Oscars: Al Sharpton Criticizes "Fraudulent" Hollywood Over Zero Nonwhite Acting Noms

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Al Sharpton lit into Hollywood Thursday morning after this year's Oscar nominations were released and not a single African American was up for one of the 20 available slots in the four acting categories. 

This marks the second year with this result; the protest hashtag last year was #OscarsSoWhite.

Before that, 2011 was the last time all of the acting contenders were white and then again in 1998.

Sharpton criticized the industry for having a "fraudulent image of progressive and liberal politics and policies" and compared success in Tinseltown to climbing the Rocky Mountains.

“Hollywood is like the Rocky Mountains, the higher up you get the whiter it gets and this year’s Academy Awards will be yet another Rocky Mountain Oscars. Yet again, deserving Black actors and directors were ignored by the Academy – which reinforces the fact that there are few if any Blacks with real power in Hollywood," Sharpton said in a statement.

He added: "Being left out of Awards consideration is about more than just recognition for a job well done; winning an Oscar has long-lasting cultural and economic impacts."

The Academy attempted to diversify membership, inviting 322 new members over the summer, which included Selma star David Oyelowo, British actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who appears in Concussion, and Compton director F. Gary Gray.

Awards-caliber films focused on African American stories and performances included Compton, Beasts of No Nation, Will Smith in Concussion, Michael B. Jordan in Creed, Idris Elba in Beasts and Samuel L. Jackson in The Hateful Eight.

Last year, David Oyelowo, who was praised for his role as the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, was one of the most notable snubs. 

All white Oscar nominations are another example of the lack of diversity in Hollywood. Like the Rocky Mts. The higher u climb the whiter.

— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl)January 14, 2016

Hollywood has a fraudulent image of progressive and liberal politics and policies. We must take direct action to correct this. Talk is cheap

— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl)January 14, 2016

Gregg Kilday contributed to this report.

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Peter O'Toole dies at 81 Suffered from long illness

Peter O'Toole dies at 81: Film legend and Hollywood hellraiser who shot to fame as Lawrence

  of Arabia had suffered from long illness 

 

 

 

The actor was at a London hospital when he died on Saturday. Born in Ireland, O'Toole was as well-known for his hard drinking and hell-raising lifestyle as for the stupendous talent which set the screen alight. In a statement, his daughter Kate said the family was completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of 'real love and affection' after the announcement of his death. 'In due course, there will be a memorial filled with song and good cheer, as he would have wished', she said. O'Toole is pictured, left and centre, as Lawrence of Arabia and right, with Meryl Streep after receiving an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement.