It's not Vanity Fair's fault that the Academy shut out black actors for this year's awards season. Still, it's disappointing to see that their annual Hollywood Issue is just as #SoWhite.
Perhaps we'd gotten our hopes up after last year's cover gave the best seat in the house to Idris Elba. This year, Channing Tatum, Amy Adams, and Reese Witherspoon take center stage. Unfold the cover and you'll see Selma's David Oyelowo sandwiched in the middle with his fellow Brits, Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Sienna Miller, Miles Teller, and Oscar Isaac appear on the final fold.
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So, yeah, not much love for diversity — or even the year's genuinely biggest performances. Why are Redmayne and Cumberbatch relegated to the middle of the pack
— we can almost picture photographer Annie Leibovitz trying to squeeze every last Brit in the frame
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when they earned Oscar nominations, but not Adams or Tatum? Surely they could have hiked an actress up on their shoulders between the two of them. It also feels like a missed opportunity to highlight other notable performances, such as those from Jake Gyllenhaal or Carmen Ejogo.
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