“I feel as if strides are being made and, while it’s admirable the Academy is trying to be a part of it, eliminating members who dedicated their life to this profession, and may have retired from their work life, is both placing blame on them and pissing on their life’s work”, says Justice.
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Asked whether he thought there were any viable contenders for the awards from ethnic minority backgrounds, he said that actors in films such as Straight Outta Compton and Creed deserved recognition, adding that Concussion starring Will Smith and Beasts of No Nation featuring Idris Elba were “Oscar-worthy” movies.
The Academy has never made public the list of its 6200 members.
Hudson said those at risk of losing voting rights were people who have ‘moved on to a completely different field, completely different careers, and yet, because we have lifetime membership and lifetime voting rights, they are still voting on what is the best in contemporary film culture’.
“It’s not about political correctness, it’s about building the best team, the best institution, the best artists”, Hudson continued. “We’re talking about huge systemic injustices around race and gender that are a lot bigger than the Oscars”, Matt opened up to the Associated Press. Now, Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs and CEO Dawn Hudson are speaking out for the first time since the Oscar changes were announced, in a long interview with The Hollywood Reporter, to further explain the changes and defend their goal. Members who do not qualify for active status will be transitioned to “emeritus status”, under which they do not pay dues and have no voting privileges. “It really didn’t.” Boone Isaacs, who is black, said the Academy had no choice but to stem the controversy before the ceremony, which will be held on February 28. “So I can understand why our members are insulted by this”.
She also suggested that high-profile figures who have announced they will be boycotting next month’s awards ceremony, such as Will Smith and wife Jade Pinkett Smith, are fighting the wrong battle.
‘That’s the boycott you want. “I think that is absolutely unfair because we don’t know how they voted”.
As previously reported, music icon Quincy Jones said that he was asked to be a presenter with Pharrell Williams and rapper Common.
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While Spike Lee, Tyrese, Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent have urged a boycott, rapper/actor Ice Cube appeared on Graham Norton last week where he called the boycott “ridiculous”. “This is Chris”, Boone Isaacs said.
