Academy's president adjusts stance on diversity issue

Maybe Oscar needs more diversity after all, says Cheryl Boone Isaacs, first black president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

In an interview with the Associated Press that appeared over the weekend, Boone Isaacs said this year's all-white Oscar acting nominations have inspired her to accelerate the academy's push to be more inclusive.

"In the last two years, we've made greater strides than we ever have in the past toward becoming a more diverse and inclusive organization through admitting new members and more inclusive classes of members," Boone Isaacs said.

"And, personally, I would love to see and look forward to see a greater cultural diversity among all our nominees in all of our categories."

This was different than what she said Thursday when the Oscar nominations were announced and she was quoted saying she doesn't think the academy has a diversity problem "at all."

After all, the Martin Luther King bio pic Selma got a best-picture nomination (and a nomination for best song), she noted.

"The good news is that the wealth of talent is there, and it's being discussed, and it's helpful so much for talent — whether in front of the camera or behind the camera — to have this recognition, to have this period of time where there is a lot of publicity, a lot of chitter-chatter," she told New York Magazine's Vulture blog.

This did not go over well on social media. And besides the 20 acting nominations, no women were represented in the directing, writing or cinematography categories.

Critics of the academy wondered why Oscar failed to give a nod to director Ava DuVernay, who would have been the first black woman nominated for best director, or to actor David Oyelowo for his King performance widely described as powerful.

Soon, the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite was trending on Twitter:

The AP interview was Boone Isaacs' response to the criticism. But she declined to discuss whether she or the academy were embarrassed by the slate of white Oscar nominees. She said fans should not feel that Selma was "snubbed," as was reported, or that it was the victim of racial bias.

"What is important not to lose sight of is that Selma, which is a fantastic motion picture, was nominated for best picture this year, and the best picture category is voted on by the entire membership of around 7,000 (academy members)," she said.

"It's an award that showcases the talent of everyone involved in the production."

Some on Twitter noted it might take some time to get full diversity in the academy because it reflects the film industry in general, which surveys show is largely white.