Who is Oscar?

How scandals on gender and racial grounds in society affect the composition of the nominees of the most prestigious cinematic prize

On February 24, tens of millions of people around the world will watch the 91st ceremony of presenting the Academy Awards. An annual intrigue is not only which films will fall into the short list, but also how tolerant the choice of the Oscar jury will be. What was not accused of film academics, choosing nominees and winners of the award: racism, sexism, and ejism (age discrimination). Oscar has long ceased to be just the most prestigious award for merits in the field of cinema, now this is an indicator of the level of discrimination in society. Have the professions of the film industry become more affordable for women and representatives of racial minorities over 90 years? The date of the Novaya Gazeta department studied how the composition of the Oscar nominees has changed since 1929.

In jazz only ... girls?

The last few years, Hollywood actresses have ceased to be silent about discrimination and harassment in the industry: sexual exploitation, salaries in the same positions are several times lower than in men, the “closeness” of traditionally “male” professions for women. Similar accusations of gender bias were also put forward towards the Award of the American Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences. Under the pressure of public pressure, Oscar began to gradually change his policy against women. According to our estimates, in the entire history of the 2019 prize, it became a record for the number of nominated women - 32 percent of all nominees (nominations were not taken into account, where only the best female or male roles of all plans were noted). But even this record indicator did not greatly improve the overall picture: only 12 percent are women, women-winning women only 10 percent.

If you look at each Oscar nomination separately, then the gender imbalance is obvious: it affects almost every bonus category.

Only in one nomination for the entire time the Oscar was presented to nominated women and women there were more winners (about 60 percent) than men - these are the best costumes. In this category until 1993, men and women fought on equal terms, and since 1994 women began to completely dominate. After the costumes more open to women, the “best hairstyles and makeup” can be called the nomination - there are slightly more than 30 percent of nominees and winners. When the figurine in this category was awarded in 1982 for the first time, only men were among the nominees.

All other Oscar nominations were and remain “male” - on average, the share of women there does not exceed 10 percent. The most closed nominations (women are not more than 1.5 percent) - all related to sound (except “Best Song”), “Best Visual Effects”, “Best Directorate Work” and “Best Operator Work”.

It was supposed to take 48 years since the foundation of the prize before film academics included a picture shot by a woman in the category of “best directorial work”. It was the film by Lina Vertmüller “Pasqualino“ Seven Beauties ”, nominated in 1977. And the woman managed to win the first victory only in 2010: Katherine Bigelou received the figurine, who shot the film about the war in Iraq “The Lord of the Bury”.

The first and so far the only nomination for the “Best Operator Work” was received last year by the American Rachel Morrison for working on the film “Farm Madbound”.

90 years of "slavery"

In 2016, a large scandal erupted around Oscars: there was not a single black nominee among the actors for the second year in a row. In social networks, the hashtag #oscarsSownhite was actively spread. At the same time, according to our estimates, over the entire existence of the award of 37 years, the African Americans did not receive any nominations at all. Only 2 percent of the number of nominees for Oscar for 90 years were black.

Until 1973, one or a maximum of two African Americans received the Oscar nomination, and then not every year (until the 40th year there was not a single nomination at all). These were either acting positions or the “best song”. Of course, the main problem for the black population of the United States during the laws on racial segregation was not the inaccessibility of Oscar.

The African Americans could not study with the whites, go nearby in transport and even use only toilets - and this is not a complete list of all the prohibitions.

The segregation was abolished in 1964, but in the 70s in America the black population continued to actively protest against discrimination.

Perhaps it was thanks to protests in 1973 that a small surge occurred in the number of black Oscar nominees - 4 people. For the first time, a nominee for the “Best Scenario” was added to acting and musical nominations. It was a record for 44 years of the prize. And it would be worth expecting further growth, because the struggle for rights did not pass without a trace, more and more professions became accessible to African Americans. But already in 1974, all the nominees again turned out to be white, in 1975 one black actress fell into their ranks, and then-as many as 3 years of crystal “white Oscar”.

Until the 90s, almost all nominations among the blacks remained acting or related to the musical and sound design of films.

Protests against racism in America continued in the 21st century. Demonstrations and riots have passed annually since 2013. There were reasons for the murders of police officers during arrests.

The Oscar demonstratively became more tolerant. Since 2012, in almost every short list of the “Best Film” nomination (exception-2016), at least one film was about black problems. On Oscar, films were noted about slavery in the nineteenth century (Dzhango released, “12 years of slavery”), and about segregation in the XX (“servant”, “hidden figures”). The problems of racism in the present days were shown both through the drama of homosexual relations (“moonlight”) and in a surreal troll (“Away”). In 2019, three films were put forward on Oscar, where the main roles are played by black actors or the topic of racism is played: “Black Panther”, “Green Book” and “Black Clan”.

Despite the fact that the Oscar for the sake of the public accusing the Academy of Racism nominates more and more paintings about racial discrimination, the number of black nominees only in 2017 and 2018 for the first time exceeded 10 people. Half of them are actors of those very films about the problems of the black population of America.

There is no place for young people or the old people?

So far, there are more young actors nominated for the best roles, other professionals of the film industry, marked by the Academy, are “aging”. Perhaps this is due to the fact that in some areas it is difficult for young people to break through and “move” the authority. What is the likelihood that the music for a high-budget film will be given to write to the young composer, and not, for example, 87-year-old John Williams (Star Wars, Harry Potter), who has been nominated for almost every Oscar since 1968?

In the 30s of the twentieth century, when cinema only gained popularity, it was easier for young professionals to get a prestigious reward. We found out this by considering the median of the age (all values ​​are written out in an increase in increasing or descending, the required number is exactly in the center). It turned out that Mediana over the entire existence of Oscar grew by 18 years: in 1929, the “average” nominee was 36, and in 2019-54.

As for acting nominations, here Oscar is criticized for discrimination of older people. In films that fall into short lists, few heroes over 60 years old.

And the highest average age of actresses and actors is in the range of 50–56 years.

From this point of view, the Oscar ceremony was dramatic in 2013. The figurine for the “best female role” was taken by 22-year-old Jennifer Lawrence (“My boyfriend is a psycho”). And for the 86-year-old Emmanuel Riva, who played in Michael Haneke's film “Love”, this nomination became the first and last.

At the front of the film academy without change

The racial, gender and age situation at the Oscar does not seem so amazing if you look at people who make decisions.

The American Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences, making a decision, includes 8 thousand professionals of the film industry from around the world, but the majority remains with the Americans. In 2012, The Los Angeles Times found that 94 percent of academicians are white, 77 - men, and 54 - over 60 years old. In response to the indignation of the company, the Academy promised to diversify the composition. But over the next four years, significant changes have not occurred. By 2016, the number of women in the Oscarovsky jury became only one percent, and the blacks were three.