The press hall inside the Warner Building was packed to the brim, swarming with hundreds of media reporters. As an African American journalist, Christine looked at the row of leading actors on the interview stage and couldn't help but feel a sense of discomfort. That sea of non-yellow, all-white faces pricked at her sensitive nerves.
The old Star Wars trio—Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford—went without saying; they were standard white actors. Yet among the three new leads, there wasn't a single black person either.
Since when did Latinos and Asians outrank black people in Hollywood? They didn't deserve such roles at all!
"This is Daisy Ridley…"
Amid the constant flashing of cameras, Robin Grande formally introduced the three leading actors to the media. "This is Daniel Wu, and this is Oscar Isaac…"
Although there had long been rumors that the main protagonist of Star Wars: The Force Awakens would be female, Duke, the production team, and Lucasfilm had never officially confirmed it. However, the way the three new leads stood on stage had already revealed that fact to the media.
Daisy Ridley stood in the center; tall and handsome Daniel Wu stood to her left, and clearly Latino Oscar Isaac stood to his right.
Just like the old Star Wars trio of Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Daniel Wu, and Oscar Isaac formed the new "trinity."
The reporters' attention was entirely on these three. Although they had all been relatively unknown actors in North America before, the journalists knew well that now, having boarded the Star Wars: The Force Awakens super express under Duke Rosenberg, fame was inevitable.
Unlike the excited reporters, the black woman Christine didn't feel much enthusiasm for them. Her eyes stayed fixed on Duke Rosenberg, standing off to the side. Within the industry, rumors had long circulated that this top Hollywood director didn't particularly like black actors. She planned to ask him shortly whether there was racial discrimination in the casting process of The Force Awakens.
That was a very sensitive topic. Not a single black actor stood among the cast on stage—if Duke Rosenberg couldn't give a convincing explanation...
Thinking of this, Christine smirked coldly. If Duke Rosenberg and The Force Awakens were involved in racial discrimination, she could create a piece of explosive news that would shock the entire United States.
And as the one who uncovered it, she would surely make her name overnight.
Throughout the earlier interviews, Christine had remained silent. But as soon as Duke Rosenberg took the stage, she seized the opportunity and snatched the right to ask the first question.
Looking at the famous director standing on the small stage, Christine rose to her feet, took the microphone, and went straight to the point. "Director Rosenberg, in the main cast list of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, there isn't a single black actor. May I ask, do you have a problem with black actors?"
Duke had already anticipated such a question. Glancing at the black reporter, he replied calmly and unhurriedly, "Of course not. The actors chosen by me and my team are simply those most suitable for the roles."
Christine was still unwilling to let go and pressed on. "But, black people—"
Before she could finish, Duke cut her off. "Madam, are you suggesting that I and my production team are guilty of racial discrimination?"
Perhaps out of instinctive inferiority and sensitivity, Christine blurted out without thinking, "Yes, I believe The Force Awakens team is showing signs of racial discrimination."
"Racial discrimination?" Duke looked at the new trio and couldn't help but reveal a hint of mockery.
The other reporters glanced at the three leads on stage, and the looks they gave Christine were full of ridicule as well.
Duke sharply caught these subtle changes in the room and raised his voice. "From the very beginning, my team and I have always advocated fairness, freedom, and equality. We treat every actor who auditions equally. A large number of black actors also participated in auditions and other aspects of The Force Awakens, but for the three leading roles, my team and I chose the three people who were most suitable."
As he said this, he turned toward the three main actors and continued, naming them one by one, "Daisy Ridley from the United Kingdom, Chinese American actor Daniel Wu, and Oscar Isaac, an actor born in Guatemala."
Christine suddenly realized that she had only been thinking about black actors, while completely ignoring the backgrounds of the two male leads.
Even she knew that in North America and Hollywood, black people held a higher social standing than Asians or Latinos. Under the circumstances that Daniel Wu and Oscar Isaac were part of the main cast, accusing Duke Rosenberg and his production of racial discrimination was utterly baseless.
But Christine was still unwilling to concede. Oscar's spot, she thought, should have gone to a black man. Major Hollywood projects should always include black representation. If there wasn't any, it was discrimination!
