Top Theories On ‘Straight Outta Compton’ Oscars Snub
The surmounting controversy surrounding this year’s Oscar’s can add one more thing to the list: the cast of Straight Outta Compton has not been invited to the Academy Awards. Despite receiving a nomination for Best Original Screenplay, the cast has not been invited. In fact, the only two people who have received an Oscar’s invitation were the writers who wrote the screenplay for Straight Outta Compton.
According to Entertainment Weekly, even though the Oscars snubbed the movie, other prestigious awards ceremonies did not. Straight Outta Compton has already received precursor nominations from Producers Guild, Screen Actors Guild, and Writers Guild.
One theory on the snub is that Straight Outta Compton was intentionally left out of some of the main nomination categories. The Academy Awards have been a hot topic of debate lately, with the trending hashtag #OscarsSoWhite being used to express concern over the lack of diversity in Oscars nominations. But Ice Cube and his son, O’Shea Jackson, who played him in the movie, were not offended by the apparent snub.
Ice Cube reportedly said, “I’m not pissed. You know, I’m not surprised. It’s the Oscars, you know, they do what they do. The people loved the movie, the people supported the movie — No. 1 at the box office, over $200 million worldwide. I can’t be mad, you know? I can’t be mad.”
His son echoed those sentiments by saying, “The voters, they’re entitled to their own opinions, just like you and I. That doesn’t mean Straight Outta Compton is not being celebrated. We are still up for an award for original screenplay and I will be there to represent Straight Outta Compton.”
According to Billboard, Straight Outta Compton executive producer Will Packer also chimed in on the #OscarsSoWhite conversation on his Facebook page by saying, “To my #?OscarsSoWhite folks who are angry at the absurd lack of diversity highlighted yet again by this year’s Oscar noms. Trust me, I get it.”
Packer went on to congratulate everyone who had been nominated for an Oscar, and also applauded notable artists who weren’t on the list. He called on Academy members to “do better.”
“It’s not lost on me that this very weekend the movie that just might supplant one of the highest grossing movies of all time for the #1 spot at the box office is a movie that has two stars, a director and a producer who happen to be black. Happy MLK Weekend everybody,” Packer said in closing.
But not everyone is on board with the #OscarsSoWhite bandwagon. At least one notable figure argues that Straight Outta Compton wasn’t snubbed, but left out because the Academy just isn’t in touch with the younger generation.
One member of the Academy supported this theory with the sentiments, “Nobody can accuse the Academy of being racist — but they can be accused of being out of touch with the younger generation. Straight Outta Compton is a masterpiece, probably the best biopic since Amadeus — but many if not most of the Academy can’t fathom songs like ‘F— the Police.'”
Another member of the Academy offered up another theory with this explanation, “We have no way of knowing why anything with a lot of support doesn’t get in. Compton could have received 2,500 votes in the fourth or fifth slot, but if it doesn’t have at least 350 first-place votes, it gets ignored,”
We may never know exactly why Straight Outta Compton wasn’t nominated for more Academy Awards than just Best Screenplay, but we suspect it will be a topic of debate for months to come.
[Photo credit: Getty Images/JB Lacroix & Kevin Winter]
