US Academy Announces Diversity-Inclusive Best Picture Criteria...Why It Faces Criticism for 'Mechanical Equality' [Kim Gayeon's Perspective Twist]

Academy Announces New Best Picture Criteria... Includes Minorities, People of Color, Women, LGBTQ
Academy Says "Will Be a Catalyst for Change in the Film Industry"

On February 9th, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, USA, director Bong Joon-ho won four awards for the film "Parasite" at the 92nd Academy Awards. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] The U.S. Academy Awards has added diversity standards focused on embracing social minorities specifically for the Best Picture category, sparking controversy both in the U.S. and South Korea. While some view this as a necessary measure amid serious issues of discrimination and hatred toward social minorities, others criticize it as "mechanical equality" that undermines the creativity of the works.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), which organizes the U.S. Academy Awards, announced new criteria for the Best Picture category on the 8th (local time). The criteria are divided into four areas: A, B, C, and D, which correspond to "on-screen representation, themes, and narratives," "creative leadership and project team," "industry access and opportunities," and "audience development," respectively.

To meet Area A, a film must satisfy at least one of the following: △at least one lead or significant supporting actor is from an ethnic minority or a person of color △30% of ensemble or minor roles are women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, people with cognitive or physical disabilities, or deaf individuals △the film addresses groups that are underrepresented in major storylines or themes.

Area B includes sub-criteria such as △at least two of the 14 key roles like director and cinematographer are women, people of color, LGBTQ, or disabled individuals △over 30% of the entire crew are social minorities. Area C involves △providing paid internship opportunities to social minorities △offering training opportunities such as skill development to social minorities. Area D requires at least two senior executives to be social minorities.

Starting in 2024, Best Picture submissions must meet at least two of the four criteria. Other categories will continue to follow existing standards.

This move is interpreted as the Academy’s attempt to reflect evolving social values by introducing new standards, responding to criticism of being white-centric. Previously, the Academy was criticized for racial discrimination and dubbed the "festival of white people" (#OscarsSoWhite).

Even at the 92nd Academy Awards last February, where director Bong Joon-ho’s film Parasite won four awards, criticism about lack of diversity persisted. Despite Parasite’s success, the majority of nominees and winners were white males.

Korean-American actress Sandra Oh won the Best Actress in a Drama award at the 76th Golden Globe Awards held on January 6 last year (local time) at the Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA. Photo by AP Yonhap News

At that time, the local media outlet The Washington Post congratulated Parasite’s win, stating, "Now we know that anyone, anywhere can win Best Picture," but also pointed out, "The Academy has been trying to move away from criticism of being all-white and embrace diversity. The fact that there were no female directors nominated this year shows there is still a long way to go."

Backlash against the new Best Picture criteria has been strong. Film fans domestically and internationally have criticized it as "mechanical equality" and "excessive political correctness (PC)," while some actors have voiced concerns that it infringes on freedom of expression and creativity. PC stands for Political Correctness, a movement to move away from male- and white-centered cultural norms traditionally accepted as the status quo.

Some argue, "Many previously highly rated Best Picture winners might not meet these criteria. It could actually lower the quality of award-winning films." They claim these standards could act as another form of regulation on the film industry and that mechanically enforcing equity might cause reverse discrimination.

However, these claims have been met with criticism that they "fail to understand discrimination against minorities," leading to ongoing debate.

Currently defined social minorities refer to those who do not fit into the generally accepted so-called "normativity." These are minimum regulations for minorities who do not belong to the white, male, heterosexual-centered culture. Because non-mainstream groups face unequal opportunities compared to the long-established mainstream groups, these measures are explained as devices to guarantee minimum rights.

A study by the University of Southern California (USC) Department of Communication and Journalism last year on the top 100 box office hits found that only 32 lead or co-lead roles were held by minority racial groups. Women appeared as lead or co-lead in 43 cases, but only 3 films featured women aged 45 or older in lead or co-lead roles. Over 65% of characters with lines or names were male. Particularly, characters with disabilities accounted for 2.3%, and LGBTQ characters only 1.4%.

Research also shows that most previous award-winning films already meet the new criteria. According to The Washington Post, 73% of Best Picture winners over the past 15 years since 2005 met the new standards, with only four films?The Departed, No Country for Old Men, The Artist, and Argo?not meeting them. The outlet noted, "These films would have met the criteria with just a little change."

The Academy explained the purpose of the new standards as "created to better reflect the diversity of movie-loving audiences and to encourage equal representation both on and off screen."

They added, "From film production to the audiences connected to those films, we must strive to reflect our diverse global population. The Academy will work to realize this, and the new standards will serve as a catalyst for change in the film industry."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.