“The Academy of Arts and Sciences will no longer condone extremism of any kind.”
That was the message from the Oscar committee after it voted unanimously to expel five members. The two big names, of course, are Whoopi Goldberg and Kathy Griffin.
According to Academy Membership Director Joe Barron, the two women have been on the chopping block for some time, but it was their actions in 2022 that set the vote in motion. “If you ever read the comments on the satire stories about these women of Facebook, you’ll see just how much the public dislikes them.”
Being expelled means they will have no vote on any awards, be ineligible for nomination, and must surrender any previously earned Oscars. For Whoopi, that means a double-whammy. None of the others were lucky enough to get into a movie that would get them one.
Along with Goldberg and Griffin, the Academy tossed Kevin Sorbo for “being a conspiracy theory-laden imbecile,” and Ye, the artist formerly known as wealthy for “Being Kanye West.” Both of them are appealing the decision.
The vote represents the “final ruling” of the committee, so there isn’t a whole lot of appealing to do, but Sorbo and Ye are persistent and will probably make waves at a nearby sneaker facility soon. Hopefully they let Sorbo back in. He’s entitled to his opinion. God Bless America.
