Politics may be the lifeblood on DailyKos, but culture is often defined as events outside of the political walls. Films, Music, Television and other media help define for a culture what represents the current thought of an industry. Today, in the announcement of the Academy Awards, some messages were sent that tell us a lot about what really gets attention.
For the first time since 1998, not a single actor or actress of color was nominated for any award - Supporting or Lead. What makes this stand out is the fact that this is a year in which several films offered African American actors a chance to make a strong play for the Academy Nomination, not least of which David Oyelowo, who portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma.
Films like
Belle as well as Selma offered a series of roles for African American actors.. but they also highlighted a growing problem; roles for African American players not named Kevin Hart seemed to diminish in 2014, with many African American actors finding a harder time getting prime roles in film.
Tyler Perry's surprising performance in "Gone Girl" may not have been a winner in a category that I feel as though JK Simmons (Whiplash) deserves to win, but the fact that there were not enough credible roles for African Americans in even supporting roles should be a concern.
In a year in which "American Sniper", a decent - but somewhat jumbled film - earns more nominations than "Selma" something has to seem amiss to outsiders who look for an Academy Awards that represent the larger movie watching community.
Are there roles for African American actors that can draw the attention of the academy? That is the real question; the Academy was faced not just with lack of interest in a single film - but the reality that there weren't enough films for them to choose from in order to get nominations.
Is the demand for African American films faltering?
With films like "Ride Along" breaking the top 20, and many other primarily African American films turning a profit, it seems as though the market exists for films in which African American characters or stories come to the forefront.
It's been 17 years since the Academy had this kind of shut out. It shouldn't be a trend that continues.
Update Just a minor note: the problem isn't just that there was a snub, that requires actors to get in front of the academy, etc. The problem is that in 2014, there were few films that provided opportunities for actors of color to have a chance to be considered.