After the nominations for the 2016 Academy Awards were announced there has been uproar over the fact that none of the nominees are black. This sparked a video from Jada Pinkett Smith in which she announced that she would be boycotting the Oscars. Further coverage of her video sparked the #OscarsSoWhite that began trending on Twitter. We compiled 20 Oscars So White Tweets and Quotes From Celebrities who weighed in.
Pinkett Smith chose Martin Luther King Jr. Day to post her video and share a message with everyone of color. It’s the second year in a row that there hasn’t been a black actor nominated for a role in film. There is much speculation around the fact that Pinkett Smith was upset because her husband Will was not nominated for his role in Concussion.
Will Smith has yet to comment on his wife’s video but with the upcoming Suicide Squad movie, it’s hard to tell whether or not he is focused on the promotion of the film. Either way there has been widespread celebrity response with the #OscarsSoWhite. We grabbed 20 Oscars So White Tweets and Quotes From Celebrities and have them all listed below.
“Maybe it’s time we pull back our resources and we put them back into our communities, and we make programs for ourselves that acknowledge us in ways that we see fit, that are just as good as the so-called mainstream. We can no longer beg for the love, acknowledgement or respect of any group.” – Jada Pinkett Smith
“First of all, Miss Thing, does your man not have a mouth of his own with which to speak? The second thing, girlfriend, there’s a lot of sh** going on in the world that you all don’t seem to recognize. People are dying. Our boys are being shot left and right. People are starving. People are trying to pay bills. And you’re talking about some motherf**king actors and Oscars. It just ain’t that deep.” – Janet Hubert
“Somebody asked me was I gonna watch the m*****f**king Oscars. F**k no. What the f**k imma watch that bullsh*t for. They ain’t got no n****s nominated. All these great movies and all this great sh*t y’all keep stealing from us. F**k you. F**k you.” – Snoop Dogg
“People Don’t Get Distracted! The conversation isn’t about @jadapsmith vs #janethubert Its about industry inclusion & equality #OscarsSoWhite” – Karamo Brown
“I am both heartbroken and frustrated about the lack of inclusion” – Cheryl Boone, Academy President
“Are black people normally playing petty criminals? Are women always the love interest or talking about men? Are gay people always stereotyped? Are disabled people ever seen at all? Let’s just get more professional about this whole area. Our economy depends on it. Our future actually depends on it.” – Idris Elba
“The #Oscars. The White BET Awards.” – Chris Rock
“I Would Like To Thank President Cheryl Boone Isaacs And The Board Of Governors Of The Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts And Sciences For Awarding Me an Honorary Oscar This Past November. I Am Most Appreciative. However My Wife, Mrs. Tonya Lewis Lee And I Will Not Be Attending The Oscar Ceremony This Coming February. We Cannot Support It And Mean No Disrespect To My Friends, Host Chris Rock and Producer Reggie Hudlin, President Isaacs And The Academy. But, How Is It Possible For The 2nd Consecutive Year All 20 Contenders Under The Actor Category Are White? And Let’s Not Even Get Into The Other Branches. 40 White Actors In 2 Years And No Flava At All. We Can’t Act?! WTF!! It’s No Coincidence I’m Writing This As We Celebrate The 30th Anniversary Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday. Dr. King Said “There Comes A Time When One Must Take A Position That Is Neither Safe, Nor Politic, Nor Popular But He Must Take It Because Conscience Tells Him It’s Right”. For Too Many Years When The Oscars Nominations Are Revealed, My Office Phone Rings Off The Hook With The Media Asking Me My Opinion About The Lack Of African-Americans And This Year Was No Different. For Once, (Maybe) I Would Like The Media To Ask All The White Nominees And Studio Heads How They Feel About Another All White Ballot. If Someone Has Addressed This And I Missed It Then I Stand Mistaken.” – Spike Lee
“Hollywood fine with taking $ from people of color. Also apparently fine with ignoring their talent. #OscarsSoWhite” – Bill de Blasio
“I woulda bet the farm that @wizkhalifa was taking that statue home for “See You Again”. Guess they told me huh? #Oscars” – Questlove
“Name me a movie that had a song that summoned more emotion from viewers that See You Again. @wizkhalifa was robbed.” – Bun B
“@chrisrock Yo, Chris. Come check me out at #TheOscars this year. They got me parking cars on G level.” – Don Cheadle
“A lot of actors who win the Critics Choice go on to win the Academy Award. Yes. Yes that’s true. So If you’re nominated tonight give yourself a round of applause. You could go on to win an Oscar. Yeah, for you Tracee that means only half of you will get to go on to that show. You didn’t get that, I’m mixed.” – Anthony Anderson & Tracee Ellis Ross
“Why did the Oscars announce all the white nominees first?” – Ricky Gervais
“Hollywood, this isn’t just about diversity, it’s about talent and you missed out on giving a thumbs up to both today.” – John Stamos
“BREAKING NEWS: Oscars Whitewash: 20 acting nominations, no black actors among them.” – Piers Morgan
“Chris please do not do the oscars awards. You mean a lot man, don’t do it. Please”- 50 Cent
“Lovin’ so warm, Oscars so white, Closin’ our eyes and feelin’ the light We’ll just go on burnin’ bright Somewhere in the night” – Seth MacFarlane
“You know what I’m NOT doing February 28th? Watching the Oscars. Instead I’ll be watching Beast of No Nation and Tangerine. #OscarsSoWhite” – Heather Matarazzo
“I’m excited to see the best comic @ChrisRock host the Oscars again. He always makes the hard truths funny. #OscarsSoWhite” – Jeff Ross