Their reasoning for an all-white cover is passed off as a reflection of this year’s pool of Academy Award contenders. It’s a terrible excuse because the cover features a mix of current Oscar contenders and previous best actress winners: Cate Blanchett, Helen Mirren, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlotte Rampling, Carey Mulligan, Kate Winslet, Brie Larson, and Jane Fonda.
The word “appalling” for the blatant lack of diversity that THR has demonstrated is an understatement at best. Efforts to deflect responsibility and blame it all on the Academy Awards is ridiculous because the cover features not just current but previous contenders.
If they weren’t aware they could have done an internet search to discover that Diana Ross, Cicely Tyson, Diahann Carroll, Whoopi Goldberg, Angela Bassett, Gabourey Sidibe, Viola Davis, and Quvenzhane Wallis were all nominees for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Halle Berry Won in 2001.
I’m sure they could have gotten in touch with any one of them. Only Dorothy Dandridge, the first African American actress to be nominated for Best Actress is no longer with us.
The oversight is so “appalling” that station KABC-TV 7 came to get my opinion.
Stephen Galloway, Executive Editor of Features for THR said he and his colleagues deserve some blame. He also pointed out another THR diversity gaffe when they excluded African-American filmmaker F. Gary Gray from one of their previous directors round-table.
It is important that The Hollywood Reporter is being called out on this one. Diversity on screen and in this country can no longer be overlooked.
See the whole story at KABC-TV 7.
Tanya Hart