Quote:
Originally posted by shakran
Past Oscar winners (incomplete list)
Hattie McDaniel - Gone With the Wind
Sidney Portier - Lillies of the Field
Louis Gossett Jr. - Officer and a Gentleman
Denzel Washington - Glory
Denzel Washington - Training Day
Whoopi Goldberg - Ghost
Cuba Gooding Jr. - Jerry MaGuire
Halle Berry - Monster's Ball
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Well, congratulations, you came up with 8 out of how many now?
Hattie McDaniel won for playing a slave who was happy with and faithful to her white owners (I'm not saying she's not a great actress, she is, I'm just commenting on the mindset of the voters).
Denzel won for playing a slave who fights for the north in the civil war. Then a corrupt, drug-dealing, murdering cop.
Again, I think Denzel's a terrific actor and I'm just pointing out the types of roles academy members think black actors should get recognized for.
Sidney Portier, one of the all time greats, largely gained acceptance to white audiences, because he was "non-threatening" to them. This is the kind of stuff Hollywood was worried about back then (and still is to some extent).
I'm not going to lie. I think it's changing. But, I'm sorry, the Oscars are still large about honoring white actors. Let me say again. I do think things are changing. Just slowly.