Oscar Voters Are Older, Whiter, and Maler Than You Thought
No one really knows who the 5,765 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are. Yes, those who decide who gets the fetishized and neutered gold man at the Oscars were a mystery until now. The LA Times did a demographic study of who is casting the votes. Shocker: it's old white guys.
Considering old white guys determine everything that happens in American from contraception laws to Vanity Fair covers, why shouldn't they pick Best Sound Editing winners? The Times "spoke with thousands of academy members and their representatives - and reviewed academy publications, resumes, and biographies" and figured out about 89% of all the people who vote on the Oscars. Here is the breakdown.
- 94% white
- 77% male
- 2% black
- Less than 2% Latino
- 14% people under 50
- Median age is 62
- Surprising Oscar voters: Erik Estrada, Gavin MacLeod, Jaclyn Smith
Damn, it's no wonder why War Horse and Extremely Loud and Something Something Close got nominated. There is nothing old white guys like more than crying horses and Sandra Bullock. Nothing at all. Except maybe Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, George Clooney, and, you know, all the other people who are exactly like them.
[Image via Getty]