#OscarSoWhite2017 ??

As if the lack of diversity at the Oscars last month was not enough of a wake-up call for pop culture in the nation, predictions are already being made regarding the award recipients for next years' Oscar award show. The general lack of diversity in terms of minority and female underrepresentation as recipients was an issue at the Oscars both in 2015 and 2016. Unfortunately, media companies such as USA Today are predicting a very similar outcome for next years' award show due to the lack of minorities and females landing major roles in films that are set to be released this year. While there is not yet an exact statistic regarding the lack of female and minority representation in leading roles in the 184 films set to be released over the course of this year, there is a very striking number of movies in which there are only white actors featured. Researchers have recently released statements along the lines of "Hollywood has been whitewashed, in front of the cameras and behind, from casting to writing to producers to actors" says researcher Jeetendr Sehdev of USC. Based on how current studios have described their slates for the coming year, not enough of the movies set to be released prominently feature minority or female actors, indicating that next year's Oscar nominees will most likely reflect this unfortunate reality. It's very hard to believe that we are in the 21st century and still continuing to face this issue in the media and pop culture in general...it's time for a change and a step in the right direction.