Who are the Oscar Voters? You Might be Surprised

A study of Academy Awards voters has revealed some not-so-cute info about the Oscars. According to their research, most of the voters are white males.

The Los Angeles Times found that 94 percent of the 5,765 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are white and 77 percent are men. Blacks and Hispanics account for only 2 percent each of academy members.

The newspaper's findings were reported Sunday, a week before the Oscars. The Times reported that through interviews with members and their representatives, it confirmed the identities of about 5,100 voters — 89 percent of academy membership.

This is not cute at all. To see this info, explains a lot about why certain roles and movies are chosen. But the academy's president assures they are trying to diversify its membership. 

Well Mr. President, try harder.

source

Interesting Quote: Axel Alonso

"If you check our record, Elflore, I think you'll see our commitment to diversity is apparent across the line, and has been for some time. Black Panther has anchored a monthly title on and off for the past 8 years, and is certain to be back in the mix in 2012, Luke Cage has been a central character in [Brian] Bendis' Avengers, and Shang Chi's role in "Spider-Island" is a taste of things to come -- and those are just three characters off the top of my head.


It's not like we've stopped trying, either. Besides Miles Morales in the Ultimate Universe, we've introduced a wide variety of multicultural characters in the Marvel Universe: the super-powered bounty hunter team, the Zapata Brothers, from "Moon Knight" and "Deadpool Team-Up"; Reptil from "Avengers Academy"; Coldmoon and Dragonfire from "Point One"; Raizo Todo from "Fear Itself: Hulk"; and "Battle Scar's" Sergeant Marcus Johnson, who is a character you'll definitely want to keep your eye on -- I mean, eyes. Also, Striker just came out of the closet in "Avengers Academy," and Wiccan and Hulkling continue to play a huge role in "Young Avengers/Avengers: Children's Crusade." I feel like I'm just getting started." 

Axel speaks on the diversity within the 616 Marvel universe

DC Comics brings us our First African Batman in Batwing #1

DC Comics announces a new character to the DC universe. Meet David Zavimb, the Batman of Africa.

"Batwing #1 is a series that spins right out of Grant Morrison's Batman Incorporated storyline. This is the first time that we have an in-continuity black character wearing the Batman costume," said Batman group editor Mike Marts. "Grant has provided us with so many new characters and concepts. He's really just been a fountain of ideas and energy for the Batman group of titles. We have so many different cool things to choose from what Grant creates, and we go with what we think is going to provide readers with the most story and the most excitement. And with this, Batwing won out."

source

My Top 5 Picks for Ethnically Diverse Cartoons

When I was a kid, I was easily brainwashed in believing people of color couldn't be leaders, heroes and change agents. What really pushed it were cartoons. Usually the heroes were White and enemies or villains were other colors (green, orange, etc).

However, there were a few animated shows that stuck out and challenged the norm.

Blackstar - He was believed to be Native American


Rubik the Amazing Cube


Fat Albert


Jem


Bravestarr

There Ain't no Color in this Rainbow: GLAAD shows the lack of Racial Diversity in LGBT TV

This is not cute. GLAAD has an interesting breakdown of racial diversity in LGBT characters for this year.

Here's the breakdown

LGBT Characters on Broadcast Television

LEAD CHARCTERS
Show	Network	Character	Actor	Orientation/Ethnicity
Brothers & Sisters	ABC	Kevin Walker	Matthew Rhys	gay/white
Grey's Anatomy	ABC	Callie Torres	Sara Ramirez	bisexual/Latina
Happy Endings	ABC	Max	Adam Pally	gay/white
Modern Family	ABC	Mitchell	Jesse Tyler Ferguson	gay/white
Modern Family	ABC	Cameron	Eric Stonestreet	gay/white
				Subtotal: 5
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Show	Network	Character	Actor	Orientation/Ethnicity
90210	The CW	Teddy Montgomery	Trevor Donovan	gay/white
90210	The CW	Adrianna Tate-Duncan	Jessica Lowndes	bisexual/white
American Dad!	FOX	Roger the Alien	Seth MacFarlane	gay/non-human
Bones	FOX	Angela Montenegro	Michaela Conlin	bisexual/API
Brothers & Sisters	ABC	Scotty Wandell	Luke Macfarlane	gay/white
Brothers & Sisters	ABC	Saul Holden	Ron Rifkin	gay/white
Desperate Housewives	ABC	Lee	Kevin Rahm	gay/white
Desperate Housewives	ABC	Bob	Tuc Watkins	gay/white
Glee	FOX	Kurt Hummel	Chris Colfer	gay/white
The Good Wife	CBS	Kalinda Sharma	Archie Panjabi	bisexual/API
Grey's Anatomy	ABC	Arizona Robbins	Jessica Capshaw	lesbian/white
Hellcats	The CW	Patty Wedgerman	Elena Esovolova	lesbian/white
House	FOX	Thirteen	Olivia Wilde	bisexual/white
Law & Order: SVU	NBC	Dr. George Huang	B.D. Wong	gay/API
The Office	NBC	Oscar Martinez	Oscar Ninez	gay/Latino
Outlaw	NBC	Lucinda Pearl	Carly Pope	bisexual/white
Running Wilde	FOX	Mr. Lunt	Robert Michael Morris	gay/white
The Whole Truth	ABC	Alejo Salazar	Anthony Ruivivar	gay/white
				Subtotal: 18
RECURRING CHARACTERS
Show	Network	Character	Actor	Orientation/Ethnicity
90210	The CW	Ian	Kyle Riabko	gay/white
$#*! My Dad Says	CBS	Tim	Tim Bagley	gay/white
American Dad!	FOX	Greg Corbin	Seth MacFarlane	gay/white
American Dad!	FOX	Terry Bates	Mike Barker	gay/white
Desperate Housewives	ABC	Andrew Van de Kamp	Shawn Pyfrom	gay/white
GLEE	FOX	Blaine	Darren Criss	gay/white
The Good Wife	CBS	Lana Delaney	Jill Flint	gay/white
The Good Wife	CBS	Alicia's gay brother	Dallas Roberts	gay/white
Gossip Girl	The CW	Eric Van der Woodsen	Conor Paolo	gay/white
The Office	NBC	Matt	Sam Daly	gay/white
Rules of Engagment	CBS	Lesbian Surrogate	TBD	lesbian/unknown
The Simpsons	FOX	Patty Bouvier	Julie Kavner	lesbian/white
The Simpsons	FOX	Waylon Smithers	Harry Shearer	gay/white
Undercovers	NBC	Lance	Jay Scully	gay/unknown
				Subtotal: 14

