text: Director John Singleton defended the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Monday in the wake of the renewed #OscarsSoWhite controversy, which saw the organization’s members nominate exclusively white actors in top acting categories for a second straight year. 
   
   While fellow director Spike Lee and actress Jada Pinkett Smith have vowed to boycott the February 28 awards show, the two-time Oscar-nominated Singleton said in a recent interview that Academy nods are subjective honors, and don’t necessarily reflect the quality of a given film. 
   
   advertisement 
   
   “There’s only so many slots, though,” Singleton, who became the first African-American to earn a Best Director nomination for 1991’s Boyz ‘N The Hood, told Variety. “There are a couple of movies that may have (warranted attention) but… It’s all subjective. It’s almost like the lottery.” 
   
   “It’s like every year people complain,” the director added. “People even complain even when we have a lot of nominations. It is what is is. I’ve been in the game for 25 years. You never know – it’s the luck of the draw for you. To me, I’m not surprised. I’m not disappointed either, as much as other people are disappointed. There’s a whole elevation of work that happens.” 
   
   Singleton’s opinion differs greatly from that of Spike Lee; the Do The Right Thing director vowed Monday to boycott the Oscars, writing in an Instagram post that “until minorities are [in film studios’ boardrooms], the Oscar nominees will remain lily white.” 
   
   But in his comments to Variety, Singleton suggested that Lee should know better than most that Oscar nominations are not a reflection of a film’s strength. 
   
   “Every year there’s at least a few films that don’t get nominated and you have all these films that do get nominated and then the films that aren’t nominated are elevated over time, he explained. Do the Right Thing never got nominated for best picture, but that year, nobody’s talking about Driving Miss Daisy any more. Everybody’s still talking about Do the Right Thing. It happens every year.” 
   
   The #OscarsSoWhite controversy was renewed again last week, when critics blasted the Academy for failing to nominate any people of color in each of the top four acting categories. Critics said that films like Straight Outta Compton, Creed, Beasts of No Nation and Concussion deserved recognition for their acting performances. 
   
   Compton producer Will Packer called the lack of nominations for people of color a “complete embarrassment,” while the Rev. Al Sharpton blasted Hollywood at large for perpetuating what he called a “fraudulent image of of progressive liberal politics and policies.” 
   
   Despite defending the Academy, Singleton told Variety there was one film he hoped would earn a nomination that ultimately did not. 
   
   “I do think Straight Outta Compton could have been nominated for Best Picture,” he said. He added that Jason Mitchell, who played Eazy-E in the NWA biopic, should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor. 
   
   Singleton’s work can be seen next in an episode of American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson, premiering February 2 on FX. ||||| In the wake of Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett Smith announcing they will not be attending this year's Oscars, Cheryl Boone Isaacs says she was "heartbroken and frustrated" by the nominations, which did not include any performers of color. 
   
   Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, on Monday issued a lengthy statement on the lack of diversity in this year's Oscar nominations, which has become the subject of mounting criticism. 
   
   "I’d like to acknowledge the wonderful work of this year’s nominees," she said. "While we celebrate their extraordinary achievements, I am both heartbroken and frustrated about the lack of inclusion. This is a difficult but important conversation, and it’s time for big changes. 
   
   "The Academy is taking dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership. In the coming days and weeks we will conduct a review of our membership recruitment in order to bring about much-needed diversity in our 2016 class and beyond," Boone Isaacs said in what amounted to a rare and unusual move on the part of the Academy. 
   
   "As many of you know," she continued, "we have implemented changes to diversify our membership in the last four years. But the change is not coming as fast as we would like. We need to do more, and better and more quickly." 
   
   "This isn’t unprecedented for the Academy," added Boone Isaacs. "In the ‘60s and ‘70s, it was about recruiting younger members to stay vital and relevant. In 2016, the mandate is inclusion in all of its facets: gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. We recognize the very real concerns of our community, and I so appreciate all of you who have reached out to me in our effort to move forward together." 
   
   Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter earlier Monday evening just before she was honored with the Rosa Parks Humanitarian Award at the King Legacy Awards, presented at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Los Angeles, Boone Isaacs said that “there’s been enough conversation” and that it is time for the entertainment industry to take action to improve diversity. 
   
   She said that she was “disappointed” that, for the second year in a row, the Oscar nominations, announced last week, failed to include any performers of color. Academy CEO Dawn Hudson, who was also in attendance, added that she was "devastated" by the nominations. 
   
