Al Sharpton Calls For Emergency Meeting To Address 'Appalling' All-White Oscar Nominees Read more:

[branford]

138. I understand the general points of the commenter.

However, they were explicitly made in response to a thread about Al Sharpton calling an "emergency meeting" because Selma allegedly did not receive sufficient Oscar nominations. The poster has conflated systemic white privilege and related matters with Sharpton and Oscar nominations, regardless of his or her intentions. As I indicated, to do so does nothing but seriously trivialize matters that I and others might otherwise be sympathetic to and more than willing to discuss. The numerous comments on this thread demonstrates this perfectly.

Do you really believe that because Selma only received a best picture nomination we face a "serious problem" that require "emergency meetings?" Do you have actual evidence of racial bigotry in the nominations, for this certainly wasn't the first time a movie has been wholly or partially snubbed and black actors have certainly been nominated and won in the past. What is the "emergency meeting" supposed to accomplish and what are the intended solutions to this "serious problem?" Should there be racial quotas in film nominations and awards or maybe separate categories for best minority actor, director, etc.? Are we supposed to forswear capitalism because peoples taste in movies differ from the Academy voters?

Al Sharpton is also most certainly not a red herring. The messenger is often the message. If one of the primary spokespeople for ending racial divisions is not only is notorious for causing these divisions, but has seriously alienated otherwise sympathetic and liberal groups, how is that possibly not a problem?

I'm a liberal, professional and politically active Jew in NYC, and I can tell you that Al Sharpton needs only to show his face, and many non-black liberals, no less anyone else, will often instinctively oppose any position he espouses out of simple and unadulterated revulsion. Fox news and others are able to dismiss Sharpton because his own history, attitude and actions just makes it so easy and appropriate. Accusing or implying that those who loathe Sharpton are little more than Fox news conservatives will not silence anyone, again as the comments on this thread readily prove.