Will you boycott #OscarsSoWhite? - Los Angeles Times
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Will you boycott the Oscars?

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With #OscarSoWhite trending for the second year in a row, talk of an Oscars boycott is gaining momentum in some Hollywood circles and across social media.

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith was first to draw a line in the sand after her husband Will Smith's performance in "Concussion" was passed over for a nomination along with performances by many other black actors. She won’t even be watching this year, and adds, "Maybe it is time that we pull back our resources and we put them back into our communities…."

Spike Lee, long overlooked by the academy, was scheduled to be awarded an honorary Oscar this year, but in an Instagram post  said he won’t be there to receive it. Today, he told George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America" that he's going to a Knicks' game. He also clarified that he never used the word "boycott" to describe his plans, even though others have.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: ARE YOU PLANNING TO WATCH OR BOYCOTT THE OSCARS?

Others in Hollywood, however, question the wisdom of a boycott. Whoopi Goldberg said Tuesday on "The View" that a boycott would be a "slap in the face" to host Chris Rock. "You want to boycott something?" she said. "Don't go see the movies that don't have your representation. That's the boycott you want."

Janet Hubert, who played Aunt Viv in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" with Will Smith, put out a video on Monday critical of Pinkett Smith's boycott call. "I find it ironic that somebody who has made...millions and millions of dollars from the very people that you're talking about boycotting just because you didn't get a nomination, just because you didn't win?" Hubert said. "That's not the way life works, baby."

Still, the nomination haven't come easily for black actors. Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win an Oscar in 1940, when she was honored in the supporting actress category for her role as Mammy in "Gone With the Wind."

It took 24 more years for another black actor to be honored with the distinction of Oscar winner: Sidney Poitier was the first black male to win the lead actor category. And it took 38 more years for a black woman to win for lead actress -- that was Halle Berry. After "12 Years a Slave" won three Oscars in 2014, including best picture, many hoped the need for diversity discussions would diminish.

But here we are now with a monochromatic cast of acting nominees. Again. (Hollywood does love a sequel.)

What do you think: Should actors should boycott the Oscars? Will you boycott watching? Tell us why in the comments below or on Facebook  

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My life is a made-for-TV movie: @mmaltaisla

9:01 p.m.: This post was updated with additional information about calls against an Oscars boycott.

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