Emmy Doesn't Care About Minorities
Actress America "Ugly Betty" Ferrera has a chance to make history. Up until this year, no Latina has ever been nominated for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series.
Actress America "Ugly Betty" Ferrera has a chance to make history. Up until this year, no Latina has ever been nominated for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series.
The last Hispanic who won an acting trophy was Rita Moreno for "The Rockford Files." That was for a guest spot... in 1978. Ferrera, 23, hadn't even been born yet.
The talented young star is not the only Latino hoping to grope Emmy. There's also "Battlestar Galactica" admiral Edward James Olmos, the cast of the now canceled "George Lopez Show" and sexy "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria.
Asians are representing as well, with "Grey's Anatomy" star Sandra Oh, "Heroes"Masi Oka, and "Lost" thespian Daniel Dae Kim. When it comes to "Lost" survivors, even India is in the house with actor Naveen Andrews.
And then there's black folks like doctor sistagirl Chandra Wilson on "Grey's", "The Unit" boss Dennis Haysbert", "The Wire" addict Michael K. Williams, "Ugly's" Vanessa Williams, and "30 Rock" comic Tracy "Please Get Sober" Morgan.
While the likelihood that "Ugly Betty" gets an Emmy nod is strong, the chance that others will wake-up happy campers on Thursday July 19 isn't. Since 1986, nonwhite actors in this liberal bastion known as Hollywood have received only 51 nominations out of 840 possible slots in the top four acting categories for drama and comedy.
They've won seven times: Latino actors Hector Elizondo (in 1997 for "Chicago Hope"), and Jimmy Smits (in 1990 for "L.A. Law"). Blacks include Andre Braugher (in 1998 for "Homicide") Mary Alice (in 1993 for "I'll Fly Away"), James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair (in 1991 for "Gabriel's Fire"), and Jackee "Sandra" Harry (in 1987 for "227").
TV critic and columnist Eric Deggans says the fact that "The Wire" cast, most of which is African American, has not gotten Emmy recognition is proof the award system is broken. "Other than a few standouts here or there, Emmy doesn't pay attention to black people."
And then there's black folks like doctor sistagirl Chandra Wilson on "Grey's", "The Unit" boss Dennis Haysbert", "The Wire" addict Michael K. Williams, "Ugly's" Vanessa Williams, and "30 Rock" comic Tracy "Please Get Sober" Morgan.
While the likelihood that "Ugly Betty" gets an Emmy nod is strong, the chance that others will wake-up happy campers on Thursday July 19 isn't. Since 1986, nonwhite actors in this liberal bastion known as Hollywood have received only 51 nominations out of 840 possible slots in the top four acting categories for drama and comedy.
They've won seven times: Latino actors Hector Elizondo (in 1997 for "Chicago Hope"), and Jimmy Smits (in 1990 for "L.A. Law"). Blacks include Andre Braugher (in 1998 for "Homicide") Mary Alice (in 1993 for "I'll Fly Away"), James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair (in 1991 for "Gabriel's Fire"), and Jackee "Sandra" Harry (in 1987 for "227").
TV critic and columnist Eric Deggans says the fact that "The Wire" cast, most of which is African American, has not gotten Emmy recognition is proof the award system is broken. "Other than a few standouts here or there, Emmy doesn't pay attention to black people."
Alfre Woodard, the most-nominated African-American actress in Emmy history with 14 nods and four wins, says it's not about being among the "select" black actors: "I think we brought the goods, and we could not be denied. We had the tenacity to figure out a way to make our presence known."Even with her background, Woodard points out that the majority of her nominations were for roles in made-for-TV movies. "If you're hiring somebody for 'Miss Evars' Boys,' you've gotta hire a black woman," she notes.
While there have been noticeable gains in minorities appearing in primetime, momentum seems to be waning. Ten years ago, a mere 2.6 percent of the Writers Guild was African-American. Blacks accounted for less than 2 percent of the 4000-member union of set decorators and property masters. For other minorities, the numbers were equally disgraceful.
As the WGA West's 2007 Hollywood Writers Report reveals, only 9% of TV writers are minorities, an representation has actually gotten 1 percentage point worse since the last report issued in 2005.
National Hispanic Media Coalition director Alex Nogales stresses that until there are more people of color coming up with the stories, the situation will not get significantly better. "Forty percent of all the shows on primetime do not have one single writer of color," he says. "The hard reality is that if you get the number of shows that portray people of color, the number doesn't come even close to equaling the 32% of the national population that is not white."
For African-Americans, the focus is on getting more senior-level producers, like "Grey's" creator Shonda Rhimes. Vic Bulluck, executive director of the NAACP's Hollywood bureau, says one easy step would be to program another African-American family sitcom, like the CW's "Everyone Hates Chris." "Gone are the 'Cosby' shows, 'Fresh Princes,' even Bernie Mac is gone. What happened?"
"When talented actors who are black and white and brown can be in something and it fails and they still get another shot and another and another, like cute Caucasian guys, then you'll know something's changed," Woodard says.
For African-Americans, the focus is on getting more senior-level producers, like "Grey's" creator Shonda Rhimes. Vic Bulluck, executive director of the NAACP's Hollywood bureau, says one easy step would be to program another African-American family sitcom, like the CW's "Everyone Hates Chris." "Gone are the 'Cosby' shows, 'Fresh Princes,' even Bernie Mac is gone. What happened?"
"When talented actors who are black and white and brown can be in something and it fails and they still get another shot and another and another, like cute Caucasian guys, then you'll know something's changed," Woodard says.