   The Academy again finds itself the focus of criticism over the lack of opportunities for minorities within the film industry. Earlier on Monday, Spike Lee, who received an honorary Oscar from the Academy at its Board of Governors Awards in November, announced in an Instagram post that he and his wife Tonya Lewis Lee “cannot support it” and would not attend the upcoming Oscars on Feb. 28. 
   
   "Mean No Disrespect To My Friends, Host Chris Rock and Producer Reggie Hudlin, President Isaacs And The Academy," Lee wrote. "But, How Is It Possible For The 2nd Consecutive Year All 20 Contenders Under The Actor Category Are White? And Let's Not Even Get Into The Other Branches. 40 White Actors In 2 Years And No Flava At All. We Can't Act?! WTF!!" 
   
   The Academy president said she had not heard from Lee about his decision, but that she remained a strong supporter of his in general. 
   
   Boone Isaacs, who is African-American, said she herself has experienced racism, but declined to go into detail. 
   
   At the same time, she said even if it is the industry that is to blame for not creating more diverse product, it would be wrong for the Academy to avoid responsibility in a year when there has been at least a handful of movies with actors of color that she found worthy of nomination. 
   
   'There've been four or five wonderful movies,' she said, citing Lee’s own Chi-Raq, Concussion, Creed, Beasts of No Nation and Straight Outta Compton. 
   
   Boone Isaacs noted that the Academy has formed a committee, made up of members of the industry, to explore how to improve diversity. She announced earlier at the Governors Awards that the Academy is developing a five-year plan called A2020 with an eye toward improving diversity within the Academy itself and the industry at large. ||||| Immediate reaction within the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to president Cheryl Boone Isaacs’ statement promising “dramatic steps” to increase diversity ranged from skepticism that AMPAS could make real changes to enthusiasm over the idea of diversity as a true Oscars priority. 
   
   But most members surveyed by TheWrap applauded Isaacs’ comments, in which she described herself as “heartbroken and frustrated” over the nominations that excluded many potential black nominees. 
   
   And Isaacs was not even the first Academy official to issue a call for diversity on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day — she was just the first to do so publicly. 
   
   Also Read: Oscars 'Heartbroken' Over Lack of Diversity, Academy Pledges 'Big Changes' 
   
   Early in the day, according to members who spoke to TheWrap, screenwriter Phil Alden Robinson, a member of the Academy’s Board of Governors and the board’s secretary, sent an email to other members and governors urging that each branch make a major push for increased diversity. 
   
   Robinson called on governors to examine the membership requirements within their branches with an eye to bringing in more minority members, and also encouraged them to identify existing minority members within their branch who would be willing to run for office to make the board more diverse. 
   
   Isaacs is currently the only African-American member of the Board of Governors, and one of only 17 women on the 51-member board. She issued her statement after a public outcry over the failure of Academy voters to nominate any non-white acting nominees for the second consecutive year. 
   
   Also Read: Oscar Nominations Renew #OscarsSoWhite Backlash 
   
   Among the African-American performers who were overlooked in Oscars nominations: Michael B. Jordan for “Creed,” Idris Elba for “Beasts of No Nation,” Will Smith for “Concussion” and the cast of “Straight Outta Compton,” which was nominated for screenplay by the Writers Branch (typically the most adventurous AMPAS branch) but left out of the Best Picture and acting races. 
   
   “They’re not embarrassed today,” one Academy member and former governor said. “They’re disgusted.” 
   
   The steps urged by Robinson could be part and parcel of the campaign described by Isaacs, which focuses on the invitations to membership that will be sent out in the spring of this year. 
   
   “The Academy is taking dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership,” she wrote. “In the coming days and weeks we will conduct a review of our membership recruitment in order to bring about much-needed diversity in our 2016 class and beyond.” 
   
   Also Read: Nina Simone Sings a Song for MLK in Trailer for Netflix Doc (Exclusive Video) 
   
   That emphasis dovetailed with the opinion of one member who supported Isaacs’ statements and told TheWrap: “The problem is not the nominations. It’s the makeup of the Academy, and more than that the makeup of Hollywood.” 
   
   But other members were skeptical of the organization’s ability to truly change the makeup or biases of the Academy, which includes almost 6,300 voting members. “Any way you slice it, it’s a knee-jerk reaction,” one member said, who believed the way to increase the diversity of nominations would be to expand the Best Picture field to 10 (which would presumably have included “Straight Outta Compton”) or turn the nomination voting over to select committees instead of the general membership, the way the Television Academy handles Emmy nominations. 
   
