Equality in the Oscars, or the Media Celebrating Women & Minority Success?
by Anjuli Velazquez
After watching the Academy Awards this year, at first it felt like history was being made when Kathryn Bigelow won the Best Director award, making her the first woman to win an Oscar in this category. History was made but in this day and age aren’t we supposed to be considered equal? Shouldn’t we be acknowledging Bigelow’s work and commending her for that instead of making such a big deal about her being the pioneer female director? I’m incredibly happy that she earned this award, but I can’t help but feel like since we are making such a big deal about “the first woman director,” isn’t that just like keeping women at a lower standard than men because it’s such an achievement for a woman to win this award?
I read an article, “Oscars illustrate equality in award picks,” by Alex Gratzer of The Daily Evergreen. Gratzer offers an interesting perspective on this event. I was happy for Bigelow and all women-kind when she won that award but it did bug me when the announcer said before the commercial break before the Best Director aware, “Will it be the first African American, the first woman or James Cameron…?” Like they only saw Bigelow and Lee Daniels (African American Best Director nominee) as a woman and an African American, not two directors who are equally as brilliant as the others nominated in that category. Gratzer talks about this in his article saying that both this award and Mo’Nique’s Best Supporting Actress award were deserved but as a society, we should progressive enough and look at that these individuals by the standards of their work, not for their race, sex, or the fact of being a minority.
Gratzer brings up another good point. Mo’Nique won for Best Supporting Actress, which I think everyone saw coming because she was amazing in that movie. But when she said, “I would like to thank Miss Hattie McDaniel for enduring what she had to so that I would not have to,” referencing Hattie McDaniel because she was the first African American woman to win an Academy Award for Gone With The Wind, it made her seem like she was taking “a step back in progress” (Gratzer). Multiple African Americans have won Oscars since then, so why did she have to say that?
I love the Academy Awards and I’m happy that these two women were rewarded for their talent. But that’s what they should be acknowledged for and not for their race or their sex. It’s the 21st century and we’re supposed to be considered equal, so as a society, we need to start acting like it.
References
Gratzer, Alex. “Oscars illustrate equality in award picks.” The Daily Evergreen. http://dailyevergreen.com/story/31246. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
