Actress Kirstie Alley criticized the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for their decision to require diversity quotas for any film to qualify for best picture.
Alley, who starred in the show Cheers, called the academy’s move to require diversity a “disgrace” and compared the new criteria to the dystopian book1984 by George Orwell. She said the academy should not work to control artists with arbitrary guidelines that mandate who should be a part of the film.
“This is a disgrace to artists everywhere,” Alley wrote on Twitter. “Can you imagine telling Picasso what had to be in his f—ing paintings. You people have lost your minds. Control artists, control individual thought .. OSCAR ORWELL.”
Alley deleted her tweet shortly after it started garnering attention. In a follow-up missive, Alley said that she stood by the sentiment of her tweet, but noted that she did not want her message to be misconstrued. Alley further stated that she supports efforts to increase diversity in Hollywood but is opposed to the academy limiting the creative direction of some films.
“I deleted my first tweet about the new rules for best movie OSCARS because I feel it was a poor analogy & misrepresented my viewpoint. I am 100% behind diversity inclusion & tolerance. I’m opposed to MANDATED ARBITRARY percentages relating to hiring human beings in any business,” Alley wrote.
“I ask you to explore my record of diversity & inclusion in anything I’ve produced & throughout my life. I’m not perfect but have fought for human & civil rights for 50 years. I just don’t agree w mandated, impossible to ‘police’ quotas as a prerequisite 4 a ‘best’ picture,” she added in another tweet.
I deleted my first tweet about the new rules for best movie OSCARS because I feel it was a poor analogy & misrepresented my viewpoint. I am 100% behind diversity inclusion & tolerance. I’m opposed to MANDATED ARBITRARY percentages relating to hiring human beings in any business.
— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) September 9, 2020
?But I ask you to explore my record of diversity & inclusion in anything I’ve produced & throughout my life. I’m not perfect but have fought for human & civil rights for 50 years. I just don’t agree w mandated, impossible to “police” quotas as a prerequisite 4 a “best” picture?♀️ https://t.co/PZy4QMZcEu
— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) September 9, 2020
The academy announced the changes on Tuesday night and noted that films will not be excluded from the best picture category for failing to meet the criteria until 2024. The changes will only affect the best picture category, and academy President David Rubin said he believes the changes will “be a catalyst for long-lasting, essential change in our industry.”
Alley has criticized her Hollywood colleagues in the past. She called Will and Grace stars Eric McCormack and Debra Messing “asshats” after they pledged not to work with anyone who supports Republicans.