She tried to speak again, but the microphone was swiftly taken from her hands.
Duke wasn't about to give anyone ammunition to use against him—especially this year, when the Oscar nominations for all the acting, directing, and writing categories were entirely white, once again provoking protests from black communities. He certainly wouldn't allow another opportunity for controversy.
"Daisy Ridley, Daniel Wu, and Oscar Isaac became the film's leads because of their hard work—not their skin color!"
Compared to before, Duke was now blatantly lying through his teeth—yet no one could refute him. "Their talent and effort fully deserve the contracts they signed. If my team and I had chosen black actors instead of the most outstanding ones from the auditions, wouldn't that itself be unfairness and racial discrimination toward them?"
Christine tightly pressed her lips together. After a period of adjustment, she gradually shed the fragile mindset deeply rooted in her heart. Looking at Daniel Wu and Oscar Isaac, she realized that with these two present, the so-called suspicion of racial discrimination was simply impossible.
Duke's tone became firm. "I choose actors for their effort and acting skills—nothing else! If an actor deserves a role in my film just because he's black or white, that would be true discrimination, a violation of the fairness, equality, and freedom we've always advocated."
After saying this, Duke handed the microphone to Robin Grand and refused to answer any more questions.
Daniel Wu and Oscar Isaac suddenly began clapping, as if Duke's words had struck a deep chord within them. Soon, more people in the press hall joined in—especially the white, Asian, and Latino reporters. Their applause thundered through the room, seemingly a collective rebuttal to the black journalists who had been jumping up and down for over a month.
Since the announcement of this year's Oscar nominations, with no black nominees in any major categories, many had grown tired of the protests, fragility, and persecution complex of the black community.
Because of the questions raised at the press conference, Duke later paid special attention to the controversies surrounding this year's Oscars.
With less than half a month left before the Oscar ceremony, the debates sparked by the nominations were still escalating. Since Gravity had already been directed by Duke years ago, the past year was undoubtedly a weak one for the North American awards season. The Oscar shortlist was filled with films that were "above average but not outstanding," and this uninspired annual summary once again ignited a "Hollywood truth debate."
Among the heavyweight personal categories—Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Screenplay—there wasn't a single black nominee.
Given the black community's fragile mindset and their long-cultivated habit of seeing any lack of nominations as racial discrimination, the reaction from black actors and organizations was predictable.
However, Duke's remarks at the press conference weakened the protests. After all, the nominees included Latino and Asian candidates. Yet to Duke's surprise, the discussions didn't end there; instead, they deepened further.
Soon, a sharply pointed hashtag appeared on social media—#OscarsSoWhite.
The original "black-and-white dispute" quickly evolved into a wave of protests from all kinds of "underrepresented" voices within Hollywood. Latino and Asian filmmakers accused the industry of stereotyping and marginalizing them, which practically included every non-white and minority group; non-heterosexual directors and actors expressed outrage over being ignored; and finally, the women of the industry stood up too: when discussing inclusion and diversity, could we first achieve equal pay for equal work? Could more women be allowed into decision-making positions?
The dispute over skin color escalated into an equality movement that permeated the entire industry, spreading from North America to Europe, to the point that both Obama and Hillary had to comment publicly. Obama gave broad, politically correct statements like "race and gender shouldn't be professional boundaries," while Hillary was sharper: "This uproar is an overreaction, but the Academy should keep up with the times—stop keeping women and minorities outside the gates."
But insiders like Duke knew very well: not only was the Oscar selection monotonous—the entire Hollywood system was the same. True diversity would never happen unless the middle-aged and elderly white men monopolizing decision-making stepped down.
It wasn't hard for the observant to see that minorities were not only suppressed during award seasons; they were also marginalized and silenced on screen, rarely standing front and center to voice their stories.
Usually, the roles they played were no more than psychic priestesses, maids, the loudmouthed best friend of the heroine, socially awkward nerds, ruthless Arab sheikhs, villains, terrorists, incompetent sidekicks, muscle men, or loyal and gentle servants or subordinates—the last being considered the most "dignified" portrayal.
Hollywood's mainstream aesthetic, one could say, was overwhelmingly white and straight.
.....
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