Suggesting that the influence wielded by the old white guy may go beyond previously assumed purviews like “pretty much all American businesses” and a woman’s choice of contraception, the L.A. Times has revealed that the average member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is, by an overwhelming margin, an old white guy, whose old white guy legion determines the year’s best movies in deference to the tastes of old white guys. According to the demographic breakdown of the group—whose individual identities remain top secret—86 percent of the Academy body is over the age of 50, 77 percent are male, and 94 percent are white. Thus, “Best Picture nominee Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close” and a complete shut-out for Michael Fassbender’s penis. All told, black and Hispanic people account for only 4 percent of the group—a lack of diversity, along with the under-representation of women, that Academy president Tom Sherak says he’s hoping these new, not-quite-revelations will correct by encouraging more non-old white guys to apply for membership. Also, they nominated The Help for a bunch of stuff, so they’re trying.
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