#oscarstooblack

 I guess the expanded options for Grand Theft Auto - Liberty City will have to include a Black option to Gay Tony since being Black and gay from the 305 seems to be in these days.

After protests about the Oscars being too white with no people of color being represented in any of the major acting categories the last two years - Hollywood seemed to actively search out more diverse projects.

And yeah, I thanked The Donald in jest in an earlier post but I think there may be a grain of truth in such a statement.

It seemed like Hollywood was trying to force us to watch and like Nate Parker's 'Birth of a Nation' until Nate's personal problems took over the Oscar consideration narrative. (Nate's earlier transgressions could not be overlooked as easily as those of say... Roman Polanski.) 'Kicks' (Also starring eventual Oscar winner Mehershala Ali. Damn, this brotha' had a busy 2016!) was another 'urban, gritty, coming of age story' but without the Hollywood-trendy Brokeback element. The rest of the Black offerings last year seemed to be the usual hackneyed tropes seen every other year with none being worthy of any award recognition.

But back to Trump.
It seemed that the political season was so racially charged that Hollywood seemed to be trying to make a point that it wasn't representative of those who voted Trump into office - and well-timed movie releases benefited.

Viola Davis' self-important speech aside, (Really? Only actors celebrate life? Bish-please) I think that Blacks were well represented this year as some sort of make-good from the Academy.

After a couple of years with no Blacks nominated in any major category, this year Blacks seemed almost overrepresented. Or maybe there were just better Black stories.
Maybe Black writers have graduated from low budget direct to video offerings.
Even Jada Pinkett Smith admitted that the stories were just better this year.

And thank goodness I didn't have to see this mess again as being representative of Black women in America.