   With Isaacs’ statement focusing entirely on the admission of members later this year, it raises the question of whether an organization the size of the Academy can be changed significantly just through an influx of new members. Many AMPAS-watchers have suggested that any real Academy makeover would have to also include purging the voting rolls of older members who have not worked in the movie industry in years or even decades. 
   
   Also Read: Black Hollywood Calls Out Oscars for Lack of Diversity: It's 'Embarrassing' 
   
   That, however, would be a huge step that would likely anger an enormous number of members, and one that Isaacs’ statement does not address. 
   
   “There’s an argument to be made that you should have to be an active participant in the industry in order to be eligible to vote,” one member said. “But eliminating voting members would require a massive bylaws change.” 
   
   Added the member, “The irony is, if Hollywood is not open to diversity, then we’re in real trouble as a country, because Hollywood is supposed to be liberal and open.” 
   
   14 Award-Worthy Performances by Non-White Actors the Academy Overlooked (Photos) 
   
   Netflix 
   
   Netflix Netflix 
   
   Netflix Magnolia Pictures 
   
   Magnolia Pictures Magnolia Pictures 
   
   Magnolia Pictures Universal 
   
   Universal Sony 
   
   Sony Sony 
   
   Sony Warner Bros. 
   
   Warner Bros. Warner Bros. 
   
   Warner Bros. Lionsgate 
   
   Lionsgate A24 
   
   A24 Disney 
   
   Disney The Weinstein Company 
   
   The Weinstein Company Open Road Previous Slide Next Slide From Idris Elba in “Beasts of No Nation” to Mya Taylor in “Tangerine,” these roles prove the Oscars needn’t be so white 1 of 15 ||||| The backlash against this year's Academy Award nominations escalated Monday with announcements by director Spike Lee and actress Jada Pinkett Smith that they would boycott the Feb. 28 Oscars ceremony, citing the absence of people of color in all four acting categories for the second year in a row. 
   
   If other prominent entertainment industry figures join the boycott, it has the potential to spoil Hollywood's annual showcase event. And should large numbers of African American viewers tune out, it could dent ratings for the Oscars telecast — the primary source of revenue for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 
   
   "It has such high ratings most years, so the image of Hollywood that the academy presents is at stake," said Ana-Christina Ramón, assistant director and associate researcher at UCLA's Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies. 
   
   Could this be the beginning of a larger boycott? Join the conversation on Facebook >> 
   
   Ramon noted that the academy strives to present an image of diversity, an image that could be jeopardized by a boycott. 
   
   "People will take notice," she said. "Even when they're not nominated, minority actors are trotted out. They try to show diversity among presenters." 
   
   "I am both heartbroken and frustrated about the lack of inclusion," academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs said in a statement released Monday night. "This is a difficult but important conversation, and it's time for big change." 
   
   She added that the academy would be taking "dramatic steps" to alter the makeup of its membership and to accelerate diversity efforts. 
   
   A statement from Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs pic.twitter.com/Nqhgc7sbqG — The Academy (@TheAcademy) January 19, 2016 
   
   Lee's decision to skip the Oscars had an extra sting because the academy recently bestowed the director with an honorary Oscar in November for his career work, which includes such racially charged movies as "Do the Right Thing" and "Malcolm X." 
   
   It's customary for honorary Oscar winners to attend Hollywood's biggest night at the Dolby Theatre and to receive a moment of recognition during the telecast. But in a message posted to on his Instagram account, the outspoken director said that he and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, won't be at the ceremony. Lee demanded to know "how is it possible for the [second] consecutive year all 20 contenders in the acting category are white?" 
   
   He added: "For too many years when the Oscars nominations are revealed, my office phone rings off the hook with the media asking me my opinion about the lack of African-Americans and this year was no different." 
   
   His announcement came shortly after a Facebook video from Pinkett Smith in which the actress said she would not attend or watch the Oscars this year. Pinkett Smith, wife of "Concussion" actor Will Smith, said the academy has the right to acknowledge and invite whomever it chooses, but leaving black actors "begging for acknowledgment" diminishes the community. "We are a dignified people," she said. 
   
   We must stand in our power! We must stand in our power. Posted by Jada Pinkett Smith on Monday, January 18, 2016 
   
   Will Smith, who doesn't appear in the video, wasn't nominated for "Concussion." 
   
   Even with Chris Rock lined up as host, the announcement Thursday of the Academy Award nominations saw the return of the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite on Twitter as people expressed their anger. 
   
