Hollywood star Richard Dreyfuss slammed the Academy Awards’ new diversity guidelines saying they make him vomit. The new guidelines were introduced under an initiative called Aperture 2025 and the goal is to “encourage equitable representation on and off screen in order to better reflect the diversity of the movie-going audience.”
Films must meet at least two of four benchmarks to qualify. They include featuring actors from underrepresented groups in significant roles or accounting for at least 30% of the cast. Similar terms for those working behind the scenes on the movie. A significant commitment to paid apprenticeships, internships, and career development for the same groups And representation among the teams devoted to marketing, publicity, and distribution.
Dreyfus said the rules “make me vomit because this is an art form. It’s also a form of commerce and it makes money. But it’s an art.
“And no one should be telling me as an artist that I have to give into the latest, most current idea of what morality is.
“I don’t think that there is a minority or a majority in this country that has to be catered to like that.
“Am I being told that I will never have a chance to play a Black man?
“Is someone else being told that if they’re not Jewish they shouldn’t play the Merchant of Venice?
“Are we crazy? Do we not know that art is art?
“It’s patronizing because it says that we’re so fragile that we can’t have our feelings hurt.”
“What are we risking?
“Are we really risking hurting people’s feelings?
“You can’t legislate that. And you have to let life be life.”
Twitter CEO Elon Musk agreed:
“Any organization that puts quotas above merit, instantly devalues their awards.”
Any organization that puts quotas above merit, instantly devalues their awards
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 8, 2023
Yesterday in the pit pic.twitter.com/NnAdSUxaBq
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 7, 2023
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 7, 2023
