Matt Damon slams Oscar as “insane” for lack of diversity

“The Academy is going to lead and not wait for the industry to catch up”, Isaacs said in a statement.

Other approved academy changes include limiting members’ voting status to a period of 10 years, to be extended only if the individual remains active in film during that decade. Members will receive lifetime voting rights after three ten-year terms; or if they have won or been nominated for an Academy Award.

The sweeping new measures created to enhance diversity at the Oscars were not motivated by “political correctness”, the CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said in an interview published on Wednesday. The organization will add three new seats for women and minorities and add them to its governing board.

Now – perhaps pushed to action by several celebrities’ plans to boycott this year’s Oscars – the Academy is actually doing something about it. “One good step in a long, complicated journey for people of color + women artists”. You have to wonder how many of those 63 year-old white guys on the Academy even saw “Straight outta Compton” or ‘Beast of No Nation’.

“When we talk about diversity, you do it in the casting of the movie, not the casting of the show”, Damon said, suggesting that having a diverse cast of actors playing the parts is more important than having a diverse filmmaking team working behind the scenes.

While changing the Academy’s membership policies is a move in the right direction, the Editorial Board believes the race problem in the movie industry goes deeper than whatever snubs may have happened in this year’s nominations. Powerhouse producer Shonda Rhimes was honored as the first female solo recipient of the Norman Lear Achievement Award at the Producer’s Guild Awards ceremony.

The academy now aims for women to comprise 48 percent of its membership and “diverse groups” at least 14 percent as an initial step. Ellen says that she is very disappointed by the lack of diversity at the Oscars this year but is pleased to hear that there is finally being something done about it for the future.

Hollywood A-lister George Clooney, himself an Oscar victor, has said the problem is the lack of options available to minorities in quality films.

The academy’s response came after the announced boycotts from icons such as Will Smith, whose starring role in “Concussion” was overlooked by academy voters.

“Consulting with fellow civil rights leaders on the announcements from the Academy today”.