An Oscar Nomination Only Matters If You’re White
On January 23, when the long-awaited Oscar nominations were finally announced, a wave of disappointment fell over the pink-adorned, Barbie-loving crowd. Ryan Gosling was nominated for an Academy Award for his lesser role as Ken, but Margot Robbie was ignored as the main character the film was named after. Greta Gerwig, the directing force behind the film, was snubbed for best director, too. The uproar was undeniable; these two women’s contributions were ignored while a man’s smaller role was celebrated.
It comes off rather ironic, then, how America Ferrera, a woman of color and a major part of the Barbie movie, was nominated for her first Oscar, and her accomplishment was completely ignored over the outcry of two white women not being nominated.
It is not the first time a woman of color’s accomplishments have been ignored and pushed aside in favor of discussing the wins and losses of white women. This awards cycle alone, Lily Gladstone was nominated for her first Oscar and the first Native American woman to be nominated for best actress; America Ferrera received her first Oscar nomination after twenty years in the business; Past Lives, a film centered on two Korean characters, was nominated for Best Picture and Best Screenplay, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, an African-American woman, was nominated for her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
When it comes to discussing the accomplishments of women, the hardships, or the complexities of being a woman in the past and present eras, women of color are often ignored and erased from the narrative.
When “female rage” was trending on TikTok, edits that were made often only consisted of white women, and the discussion surrounded the anger of white women. However, women of color arguably have the most reason to be angry. The same goes when a celebration of femininity and womanhood was trending on TikTok. Edits consisted of white women and the discussion surrounding white women. Women of color — especially darker-skinned women who are unfairly treated as less feminine or womanly due to the color of their skin — were ignored.
This outcry of two white women, who are very talented, being supposedly snubbed for awards when there is literal history being made for women of color is, unfortunately, nothing new. Especially considering the history of awards shows, which have always been callous and racist towards women of color, with them having dealt with a lifetime of snubs. 50 years ago, a Native American woman named Sacheen Littlefeather was booed off stage when she came to decline an award on behalf of Marlon Brando in protest of the mistreatment of Native Americans (of course, Brando hid behind her and let her receive all the slander and threats while he relaxed at home). Today, we have Lily Gladstone changing history twice, being the first Native American woman to win a Golden Globe and the first to be nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars.
And yet, the attention remains on two white women. And Barbie, while a fun movie, was more of a middle school guide to feminism than anything truly groundbreaking. Even so, a main cast member was nominated for her first Oscar, but that accomplishment was quietly swept under the rug by hardcore fans. America Ferrera even released a statement calling Margot Robbie’s and Greta Gerwig’s snub a “disappointment”, which seems more broadcast than her actual award.
It’s not only the awards show industry that places white women on a higher platform but the audience itself. Victoria Monét, a Black singer-songwriter, won a Grammy for New Artist, and there has been outrage from certain fans on Twitter and TikTok, repeating that Gracie Abrams was snubbed and asking who Monét even is.
Despite this general negativity from the industry, award ceremonies, audiences, reporters, and so much more, women of color have constantly succeeded in the entertainment industry in recent decades. An industry where, for a long time, they were not allowed to be more than a maid or an oversexualized figure, if they were even allowed at all. It is high time that we honor and applaud them, and it is time to start including women of color and their experiences when speaking about the narrative of womanhood.
Strike Out,
Rameen Naviwala
Boca Raton
Rameen Naviwala is a content writer for Strike Magazine Boca. A water sign that enjoys rom-coms and reading melodramatic novels, she spends most of her time with headphones on and scribbling down whatever thought comes to mind. You can reach her at rameen.naviwala@outlook.com.
