The Academy, that select club where the rules are as flexible as a Hollywood script
It seems that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, in case anyone forgot the most pretentious acronym in cinema) has decided that Karla Sofía Gascón is not glamorous enough for its exclusive club. Despite making history as the first trans woman nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress for Emilia Pérez, the actress was conveniently omitted from the list of new members invited this year. Chance? Of course not, this is Hollywood, where inclusion is as selective as after-party catering.
Nominated for an Oscar but not for the Academy? What a plot twist!
It turns out that, although the Oscar nomination usually comes with an automatic invitation to the AMPAS (as if it were a popcorn combo at the movies), someone in the boardroom must have thought: “What if it’s better not?”. While his co-stars Adriana Paz and Zoe Saldaña (who, by the way, already has her golden statuette) were received with a red carpet, Gascón was left waiting for a call that never came. Official reason? None. But, surprise surprise, right after his nomination, some old tweets resurfaced with comments that would make even the most politically incorrect villain in a Marvel movie blush.
Among pearls such as criticism of “political correctness” and anti-vaccine opinions, the Academy—which is now painted as the bastion of diversity—decided that Gascón’s past did not fit into its new image. Of course, other nominees with similar controversies (cough, Mel Gibson, cough) are still active members. Double standards? Nah, just business as usual.
Diversity, but only when it suits
AMPAS, in its infinite desire to show that they are inclusive, announced this year a record of 534 new members, with 45% from underrepresented communities. But interestingly, a trans woman nominated for the top prize did not qualify. Could it be that diversity has an asterisk that no one read? Meanwhile, figures like Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande (yes, the one from Don’t Look Up) received their VIP pass without problems. Because, in the end, what matters is not talent, but how many followers you have on Instagram.
And so, while the Academy is full of talk about “enriching the cinematographic mission”, its decision to exclude Gascón only confirms what we all suspect: here the rules are written in pencil, and the draft goes to whoever pays the most for the script.
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