Jada Pinkett Smith and Spike Lee are pissed at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for not nominating enough black actors for the Oscars, and they are both swearing boycotting the awards show.
Boo-hoo! Hollyweird is scared — Lee and Smith won’t be there.
Let me enlighten you, Jada and Spike. Hollywood cares about only one color — green. The gods of Hollywood and Vine don’t give a fig or not if you come or don’t — non-Hollywood-types are champing at the bit to fill their empty seats, anyhow. (Wink wink, Academy, I’m ready for my close-up).
And members don’t care if you sport a purple stripe between brown and white polka dots, who you sleep with (or don’t), what religion you practice (although the Church of Scientology does seem to have an edge), or what sociopolitical alliances you have — the only thing on the agendas of producers, agents, studios, and money men is how much dough they will make if they put you in a movie, and, if that movie wins, how much more they’ll make from distribution rights.
Unfortunately, Jada’s hubby Will hasn’t really been in any award-worthy movies lately. And Spike’s latest racially charged epic, “Chi-Raq,” wasn’t released until December. Maybe it was a crappy movie, maybe Hollywood is tired of hearing about Chicago and it’s issues, or maybe it was just not trendy enough to hit the big parade of movie blockbusters.
I am amazed at the outcry. Hasn’t Hollywood been very, very good to both Jada and Spike? Both live in luxury thanks to the money they made in movies, television, and music. Both are part of the very same Tinsel Town movie mill that they take offense at. Both have achieved stardom and success in many fields — thanks to those very same Academy members they want to boycott. So why bite the hands that have fed you and yours?
As in year’s past, the Academy’s nominees fell into one category — which ones greased Hollywood’s star-making machinery with the most cash.
Sorry, Jada and Spike, that you won’t be there, but the show will go on and be the usual, same-old arduous three hours of self-appreciation. The stars will somehow muddle through, the speeches will be made, the dumb jokes will be yukked at, and life in the land of make-believe will go on as before. Television ratings will soar and pundits will compare who was the best host.
Not for Nuthin,™ but to paraphrase Tina Turner: Those big Hollywood wheels will keep on turning, churning, and rolling down the river, even without you. Question? Shouldn’t the stars that twinkle on the silver screen be in it for the artistic endeavor and not just the awards? Hmm?
Follow me on Twitter @JDelBuono.
