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The following is an open letter to the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences by Professor Stephen Geller concerning the new rules meant allow for more diversity, as a result of the outrage from the lack of minority nominations for this year’s Oscars.
Dear Ms. Isaacs,
You have opened the matter of age-discrimination, and the issue of “grey-listing” in the Academy and, by its presence, the Industry. You are assuming that all older members of the Academy (except those, like myself, who have been a member of the screenwriting Branch, elected to membership by my peers,for thirty+ years) are no longer relevant to vote — that, somehow, all others are responsible for the lack of diversity in the Academy, as well as in the film industry.
You are also assuming that if a member hasn’t had a job in the industry for ten years, or has not received a nomination or an Award, such a member is also responsible for the lack of diversity in the Academy, as well as in the film Industry.
Both propositions are illogical, irrelevant, and unwittingly insulting.
There are as many reasons why one doesn’t get an assignment or a film deal as there are reasons why a performer doesn’t get a nomination by the Academy.
There is no reason whatsoever to penalize the Academy member for the state of the Industry, or for its nominations for an Award by the separate Academy branches.
It is bizarre to assume that, by its voting, each Academy member represents the decisions of studios, networks and talent agencies to produce films. The Academy members vote on the results of decisions by others to produce a film. In itself makes no decision about which films should be made, and therefore the membership should not be penalized for someone else’s film choice.
The Academy consideration to revise the rules concerning diversity is nothing more than a “false flag” issue, and as such has set in motion an angry conversation, without intellectual sense, professional conviction, or simple humility.It does not even begin to address the issue of diversity. What Academy, historically, ever has dealt with contemporary realities? For better and for worse, that has never been its role.
Please reconsider the issue.
The Academy insults all its members by denying their elected status.
Stephen Geller
Member of Screenwriting Branch since 1987.
