EXPERTS ADVISORY

Robin Means Coleman, professor of communication studies and Afroamerican and African studies, has written many publications and articles on the subject of African-American audiences, identity and representation in mass media. Her current research focuses on the NAACP’s participation in media activism.

On the Academy Awards lacking diversity:
“The lack of diversity and inclusion, again, puts a finer point on what is so troublesome about Hollywood’s leadership,” she said. “An L.A. Times study found that over 90 percent of academy voters are white and male. The lack of diversity among the nominees signals, perhaps, that these voters are selecting actors and narratives in their own image. As such, it isn’t only blacks who should be deeply concerned about what the academy values as excellent imagery—their votes reify a narrow kind of performer, narrative and experience. For this society’s cultural growth, it is extremely worrisome.”

On the boycott:
“The irony of the boycott for performers of color is that—through the lack of nominations—the academy did not invite their participation in a meaningful way in the first place. The academy mandated their absence by devaluing their performative and box office achievements. In short, they are essentially boycotting something they were denied access to in the first place. Still, protest is a powerful communicative tool. It draws attention to ills and invites collectives to talk about how to secure gains.”

Contact: 734-764-0423, [email protected]

Jim Burnstein, director of the screenwriting program at U-M, is a successful Hollywood screenwriter whose credits include “Renaissance Man,” “D3: The Mighty Ducks” and “Love and Honor.” He also served on the Michigan Film Office Advisory Council from 2003 to 2011 and is a member of the Writers Guild of America.

“Like everyone else, I was very disappointed upon hearing the nominations, and I think that it is good that we’re having this conversation right now in the industry,” he said. “I was very disturbed that ‘Creed’ did not receive a nod from the writers for best adapted screenplay—it is maybe the most brilliant rebooting or re-imagining of a franchise that I’ve ever seen. Ryan Coogler wrote and directed the movie, and I would have been happy to see him nominated in both categories. The same goes for Michael B. Jordan for Best Actor and Tessa Thompson for Best Supporting Actress. I thought Sylvester Stallone certainly deserved his Best Supporting Actor nomination, but Idris Elba should have been nominated for ‘Beasts of No Nation.’ It’s rather shocking and embarrassing that the only nominations for both ‘Creed’ and ‘Straight Outta Compton’ went to white people.

“While I’m concerned that there was a lack of diversity in this year’s nominations, I’m equally concerned that some amazing quality work was not recognized. Too often these Oscar nominations are more the result of expensive marketing campaigns—and like political campaigns, we’re often left disappointed with the end result.”

Contact: 734-615-9478, [email protected]

Caryl Flinn, professor of the screen arts and cultures and women’s studies, is one of the foremost scholars in the field of film music, and has brought feminist and cultural theory to the forefront of the field.

“I’m appalled but not shocked…what put me over the edge was that of all the fine performances and work done in ‘Creed,’ only the white actor (Stallone) was nominated. Personally, and for as much as I love the spectacle of watching the Oscars, racial and gender biases have become part of that spectacle. I think the boycott is utterly reasonable. Obviously, these problems don’t start or stay at the Oscars but rather in the offices that decide what projects to green light.”

Contact: 734-764-0147, [email protected]