Arts & Culture

Why Boycotting the Grammys Isn’t Enough

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This demonstrates a deeper issue than just music politics: the pursuit for acceptance of what’s considered mainstream or white. I see this every day when Black people drop their accents and stop using African-American Vernacular English in front of white people. I see this every time a Black kid doesn’t want to talk about racism in their mostly white class because they don’t want to be considered a race-baiter. We are constantly searching for approval we never receive.

Arts & Culture

Guest Room | Some Last Minute Best Picture Reflections

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If you were to ask last November which movie was poised to win the 2015 Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards, a strong majority would subscribe to Carol as first-in-line for Oscar gold, as Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara crafted a dynamically real and voyeuristic affair. The queer-centric film was heavily lauded by critics not only for those performances, but also for its message that is breaking ground for gay rights and equality. As a result, I was left scrambling for clarification when the nominees were announced and Carol was surprisingly omitted. Thus, the question remains: who will win the ultimate award of Best Picture? If the past is indicative of anything, it is that unpredictability is inevitable.

Academy

Guest Room | Oscar Bait Doesn’t Stick

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In 2006, a film called Crash took the Oscar for Best Picture home, prompting a surge of outrage. It is now best remembered as the punch line of jokes about unwarranted Oscar-winners and is perhaps more reviled than is necessary. Is it a bad film? No. But while it is only somewhat clunky and rough around the edges, it is not — in my humble opinion — superior to Capote, Brokeback Mountain, A History of Violence and even Cinderella Man.