Academy Chief’s Apology for Jokes at Oscars Riles Asian Members
By BROOKS BARNES

LOS ANGELES — Another day in Hollywood, another awkward response to complaints of racial insensitivity by the academy.

On Tuesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences came under attack from about two dozen Asian members — including Ang Lee, Sandra Oh and George Takei — who demanded an apology for what they called slurs at the Oscars ceremony. The telecast’s host, Chris Rock, and a presenter, Sacha Baron Cohen, made jokes at the expense of Asians that hinged on child labor and small genitalia.

“We’d like to know how such tasteless and offensive skits could have happened and what process you have in place to preclude such unconscious or outright bias and racism toward any group in future Oscars telecasts,” read a letter that was sent to the academy’s embattled chief executive, Dawn Hudson, and released publicly.

Ms. Hudson’s reply, sent by email on Tuesday afternoon, did not land well, with some describing it as resembling “a form letter.”

[ Read the academy members’ letter and Ms. Hudson’s response ]

“Academy Apology Letter for Lack of Sensitivity to Asians Fans More Flames,” read the headline on Deadline, a Hollywood trade news site. E! Online wrote on Twitter, “And the Oscar for best sorta apology after making Asian jokes goes to … The Academy.”

Mr. Takei, speaking by phone late Tuesday, said Ms. Hudson’s note was “patronizing” and infuriating. “It was a bland, corporate response,” he said. “The obliviousness was actually shocking. Doesn’t anyone over there have any sense?”

The academy had no immediate response to Mr. Takei’s criticism. (Ms. Hudson at least served up the A-word in her email to the letter signers, writing, “I apologize for any hurt the skits caused.”)

In a statement to the news media about the initial letter from the Asian members, the academy said: “The Academy appreciates the concerns stated, and regrets that any aspect of the Oscar telecast was offensive. We are committed to doing our best to ensure that material in future shows be more culturally sensitive.”

The latest back-and-forth came as the academy’s 51-member board met in a marathon meeting on Tuesday to figure out how to address the issues raised by another group of angry members. In late January, responding to outrage over the Oscars’ all-white roster of acting nominees for a second year running, the academy’s board made deep changes to the organization’s membership and core mechanisms.

But the secrecy and speed of the board’s action at the time dismayed many members; others were infuriated by plans to purge the voting rolls of older, inactive members. Some of the changes violated the academy’s own bylaws.

Roughly seven hours after Tuesday’s meeting concluded, the academy finally divulged its activities. The board reaffirmed its January resolution to take away voting privileges for inactive members, although the organization’s various branches will have some limited flexibility to determine the criteria for establishing what constitutes activity.

An appeals process for members who lose voting rights will be created.

The academy also decided to go forward with a plan to add three board seats earmarked for women and minorities. They will go to Reginald Hudlin, a producer of the most recent Oscars telecast; the screenwriter and director Gregory Nava, known for “Selena” and “El Norte”; and Jennifer Yuh Nelson, who directed “Kung Fu Panda 3.”

The academy also appointed more women and minorities to each of its six board committees.

李安抗議奧斯卡歧視亞洲人 影藝學院道歉

上月底奧斯卡頒獎典禮歧視亞裔的情況，讓兩度獲奧斯卡最佳導演的李安也看不下去。15日李安與另外24名亞裔電影人聯名發表公開信向影藝學院抗議，要求以具體措施確保奧斯卡典禮不再歧視亞洲人。收到抗議信後，影藝學院在數小時後道歉表示，日後會盡全力注意典禮內容，對不同文化的態度更小心謹慎。

今年奧斯卡獎主持人安排亞裔兒童拿手提公事包上台，以亞洲人敬業勤奮的刻板印象當笑柄，立即引來球星林書豪等亞裔人士抗議。此次在主辦奧斯卡獎的美國影藝學院召開董事會前，李安等25名影藝學院的亞裔成員聯名抗議，信中指出對今年奧斯卡電視轉播拿亞洲人當笑柄與種族歧視刻板印象深感驚訝與失望。「#OscarsSoWhite（奧斯卡好白）的批評，我們原希望奧斯卡典禮提供一個方法與機會展現包容多元的示範，但典禮卻因對詮釋亞洲人手法毫無體認而破壞。」

信中質問，「我們想知道如此沒品味與冒犯的橋段怎會發生？…如何避免未來奧斯卡典禮再發生類似渾然不知或公然偏見、種族歧視的事？我們期待聽到諸位的想法並確保所有族裔能以尊嚴與尊重方式呈現的具體作法。」信末也強調，「我們對奧斯卡有全球數億人收視深感榮耀，其中亞洲人與潛在電影觀眾占60%。」

李安助理李良山表示，李安看到今年奧斯卡頒獎典禮中克里斯洛克開玩笑的片段後，覺得不妥。此次藉聯名抗議方式，理性為亞裔發聲，該說都在抗議信中表達，不會另外回應。至於新片「半場無戰事」預計在6、7月後製即告一段落。

此次抗議信聯名者包括李安、韓裔女星吳珊卓、曾獲奧斯卡最佳紀錄片的導演楊紫燁、奧斯卡最佳紀錄短片得主虞琳敏等25人。雖然影藝學院對此次奧斯卡造成冒犯道歉，但仍有媒體認為不夠誠意，因未明確指出如何避免類似事件的解決辦法，也有成員持續向影藝學院要求溝通。

原文參照：
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/16/business/media/academy-chiefs-apology-for-jokes-at-oscars-riles-asian-members.html

紐約時報中文版翻譯：
http://cn.nytstyle.com/culture/20160317/t17academy/zh-hant/

2016-03-17．聯合報．C2．星話題．記者項貽斐