OSCARS VERSUS THE BLACK COMMUNITY?

     I need to get this off my chest because it's been bothering me since the story came out. So, Will and Jada Smith came out and blasted the Academy because there were no black people nominated for any of the awards this year. Um, was there even a movie released in 2015 featuring black actors that were Oscar-worthy? Oh, I'm sorry! Is Will Smith's feelings hurt because he or his movie Concussion weren't nominated? I've seen Concussion and yes, it was a really good movie, but it wasn't great! It wasn't Oscar-worthy. Oh wait! Is it because he used a Nigerian accent that he should have been nominated? Not for nothing, but when I watched The Revenant, I forgot that was Leo DiCaprio in the movie. Now, that is Oscar-worthy! I did not forget Will Smith was Will Smith just because he hid his accent. Was he good in the movie? Yes. Does he deserve to be nominated? Not up against the nominees nominated. 

      So, why did this have to turn into a black or white thing? Did Leo complain every time he got snubbed and lost to Denzel Washington or something? No! Why is Snoop, or whatever he's calling himself now, going around saying, "They're stealing movies from us because they can't come up with their own ideas!" Yeah, lest I remind you about the black "Annie", the black "Karate Kid", the black "Honeymooners", the black "Look Who's Coming To Dinner", and now a black "Rocky" in "Creed". Do I need to go on? It doesn't matter! Why is this even a race thing? It's so dumb! How quick Mr. and Mrs. Smith forget that Dr. Martin Luther King stated that he had a dream about all men being created equal and that men would not be judged by the color of their skin. I really believe that this is not the case here. They are just black when it's convenient. How dare they pull the black card. I'm no racist and have many black friends, whom I love and respect. I also watch Tyler Perry movies when they're one because movies have no color for me. I'm Chinese for crying out loud! Do you see my people crying because John Wu wasn't nominated, or Jet Li, Chow Yun-Fat or Jackie Chan weren't nominated for something? If that were the case, we'd be boycotting The Oscars every year!

     It sounds to me that the Smiths are being bullies and trying to rally the troops. So, now, the Academy is going to feel compelled to add a black nominee in there, whether they deserved it or not, just so the Smiths won't bitch about the Academy being racist. That is a bunch of crap! You know what? That actor that played Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens was better than Will Smith....Not nominated! Neither was Star Wars and that movie broke every box office record known to man! Samuel Jackson in the Hateful 8 was better than Will Smith.....Not nominated! You know why? Because there were better performances out there than Will Smith, Samuel Jackson and John Boyega (Finn). What's next? Are they going to have to add a "black" category to the Academy Awards? 

     This is unreal! I mean, there is this awards ceremony in Asbury Park, NJ every year and every year, I don't get nominated for best journalist for some reason, even though I can write circles around every writer nominated. I'm also pretty well-respected on the music scene. Like the Smiths, I bitched about it, but I never brought race into it. I was told that I didn't cover bands in the area, yet every band nominated for an award was a band I wrote about. So, how was I not covering bands in the area. At the end of the day, the award ceremony is just this one big "kiss-ass" fest that maybe it's best I'm not a part of. Do I have an ill-will towards the people who put it on every year? Never. Will I ever attend? Never. So, I understand where Will and Jada are coming from. Your feelings are hurt and you feel your hard work is not recognized by your peers. The problem is that it is recognized. In my case, people are still reading my columns, this blog and supporting everything I do whether I was nominated for some silly award or not. Will and Jada are stars because we made them like that. The people and not blacks, whites, yellows, browns, purples, reds, you get the idea. So, they need to get over themselves and stop making this a race issue because it's not! The Academy just didn't feel your performance was good enough to be nominated. END OF STORY! And by the way, Will and Jada Smith.....WHO CARES IF YOU'RE AT THE OSCARS OR NOT?