A content analysis of the language of inequality used within Academy Award Acceptance Speeches.
This research dives deep into the Academy Award database and studies the language used within the acceptance speeches, as well as who is nominated, what films are nominated, and who is winning the awards. Since 1929, when the first Academy Award was presented, the celebration has been around various social movements over the past 91 years.
One of the most prominent movements that has affected the Academy Awards directly is #oscarssowhite. This hashtag was created in 2015 after the Academy received backlash for the lack of equality expressed in that year’s nominees and winners. This research looks directly at the language the winners use within their acceptance speeches, and if they use their time on stage to bring to their audience’s attention of the inequality and lack of diversity that is prominent in Hollywood film. The independent variable of this research is #oscarssowhite on the language of inequality, in the dependent variable of the Academy Award Acceptance Speeches.
Why is this Important?
This research will help bring to the light the inequality and lack of diversity that is embedded into Hollywood Film’s most prestigious night. The creation of #OSCARSSOWHITE has already brought attention to the Academy Awards, but this research will discover if those presented with an Oscar award, are using their time on stage to address the inequality issue within Hollywood film.
At the 88th Oscars Ceremony, Chris Rock’s opening monologue addressed the lack of diversity in Hollywood. Rock starts off his speech by introducing the Academy Awards as “The White People’s Choice Awards” because all of the nominees were white. His opening monologue addressed directly the lack of equality in Hollywood, especially at the Academy Awards.