LGBT Characters on Cable Television

LEAD CHARCTERS
Show	Network	Character	Actor	Orientation/Ethnicity
Degrassi: The Boiling Point	TeenNick	Riley Stavros	Argiris Karras	gay/white
GREEK	ABC Family	Calvin Owens	Paul James	gay/black
In Treatment	HBO	Jesse	Dane DeHaan	gay/white
Nurse Jackie	Showtime	Dr. Eleanor O'Hara	Eve Best	bisexual/white
Pretty Little Liars	ABC Family	Emily Fields	Shay Mitchell	bisexual/other
Rubicon	AMC	Kale Ingram	Arliss Howard	gay/white
Skins	BBC America	Emily	Kathryn Prescott	lesbian/white
Skins	BBC America	Naomi	Lily Loveless	lesbian/white
Skins	MTV	Tea	Sofia Black D'Ella	lesbian/Latina
Torchwood	Starz	Jack Harkness	John Barrowman	bisexual/white
True Blood	HBO	Lafayette Reynolds	Nelsan Ellis	gay/black
United States of Tara	Showtime	Marshall Gregson	Keir Gilchrist	gay/white
				Subtotal: 12
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Show	Network	Character	Actor	Orientation/Ethnicity
Archer	FX	Pam	Amber Nash	lesbian/white
Big Love	HBO	Alby Grant	Matt Ross	gay/white
Caprica	Syfy	Sam Adama	Sasha Roiz	gay/white
Death Comes to Town	IFC	Dusty	Scott Thompson	gay/white
Degrassi: The Boiling Point	TeenNick	Adam	Jordan Todosey	transgender(FTM)/white
Degrassi: The Boiling Point	TeenNick	Zane Park	Shannon Kook-Chun	gay/API
GREEK	ABC Family	Grant	Gregory Michael	gay/white
GREEK	ABC Family	Heath	Zach Lively	gay/white
HawthoRNe	TNT	Kelly	Vanessa Lengies	gay/Latina
Huge	ABC Family	Alistair	Harvey Guillen	gay/white
Hung	HBO	Damon Drecker	Charlie Saxon	bisexual/ white
Nurse Jackie	Showtime	Thor	Stephen Wallem	gay/white
Pretty Little Liars	ABC Family	Maya St. Germain	Bianca Lawson	lesbian/Black
Shameless	Sundance	Ian Gallagher	Gerard Kearns	gay/white
Shameless	Sundance	Micky Maguire	Ciaran Griffiths	gay/white
Southland	TNT	Officer John Cooper	Michael Cudlitz	gay/white
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena	Starz	Auctus	Josef Brown	gay/white
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena	Starz	Barca	Antonio Te Maioha	gay/white
Stargate Universe	Syfy	Camile Wray	Ming-Na	lesbian/API
The Secret Life of the American Teenager	ABC Family	Griffin	Brando Eaton	gay/white
True Blood	HBO	Pam	Kristin Bauer	lesbian/white
True Blood	HBO	Russell Edgington	Denis O'Hare	gay/white
White Collar	USA	Diana Barrigan	Marsha Thomason	lesbian/Black
				Subtotal: 23
RECURRING CHARACTERS
Show	Network	Character	Actor	Orientation/Ethnicity
Archer	FX	Ray Gillette	Adam Reed	gay/white
Caprica	Syfy	Larry	Julius Chapple	gay/ white
Entourage	HBO	Lloyd Lee	Rex Lee	gay/API
Facing Kate	USA	Spencer Reed	Ethan Embry	gay/white
Rubicon	AMC	Donald Bloom	Michael Gaston	gay/white
Sons of Anarchy	FX	TBA lesbian character	TBA	lesbian/TBA
South Park	Comedy Central	Mr. Garrison	Trey Parker	gay/white
Stargate Universe	Syfy	Sharon	Reiko Aylesworth	lesbian/API
The Closer	TNT	Dr. Morales	Jonathan Del Arco	gay/Latino
The Secret Life of the American Teenager	ABC Family	Leon	Larry Sullivan	gay/white
The Secret Life of the American Teenager	ABC Family	Donovan	Alex Boling	gay/white
True Blood	HBO	Hadley Hale	Lindsey Haun	bisexual/white
True Blood	HBO	Jesus Velasquez	Kevin Alejandro	gay/Latino
True Blood	HBO	Sophie Anne Lecleq	Evan Rachel Wood	lesbian/white
United States of Tara	Showtime	Lionel Trane	Michael J. Willett	gay/white
United States of Tara	Showtime	Ted Mayo	Michael Hitchcock	gay/white
Weeds	Showtime	Fiona	Sugar Lyn Beard	lesbian/ white
Weeds	Showtime	Linda	Linda Hamilton	lesbian/ white
				Subtotal: 18

Sad, really sad.

source