Dear Editor:
Re: COLUMN: Adding diversity to light holiday movies (Summerland Review, Dec. 10, 2020)
I’m wondering if Mr. Arendt is aware that the academy of motion pictures in the U.S. has mandated any movie nominated for best picture in 2021 must have a visible minority cast of at least 30 per cent?
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This means that those nominated will be left wondering if they are being praised for their acting ability or they are being patronized by an ever guilt ridden Euro-America.
Or does he remember last year’s Oscars where many top awards went to an all Korean acted, written, produced and directed movie, Parasite, including best picture?
As a Euro-Canadian (yes, I get to be hyphenated too) I am all for diversity in film and television, but without big brother’s meddlesome patronizing and social engineering.
Almost all TV commercials in the U.Ss and many in Canada now feature a 50/50 split of black to white actors or mixed race couples even though the population of black to white in that country is just 14 per cent. Of course it is infinitely smaller in Canada.
In fact TV commercial producers in this country are actively searching for people other than white to fill the diversity mandate but they are having trouble finding any.
We all think diversity is a good thing, yes; but achieving this where needed should be based on skill and ability, and not race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or political correctness.
Mark Roberts
Penticton
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