#OscarsSoWhite: Twitter Users Sound off on Lack of Latinos in Hollywood During Academy Awards
No actors of color were nominated for an Oscar award for the second year in a row, prompting nationwide outrage, demonstrations and a firestorm on social media. Many people opted out of watching the 88th Annual Academy Awards Sunday night and instead participated in a nationwide "TV Tune Out" in protest of the lack of diversity among the nominees and in Hollywood. However, others chose to voice their disapproval on Twitter while watching the live telecast.
Those who tuned in saw that this year's Oscars host, Chris Rock, addressed the #OscarsSoWhite controversy in his opening monologue and throughout the broadcast -- at one point calling the show the "White People's Choice Awards." The famed comedian also argued that Hollywood lacks diversity because executives refuse to hire black people to casts or staff.
"What I'm trying to say is, you know, it's not about boycotting anything. It's just, we want opportunity. We want black actors to get the same opportunities as white actors," he said.
The same argument also applies to Latinos, who suffer from an epidemic of invisibility in Hollywood. However, Rock failed to use his platform to shine light on the lack of inclusion among Latinos and other minority groups in the film industry.
Latino Reactions on Twitter
To bring attention to the lack of Latin representation, Felix Sanchez, the co-founder and CEO of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, tweeted about this issue during the show.
Writer, producer and actor Noah Kinsey also took issue with both the Oscars and Rock's performance, noting that instead of mentioning the lack of inclusion of Latinos and Asians, he made Asians the pun of one of his jokes.
Likewise, standup comic, writer and actress Cristela Alonzo made note of the lack of Latino inclusion in the film industry, tweeting to her 31,000 plus followers:
Eva Longoria Promotes Brown Ribbon Campaign
Actress Eva Longoria decided to shine light on this issue by asking her followers to participate in the Brown Ribbon Campaign -- which advocates for inclusion for Latinos in the entertainment industry -- by tweeting using the hashtags #HollywoodBrownout and #BrownRibbonCampaign during the telecast. She also asked those attending to wear brown ribbons to show solidarity with Latinos in the industry, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In an interview, Longoria said she took this stance in hope of bringing awareness to the fact that Latinos make up 25 percent of American movie ticket buyers, but lack equivalent onscreen representation.
"I can't wait for the day when 'diversity' isn't just the hot topic of the moment, but a true reality that is reflected on screen," the "Desperate Housewives" star said in a statement. "The change is coming, and I am happy to be a part of it."
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of latinpost.com