Mark Ruffalo Considered Not Attending the Oscars Because of America’s ‘White Privileged Racism’
"The entire American system is rife with a kind of white privileged racism that goes into our justice system."
The don't-call-it-a-boycott Oscars might be more interesting for who won't be in attendance than who will. Spike Lee, Jada Pinkett Smith, and now Will Smith have all said that they're not planning on attending the Oscars, which, for the second year in a row, nominated 20 white people in the acting categories. Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo, one of the stars of presumed Best Picture front-runner Spotlight, also thinks that the all-white slate is reflective of deeper injustices in America. "It isn't just the Academy Awards," Ruffalo told BBC News. "The entire American system is rife with a kind of white privileged racism that goes into our justice system."
Will he attend the ceremonies? "I'm weighing it. That's where I'm at right now," said Ruffalo. "I woke up in the morning thinking, what is the right way to do this? Because if you look at Martin Luther King's legacy, what he was saying was, the good people who don't act are much worse than the people, the wrongdoers that are purposely not acting and don't know the right way." Well, you may have just answered your own question, Mark Ruffalo.
Update: On Twitter, Ruffalo clarified his position, saying he would attend the ceremony to honor the survivors of the Catholic Church's sex-abuse scandal.
To clear up any confusion. I will be going to the Oscars in support of the victims of clergy Sexual Abuse and good journalism. #Spotlight
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) January 21, 2016I do support the Oscar Ban movement's position that the nominations do not reflect the diversity of our community.
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) January 21, 2016The Oscar Ban movement reflects a larger discussion about racism in the criminal justice system.
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) January 21, 2016I hope the OscarBan people are also willing to step up and support the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Where black bodies are in jeopardy daily.
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) January 21, 2016Correction. I hope the Oscar Ban movement opens the way for my peers to open their hearts to the #BlackLivesMatter movement as well.
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) January 21, 2016