SNL Spoofs Oscars Diversity Controversy With Award Show Parody

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has said in response to the backlash it plans to double "the number of women and diverse members of the Academy by 2020

By Corinne Heller Jan 24, 2016 6:17 PMTags
Bobby Moynihan, SNL, Oscars Diversity ControversyNBC

Live, from New York, the white guys are all winners.

NBC's SNL dedicated a special sketch Saturday to address a recent controversy plaguing the upcoming 2016 Oscars. Many people, including celebrities, have criticized the lack of diversity among this year's nominees and some stars, such as Spike Lee, Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, even plan to boycott this year's event.

All the nominated actors, which include Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Christian Bale and Kate Winslet, are white. The 2016 Oscars host, Chris Rock, jokingly referred to the ceremony as the "White BET Awards."

SNL's sketch depicted a fictional event called the Screen Guild Awards, which showcased all-white acting nominees who had supporting and even minuscule roles in movies with leading black actors, who did not receive nods themselves.

In response to the backlash, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which votes on the Oscars, plans to double "the number of women and diverse members of the Academy by 2020."

Oscar nominations also went out this year to Mexican director and three-time Oscar winner Alejandro González Iñárritu and the rap biopic Straight Outta Compton, which stars a slew of black actors. The 2016 Oscars will air live on Feb. 28.

At the upcoming Screen Actors Guild Awards, whose name inspired the title of the show spoofed on SNL, four actors who are not white received acting nodsIdris Elba, Queen LatifahUzo Aduba and Viola Davis. Elba, who received two nominations, is also the only one among them who was nominated for a film role. The SAG Awards will air on Jan. 30.

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