The minds behind the Oscars care deeply about addressing the diversity divide in Hollywood.
That explains the new rules, which kicked in this year, demanding Best Picture nominees check select Identity Politics boxes to qualify for the year’s biggest film honor.
Oscar-winner Richard Dreyfuss may have been the only high-profile star to blast the diversity measures. The “Jaws” alum said the Oscars should care about the quality of the film. Period. End of statement.
Richard Dreyfuss On New Diversity Rules For Oscars: “They Make Me Vomit” https://t.co/VuOgPbYHLd pic.twitter.com/rEEKgEPmo5
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) May 6, 2023
Except one group has been left out of that diversity shuffle, and now they’re speaking out.
Several stars, including “The Morning Show’s” Juliana Margulies, Debra Messing, “Frozen’s” Josh Gad, Mayim Bialik, David Schwimmer, Michael Rapaport and Tiffany Haddish, signed an open letter demanding Jewish inclusion in the new diversity standards.
Jew in the City’s Hollywood Bureau for Jewish Representation reached out to Team Oscar to complain about its refusal to include Jews in its list of marginalized/underrepresented groups.
Here’s part of that blistering letter:
While we applaud the Academy’s efforts to increase diverse and authentic storytelling, an inclusion effort that excludes Jews is both steeped in and misunderstands antisemitism. It erases Jewish peoplehood and perpetuates myths of Jewish whiteness, power, and that racism against Jews is not a major issue or that it’s a thing of the past.
Hollywood’s muted reaction to the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel which killed roughly 1,200 people hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Some stars, including Patricia Heaton, Rapaport, Amy Schumer and Sacha Baron Cohen, haven’t held back in blasting Hamas and its supporters.
Thanks to these two brave women who stand for goodness, truth and justice in the face of ignorant brutes and haters. https://t.co/0NmyYYTYdM
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) January 9, 2024
Others consistently rage against Israel, including John Cusack, Mark Ruffalo and Susan Sarandon. The latter’s comments convinced her talent agency to drop her from its roster.
Yet we haven’t seen the kind of blanket support that Hollywood typically generates for “approved” causes like gun control and abortion rights.
Even Steven Spielberg, renowned for his support for Jewish causes, took weeks to respond to the Oct. 7 atrocities.
The recent Golden Globes telecast didn’t include a single star speaking out against anti-semitism, the Hamas attacks against Israel or how dozens of Jews are still being held hostage by Hamas.