Why The Hollywood Reporter’s All-White Actress Roundtable is a Major Problem

Another year passes by and The Hollywood Reporter’s annual actress round table features a group of actresses. And just like last year, every single single woman on the cover is white.

The roundtable issue is meant to discuss the current issues surrounding Hollywood. But, the issue behind the lack of diversity shows a major issue in Hollywood. As Viola Davis pointed out during her Emmy acceptance speech: “The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.”

It also involves writers, casting directors, and producers. It’s easy to blame a studio who decides not to put money in a production that features people of color.

The other piece of the system is the fact that publications like The Hollywood Reporter are the reason why non-white actors are never awarded Oscar nominations.

The Hollywood Reporter executive editor tried to defend the white cover by blaming the system.

“The awful truth is there are no minority actresses in genuine contention for an Oscar this year,” wrote Stephen Galloway, THR’s executive editor of features.

“Speak to the executives that run the industry, and they say they want change,” he wrote. “But there are hardly any black film executives, and too few producers. Black directors? Not enough — and certainly not black women directors.”

It’s no secret that many Academy voters don’t see most of the movies in Oscar contention in any given year. Instead, they pay attention to advertisements, and word of mouth reviews written by publications like The Hollywood Reporter who tell them who to pay attention to. The Will Smith Oscar train is already gaining steam with movie studios investing millions to make sure Oscar judges choose Smith in order to give the actor his first Academy Award.

But, what about non-white actresses in Hollywood? With The Hollywood Reporter’s decision to focus on a group of white actors, it suggests that the only actors that deserve to be nominated are Caucasian. Ultimately, it suggests that editorial decisions like The Hollywood Reporter can have a monumental impact on diversity in Hollywood. But, people around the world are sick and tired of the lack of diversity. A quick glimpse into Twitter and you can see how many frustrated people are sick of the lack of diversity in Hollywood.

H/T: Jezebel