Race at the Academy Awards

I happened upon an interesting article that discusses the members of the Academy broken down into race, gender, and age.  As you may have guessed, of the the nearly 5,800 members the majority are white men over the age of sixty.  Although these figures don't surprise me, I am intrigued when contemplating my adoration for watching the annual award show.  For me, it all actually goes back to a white woman over the age of sixty.  Bobbi Sue Klopp, a 4'11 southern film professor with exceptionally thick eyeglasses, got me into the movie scene only a handful of years ago.  She taught me how film does so much more than depict a story, but rather how through the use of strategic cinematic techniques it can consume the viewer by transporting them into the constructed world itself.  Bobbi Sue swears by the Academy Awards, and although she would disagree with some nominations and victors, her overall opposition was very infrequent.  It seems to me that little Bobbi Sue knew what she was talking about. 

In the courses I took with her, Bobbi never mentioned race, gender, sexuality, etc. regarding the films, but rather focused on the composition, transitions, and other cinematic elements specifically in Oscar-nominated productions.  I'm not sure why those topics never came up, but I'd bet she would have either found them irrelevant or unnecessary regarding cinematic elements of style.  Whether Bobbi Sue's potential motives are accurate, or if they could represent the majority of the older white male population which composes the Academy, I couldn't tell you.  Although I can't speak for the past--specifically the year Denzel Washington and Halle Berry both won Best Actor/Actress and the years which precede it--I'd like to think in this current day and age race, gender, and sexuality do not play a role in the outcome of such a high-profile awards show.  Then again, maybe I'm just being naive. 

I could definitely see how it would affect any race of color regarding the representation of (or lack thereof) Oscar nominations and wins.  Where simply receiving a nomination should be a prize in and of itself, winning brings publicity for a film in such a way other award shows fall short in comparison.  Between the updated movie trailer promotions to the "Oscar-winning" stickers slapped onto the DVD covers, winning an Oscar can bring a substantial amount of revenue to the film.  And having one's race be identified by the Academy shows acceptance, success, and power. 

It will also be quite interesting to see the outcomes of this year's Academy Awards, most specifically to see how Jared Leto does for Best Supporting Actor in Dallas Buyers Club in which he plays an AIDS-ridden transvestite.  It should at least make for an excellent controversy and great discussion.

Also, for kicks and giggles, here's a link to the qualifications necessary to become a member of the Academy!