Diversity shouldn’t factor into Oscar nominations: #tellusatoday

Letter to the editor:

To say I was struck with amazement after reading your article “Oscars: Acting races are an all-white field” would be an understatement. The nominations for an Oscar award should be based on qualifying performance and not diversity.

Political correctness has no place in a discussion about potential award winners. The awards should be based strictly on professional performance, period. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences should remain steadfast with its selection of nominees and not be influenced by outside sources.

To suggest that, because its membership is 94% white and 77% male, the academy is somehow biased is preposterous. It is incomprehensible that some people believe nominations should be based on diversity and not performance, thereby diminishing 87 years of academy excellence.

Stephen Favazza; Timonium, Md.

POLICING THE USA: A look at race, justice, media

We asked what our followers thought of the lack of diversity in the acting nominations for the Oscars. Comments from Twitter are edited for clarity and grammar:

If you earn a nomination, it doesn’t matter what your race is! No quotas necessary. The issue is ridiculous.

— @UVharvey

It’s definitely disappointing to see the lack of diversity in this year’s Oscar noms, but it’s also not a surprise.

— @jadachin

It does seem exceedingly one -sided.

— @eahlovesu13

People of color, any color, weren’t chosen by their peers. Oscars are given to the best actor based on performance, not color.

— @bethparton1216

When we worry about a “lack of diversity” in awards, we might as well give out “participant” trophies to all.

— @yoktomsqueegee

There is no reason that every aspect of society should be perfectly balanced. Earn it, or deal with it.

— @bonsaibean

The academy and top movie studio managers are made up of the same old white men as Congress.

— @llc8416

Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

It wasn’t just blacks who were snubbed. Latinos and Asians have consistently been left out of these ceremonies. Inclusion will never take place if the burden for pointing out the lack of diversity rests solely with minorities. Until whites are just as outspoken, inclusion will be a limited endeavor.

— Caleb Rosado

Which actors and roles were snubbed? This might be more of a studio (casting) problem than an Academy problem.

— Luke Sonner

I’m all for inclusion as long as it means all nominees are equally qualified. Perhaps the slate of nominees is all white because they acted better than everyone else.

— Kirk Newsted

For more discussions, follow @USATOpinion or #tellusatoday.