Of course there are already ignorant answers. Let’s set the record straight.

Anybody who says that these new requirements restrict the creative process clearly have not read the requirements

So lets just talk about why it doesn’t restrict the process of making art one little tiny bit:

First off, you do not need to tell diverse stories in order to meet the requirements.

Secondly, you do not need to have a diverse cast to meet the requirements.

Thirdly, you do not need to have a diverse crew to meet the requirements.

Yes. You read that right. Under these guidelines an all white male cast, with all white male department heads telling a story about white males could meet the requirements.

All they’d have to do is hire diverse underlings and have a diverse studio/distribution team. You know what underlings and distribution people have in common, despite being important parts of creating a film?

They have no actual decision making power on the contents of that film. None of the people with real creative power are forced to be diverse and none of them are forced to tell stories with diversity. This isn’t Oscar Orwell as certain idiots have sad, that would imply people can’t tell the same stories.

But beyond that, it’s just insanely nonrestrictive as a policy. Let’s just look at the most stereotypical white director out there: Clint Eastwood.

Under these “restrictions”, at least 4 out of the 5 Eastwood films to get a Best Picture nomination would still meet either Standard A or B (Which are the standards that have anything to do with content).

American Sniper, which is maybe the whitest movie ever, would get in thanks to its focus on mental disability. Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby would get in due to a major role for Morgan Freeman. Letters of Iwo Jima would make it due to the Japanese cast. Finally, I haven’t seen Mystic River so I don’t know how major Lawrence Fishburne is, but if he has enough screentime then that would make the cut as well.

If Eastwood is batting .800, I mean Jesus what films wouldn’t work.

Let me tell you. I took the liberty of checking which nominated movies from the last decade would already meet Standards A or B. (Remember a film doesn’t have to meet one of those Standards to be fine).

I tentatively got 66 out of 88 based simply on the content and cast. Any film dealing with mental illness, other cultures, race relations, the LGBT, or Women. Also any film with a major diverse member of its lead or supporting cast.

What I didn’t account for, because I didn’t want to check 25 films and their crews, was the possibility of at least two women or people of color in important positions on the crew. I know for a fact something like The Irishman makes the cut on that basis, I’m sure it is far from the only one.

So based on one look, I got a 75% success rate for Standards A and B, including a lot of films that weren’t trying to be diversity stories like Manchester by the Sea, Black Swan, and La La Land. If we are conservative and say about 60% of the films have at least 2 women or POC crew chiefs, then we are up to 90% success rate.

That’s right. About 90% of films from the last decade already meet one of the content standards.

That other 10%? If they hire diverse interns and the studios hire diverse executives, they would also qualify.

Look, of all the people who regularly write about film on Quora, I may be the most adamant about artistic (Specifically auteur) integrity. Few care more about realization of the artists vision than I do.

That’s why I love this policy, it doesn’t do shit to the artist’s vision.

It just gets more people jobs.

Footnotes