: Access
The film must meet both criteria:
The distribution or financing company has paid apprenticeships or internships for underrepresented groups.
The production, distribution and/or financing company offers below-the-line skill development to the underrepresented.
STANDARD D: Audience Development
The film must have multiple in-house senior executives from underrepresented groups on the marketing, publicity, and/or distribution teams.
All of these rules are blasphemy. The Academy has gone super woke. The ideas of the rules began to circle in 2020, but next year it will be through the stratosphere. It’s an issue when the message becomes more important than the story. Why are we forcing things on people? It’s an outrage.
Actor Richard Dreyfuss criticized the Academy for the new diversity and inclusion requirements. He said that these rules make him vomit. The comment made me laugh because he has a point, and I feel the same way.
Dreyfuss, 75, won an Oscar for Best Actor for his in the 1978 film, The Goodbye Girl.
