{"id":28496,"date":"2014-03-03T17:00:24","date_gmt":"2014-03-03T22:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=28496"},"modified":"2014-03-03T20:58:51","modified_gmt":"2014-03-04T01:58:51","slug":"largely-white-academy-recognizing-diversity-of-the-nation-is-a-sign-of-the-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=28496","title":{"rendered":"Largely White Academy Recognizing Diversity of the Nation is a sign of the Times."},"content":{"rendered":"

(Text of Editorial Appearing in “The Hindu” of March 4th 2014 Under the heading “Sign of the Times”)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>

An emotional Lupita Nyong’o accepts the award for Best Supporting Actress<\/p><\/div>\n

So many awards are handed out before the Oscars, with strong favourites emerging on the basis of those wins, that the Academy Awards ceremony has today become largely predictable. The same people who garner those earlier awards inevitably end up winning Oscars. <\/p>\n

Thus, Matthew McConaughey won Best Actor for Dallas Buyers Club, despite rumours that long-denied Leonardo DiCaprio would pose a threat with his work on The Wolf of Wall Street. <\/p>\n

Cate Blanchett was anointed Best Actress for Blue Jasmine, despite worries that her association with this Woody Allen film would prove too scandalous, after the fresh round of sexual abuse charges by Allen\u2019s daughter.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

As widely predicted on the basis of his win at the Director\u2019s Guild of America, Alfonso Cuar\u00f3n was declared Best Director for Gravity. And 12 Years a Slave won Best Picture, despite predictions of an upset by Gravity. <\/p>\n

There was no way a 3-D sci-fi spectacular was going to beat a noble-minded account of slavery in the antebellum South. But despite the lack of surprise, history was made. 12 Years a Slave was the first film made by a black to receive the Academy\u2019s highest honour: Best Picture. It was fitting that one of the presenters was Sidney Poitier, America\u2019s first black star.<\/p>\n