   The academy announced its nominations last week, and all of the 20 nominees in the acting categories were white for a second year in a row. In addition to Will Smith, other minority actors whose work drew plaudits include Samuel L. Jackson of "The Hateful Eight," Idris Elba of "Beasts of No Nation" and Michael B. Jordan of "Creed." 
   
   The film "Straight Outta Compton," a fan and critical favorite with an African American cast and director, was also bypassed for a best picture nomination. 
   
   Lee's Instagram message said that he "means no disrespect" to Oscars host Rock and producer Reginald Hudlin or to academy President Boone Isaacs. 
   
   He said the root of the problem lies in the industry's failure to give people of color more opportunities to make films. 
   
   "As I see it," the New York-based director wrote, "the Academy Awards is not where the 'real'' battle is. It's in the executive office of the Hollywood studios and TV and cable networks. This is where the gate keepers decide what gets made and what gets jettisoned to 'turnaround' or [the] scrap heap." 
   
   Through a representative, Lee declined to comment beyond his Instagram post. 
   
   SIGN UP for the free Gold Standard newsletter >> 
   
   The Bunche Center at UCLA releases an annual report on diversity in Hollywood. Its most recent study, released last year, reported that film studio heads were 94% white and all male and that film studio senior management was 92% white and 83% male. 
   
   The boycotts by Lee and Pinkett Smith are a "good thing because it draws more attention to the issue," the center's director, professor Darnell Hunt, said Monday. "To have prominent figures … to go on the record to lodge their outrage with business as usual keeps it in the conversation." 
   
   Last year, the #oscarssowhite hashtag took off after David Oyelowo was snubbed for his turn as Martin Luther King Jr. in "Selma," and the film's director, Ava DuVernay, also failed to score a nomination. The last time a black actor won an Academy Award was when Lupita Nyong'o took home a supporting actress statuette for "12 Years a Slave," released in 2013. 
   
   In his movies, Lee has frequently addressed the issue of racial unrest in contemporary urban society. 
   
   MORE: Oscars 2016: It's time for Hollywood to stop defining great drama as white men battling adversity 
   
   He received a screenwriting Oscar nomination for "Do the Right Thing," his 1989 movie that explored seething resentments between blacks and Italian Americans in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. 
   
   His second nomination was for the 1997 documentary "4 Little Girls," about the deaths of four young black girls during the bombing of a Baptist church in Birmingham, Ala., in 1963. 
   
   Despite these nominations, Lee has never won a competitive Oscar. His latest feature, "Chi-Raq," earned the director his best reviews in years when it opened in December but failed to generate much awards-season buzz. 
   
   No stranger to controversy, Lee has garnered a reputation for sparing few feelings when it comes to race. He has taken aim at other filmmakers, including Clint Eastwood and Quentin Tarantino, for their cinematic depiction of blacks. 
   
   When accepting his honorary Oscar in November, he gave a speech that was critical of the studios and spoke about the lack of black executives in positions of power in Hollywood. 
   
   He later told The Times that "I get tired of [the conversation about diversity], but it's necessary." 
   
   Twitter: @DavidNgLAT 
   
   ALSO: 
   
   Netflix: The most feared force in Hollywood? 
   
   Oscars 2016: The nominations are as white as MTV was in 1983 -- and it might cost the academy 
   
   #OscarsSoWhite creator on Oscar noms: 'Don't tell me that people of color, women cannot fill seats'
target: – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Cheryl Boone Isaacs isn't in a position to boycott the Oscars—but she wants Jada Pinkett Smith and Spike Lee to know that she is "heartbroken and frustrated" by this year's lack of diversity and there are big changes ahead. "This is a difficult but important conversation, and it's time for big changes," she said in a statement Monday night, per the Hollywood Reporter. "The Academy is taking dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership," she added, promising a "review of our membership recruitment in order to bring about much-needed diversity in our 2016 class and beyond." Smith and Lee announced their boycott after the Academy released an all-white acting nominee list for the second year in a row. Boone Isaacs noted that the Academy worked hard to stay relevant by recruiting younger members in the '60s and '70s, and the goal now is "inclusion in all of its facets: gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation." Insiders tell the Wrap that Academy governors and board members received an email Monday asking them to make a push for more diversity in each branch of the organization. In its most recent report on the issue, UCLA's Ralph J. Bunche Center for African-American Studies found that senior management at movie studios is 92% white and 83% male, reports the Los Angeles Times. If black stars stay away from the Oscars, "the image of Hollywood that the academy presents is at stake," researcher Ana-Christina Ramon tells the paper. (The Oscars were recently defended by one perhaps surprising person.)