The criticism of this year's list of Oscar nominees is troubling because it seems to be a cry for equal results instead of equal opportunity. Will a bold, new, emphasis on diversity produce a covert quota system in which various groups set markers for acceptable representation and where merit is subjected to a de facto ceiling? ["We've had enough Asians for that award." ]
Numbers alone can be enormously misleading. [Does anyone seriously believe that the professional basketball teams discriminate on the basis of race? Check out their composition.] Analysis can become even more fragile when something as subjective as artistic expression is considered. Every year, you can spot individuals who sincerely believe the Oscar selections were ill-considered and unfair. They're the audience members with dazed eyes and frozen smiles.
And here's a dirty little secret: often they are right.
But some perspective is provided by a line from The Godfather, Part II: "This is the business we've chosen."
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