The maelstrom of #OscarsSoWhite continues to engulf and divide Hollywood, pulling every celebrity into its vortex. Will you speak out about the all-white slate of acting nominees and point out that this is a systemic issue, as Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett Smith have done? Or will you say that this whole conversation is actually racist against white people (but then take it back once you realize that statement sounds pretty racist itself), as Charlotte Rampling did? Count Danny DeVito among one of the former. “It’s unfortunate the entire country is a racist country. So this is one example of the fact that even though some people have given great performances in movies, they weren’t even thought about,†DeVito told the AP in a video interview at Sundance. “We’re living in a country that discriminates and has certain racial tendencies — racist tendencies — so sometimes it manifests in things like this and is illuminated. But generally speaking, we’re a bunch of racists.â€
The AP also spoke with House of Lies’ Don Cheadle, who was positive about the recent changes the Academy made to increase the number of “diverse members†of its makeup, but wanted to point out that this wasn’t getting at the root cause. “I applaud their attempts to do something about it,†said Cheadle. “But again, this is dealing with the symptom, not starting at the root cause of how we even get to results like this, which has to do with inclusion and access, and the ability for people of color, women, and minorities to get in entry-level positions where you can become someone who can green-light a movie.â€