The Academy announced in September 2020 a set of rules to encourage diversity would take effect with the upcoming 96th Oscars ceremony in March 2024.

The new rules were announced a few months after George Floyd was killed. As I recall, almost every corporation or city or group was in a race to be the wokest.

You mean like the 2006 nominee Brokeback Mountain? This is only to ensure that they recognize POC in roles. It doesn’t mean they win. If so, then Mikey Madison wouldn’t have won, Cynthia Erivo would’ve. Coleman Domingo would’ve won over Adrian Brody, and so on. When a bunch of old white men are in charge, they tend to ignore pretty much anyone who doesn’t look like they do. 60% of DEI hire were white women. As a white woman who directs tv shows for a living, it’s difficult when shows like Supernatural that was on 15 years, airing 327 episodes, never hired a female director. I for one will always be grateful for that but then again, i wasn’t around when my mom wasn’t allowed to get her own credit card, thankfully. When you’re casting a show, there are several small roles. A receptionist with one line or a nurse or a cop etc. someone who doesn’t one quick little scene. Those are the roles they fill with POC now with the new rules in effect. It’s just to make people aware.

So, it's OK to fill a role with a less talented actor so that some diversity quota is met? There are plenty of talented "POC" actors, I wonder what they think of lowering standards to accommodate their less talented brethren. When I watch a movie, I want entertainment and quality performances. I couldn't give a rat's furry arse about how much "diversity" the casting director was able to shove down our throats. Give me Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington all day long, but don't give me "all the stars that never were who are parking cars and pumping gas"

Way, way out of touch. As far as those idiotic "criteria" to even be considered for best picture, here's some previous winners that I doubt would be considered today based on what was posted above.

Casablanca
From Here to Eternity
Gigi
Ben Hur
My Fair Lady
The Sound of Music
The Godfather
The Sting
Chariots of Fire
Amadeus
Silence of the Lambs
Forrest Gump
Braveheart
Titanic

Obviously, a collection of inferior movies due to a lack of meeting diversity standards.

I see no problem with having stories told that reflect a broad spectrum of people in the US. And a good story can influence great changes. Uncle Tom's Cabin or Gulliver's Travels for instance. It is 2025 now though.

We had an African-American woman 007 for a short time in recent James Bond movie but the Daniel Craig played Bond got the 007 label back by the end of the movie. And then....

It would be hard to accept an African American female 007 but we could get used to it.

And those movies are fine. But it shouldn’t be a REQUIREMENT for best picture consideration

I am pretty sure the Academy is a private organization and not a public one so there would not be much that could be done about it.

Didn’t state that something could be done, just that it is idiotic and wrong

The Academy should be able to pick which stories they want to honor with the Best Picture label. I do find that with some of them they are pushing too hard and just creating animosity from certain groups. They are using them as teaching moments and some people want a different book altogether.

Yes, they can use whatever criteria they want. But imagine if they reversed criteria and stated they will only consider movies with an all white cast. Would that be acceptable and within their rights

Probably not. Some clever lawyers would find a way to go after the Academy especially if it looks like other parties are involved. The normal trend would be to include more and more different ethnic and sexual identity groups not less and less.

The last line is very clever. Impressive!!!!

I would say that "Zero Day" was a recent series that was thoughtful enough to influence people. And maybe make small changes. It showed that the US's biggest enemy could come from within.

I really have enjoyed "Zero Day".