--- description: Science has shown that "genius" obsession is bad for women and minorities title: Oscars 2015: Blame Male Geniuses for Hollywood's Diversity Problem image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt08480e7180d1c65b/69877d93e53aba178e4d7665/theory-of-everything.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [movies](/tag/movies/) ## movies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Blame Male Geniuses for Hollywood's Diversity Problem  by [Charlotte Alter](/author/charlotte-alter/)  ## Charlotte Alter Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Feb 20, 2015 8:12 PM CUT  THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking, 2014\. ph: Liam Daniel/©Focus Features THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking, 2014\. ph: Liam Daniel/©Focus FeaturesFocus Features  by [Charlotte Alter](/author/charlotte-alter/)  ## Charlotte Alter Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Feb 20, 2015 8:12 PM CUT The Best Picture nominees at this year’s Oscars have one thing in common: if they’re not about a broody, flawed, male genius, they’re made _by_ one. Maybe the Academy should announce the Best Picture winner by scribbling it down furiously on an Ivy League dorm window with a Sharpie. Whether it’s Alan Turing or Stephen Hawking or Martin Luther King, Jr., a drumming prodigy or a Navy SEAL or a theatrical powerhouse, six of the eight movies nominated for the Best Picture Oscar have the same agenda– a glimpse inside the dark and twisty mind of an exceptionally gifted man who is not like most mortals. The other two movies, _Boyhood_ and _The Grand Budapest Hotel,_ are passion projects of men who have long been heralded as geniuses themselves — Richard Linklater and Wes Anderson. In the aftermath of the mostly-white, mostly-male Oscar nominations earlier this year, [many pundits](http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/65271861/Please-no-more-movies-about-white-male-geniuses "undefined") lamented the fact that the Oscars seemed so focused on the “[complicated genius](http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2015/01/15/377406709/at-the-oscar-nominations-its-a-good-year-to-be-an-idiosyncratic-man "undefined")” profile. Alexandra Petri of the _Washington Post_ even wrote a hilarious [fake movie script](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2015/01/15/how-to-write-an-oscar-nominated-movie-2015-edition/ "undefined") that incorporates all the tropes of movies about geniuses. In a single line, she sums up the message of pretty much every Best Picture nominee this year: “Being a genius like me is hard.” But the focus on genius is more than just a weird coincidence — it also could explain the lack of diversity at the Oscars this year, especially for women. **MORE** [This is How to Fix the Oscars](http://www.time.com/3716247/oscars-2015-how-to-fix-the-boring-show/ "undefined") So all the Oscar films are about male geniuses — who cares? What’s wrong with grandiose celebrations of male intellectual accomplishments? Some of the world’s greatest triumphs were won with the brains of super-smart ubermenches! Well, for one thing, scientists have shown that genius-obsessed environments may be toxic for women. According to a new study published in January in [Science](http://www.sciencemag.org/content/347/6219/262.abstract "undefined"), women and minorities are underrepresented in academic fields that are seen to value “innate brilliance” over hard work, like physics and math (ahem, Stephen Hawking and Alan Turing.) That’s because women are often stereotyped as not having the “spark of genius” that seems essential to that field. Even outside the academic sphere, professions that are wrapped up in an aura of “genius” don’t seem to be particularly hospitable to women. Just look at [classical music](http://www.motherjones.com/media/2013/09/women-conductors-gap-charts-marin-alsop-proms "undefined"), which reveres prodigies like Beethoven and Mozart — and four out of five of American orchestra conductors are male. So is it a coincidence that an Oscar season that is so fixated on “genius” is also [so feeble ](http://time.com/3714366/oscars-2015-best-supporting-actress-patricia-arquette/ "undefined")when it comes to women and minorities? Probably not. Between Ava Duvernay’s [Best Director snub](http://time.com/3669999/oscars-2015-nominees-selma-ava-duvernay/ "undefined"), the all-male nominations for screenwriting and the fact that no Best Picture nominees had a female lead, this year’s Oscars is considered one of the worst for women in recent memory. Considering the all-white acting nominations and snubs for _Selma_ in all categories but two, this Oscars season is a low point for racial diversity as well. For the Academy, it’s also an image problem. Considering all the [bad press ](http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/01/the-oscars-havent-been-this-white-in-19-years/384550/ "undefined")this year’s Oscars has gotten for the worst representation of women and minorities in almost 20 years, the fixation on genius doesn’t seem so brilliant after all. Read next: [_Everything You Need to Know About the Controversies Surrounding This Year’s Oscar Movies_](http://www.time.com/3716353/oscars-2015-movies-controversies-american-sniper-selma/?xid=time%5Freadnext "undefined") ### ### See All the Best Actors in Oscar History  1929: Emil Jannings - The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh Imagno/Getty Images  1930: Warner Baxter - In Old Arizona Hulton Archive/Getty Images  1931: George Arliss - Disraeli Print Collector/Getty Images  1932: Lionel Barrymore - A Free Soul Popperfoto/Getty Images  1933: Fredric March - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 1947: Fredric March - The Best Years of Our Lives Popperfoto/Getty Images  1933: Wallace Beery - The Champ Popperfoto/Getty Images  1934: Charles Laughton - The Private Life of Henry VIII Hulton Archive/Getty Images  1935: Clark Gable - It Happened One Night Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images  1936: Victor McLaglen - The Informer Print Collector/Getty Images  1937: Paul Muni - The Story of Louis Pasteur Print Collector/Getty Images  1938: Spencer Tracy - Captains Courageous 1939: Spencer Tracy - Boys Town Clarence Sinclair Bull—John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images  1940: Robert Donat - Goodbye, Mr. Chips Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images  1941: James Stewart - The Philadelphia Story John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images  1942: Gary Cooper - Sergeant York 1953: Gary Cooper - High Noon Hulton Archive/Getty Images  1943: James Cagney - Yankee Doodle Dandy Popperfoto/Getty Images  1944: Paul Lukas - Watch on the Rhine Popperfoto/Getty Images  1945: Bing Crosby - Going My Way Hulton Archive/Getty Images  1946: Ray Milland - The Lost Weekend Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images  1948: Ronald Colman - A Double Life Getty Images  1949: Laurence Olivier - Hamlet Mondadori/Getty Images  1950: Broderick Crawford - All the King's Men Columbia Pictures/Getty Images  1951: José Ferrer - Cyrano de Bergerac Mondadori/Getty Images  1952: Humphrey Bogart - The African Queen Archive Photos/Getty Images  1954: William Holden - Stalag 17 Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images  1955: Marlon Brando - On the Waterfront 1973: Marlon Brando - The Godfather Hulton Archive/Getty Images  1956: Ernest Borgnine - Marty GAB Archive/Redferns/Getty Images  1957: Yul Brynner - The King and I Archive Photos/Getty Images  1958: Alec Guinness - The Bridge on the River Kwai Hulton Archive/Getty Images  1959: David Niven - Separate Tables Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images  1960: Charlton Heston - Ben-Hur Mondadori/Getty Images  1961: Burt Lancaster - Elmer Gantry Archive Photos/Getty Images  1962: Maximilian Schell - Judgment at Nuremberg Pictorial Parade/Getty Images  1963: Gregory Peck - To Kill a Mockingbird Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images  1964: Sidney Poitier - Lilies of the Field John D. Kisch—Separate Cinema Archive/Getty Images  1965: Rex Harrison - My Fair Lady Archive Photos/Getty Images  1966: Lee Marvin - Cat Ballou Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images  1967: Paul Scofield - A Man for All Seasons Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images  1968: Rod Steiger - In the Heat of the Night Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images  1969: Cliff Robertson - Charly Camerique/Getty Images  1970: John Wayne - True Grit Photoshot/Getty Images  1971: George C. Scott - Patton Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images  1972: Gene Hackman - The French Connection 20th Century Fox/Getty Images  1974: Jack Lemmon - Save the Tiger Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images  1975: Art Carney - Harry and Tonto Ron Galella—WireImage/Getty Images  1976: Jack Nicholson - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 1998: Jack Nicholson - As Good as It Gets Archive Photos/Getty Images  1977: Peter Finch - Network Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images  1978: Richard Dreyfuss - The Goodbye Girl Ron Galella—WireImage/Getty Images  1979: Jon Voight - Coming Home Ron Galella—WireImage/Getty Images  1980: Dustin Hoffman - Kramer vs. Kramer 1989: Dustin Hoffman - Rain Man Ron Galella—WireImage/Getty Images  1981: Robert De Niro - Raging Bull Ron Galella—WireImage/Getty Images  1982: Henry Fonda - On Golden Pond Lyn Alweis—Denver Post/Getty Images  1983: Ben Kingsley - Gandhi Doug McKenzie—Getty Images  1984: Robert Duvall - Tender Mercies Dave Allocca—DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  1985: F. Murray Abraham - Amadeus Ron Galella—WireImage/Getty Images  1986: William Hurt - Kiss of the Spider Woman Terry O'Neill—Hulton Archive/Getty Images  1987: Paul Newman - The Color of Money Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images  1988: Michael Douglas - Wall Street Darlene Hammond—Archive Photos/Getty Images  1990: Daniel Day-Lewis - My Left Foot 2008: Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood 2013: Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln Ron Galella—WireImage/Getty Images  1991: Jeremy Irons - Reversal of Fortune Ron Galella—WireImage/Getty Images  1992: Anthony Hopkins - The Silence of the Lambs Ron Galella—WireImage/Getty Images  1993: Al Pacino - Scent of a Woman Ron Galella—WireImage/Getty Images  1994: Tom Hanks - Philadelphia 1995: Tom Hanks - Forrest Gump Time Life Pictures/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  1996: Nicolas Cage - Leaving Las Vegas Ron Galella—WireImage/Getty Images  1997: Geoffrey Rush - Shine Ron Galella—WireImage/Getty Images  1999: Roberto Benigni - Life Is Beautiful Ron Galella—WireImage/Getty Images  2000: Kevin Spacey - American Beauty Ron Galella—WireImage/Getty Images  2001: Russell Crowe - Gladiator UK Press/Newsmakers/Getty Images  2002: Denzel Washington - Training Day Frank Micelotta—ImageDirect/Getty Images  2003: Adrien Brody - The Pianist Jeffrey Mayer—WireImage/Getty Images  2004: Sean Penn - Mystic River 2009: Sean Penn - Milk Jeff Haynes—AFP/Getty Images  2005: Jamie Foxx - Ray Peter Kramer—Getty Images  2006: Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote Elisabetta Villa—Getty Images  2007: Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland Mason Trullinger—FilmMagic/Getty Images  2010: Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart Jemal Countess—Getty Images  2011: Colin Firth - The King's Speech Dave Hogan—Getty Images  2012: Jean Dujardin - The Artist Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  2014: Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club Jason Merritt—Getty Images  2015: Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything Valerie Macon—AFP/Getty Images  2016: Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant C Flanigan—Getty Images  2017: Casey Affleck - Manchester by the Sea Jason LaVeris—Getty Images  2018: Gary Oldman - Darkest Hour Frederic J. Brown—AFP/Getty Images  2019: Remi Malek - Bohemian Rhapsody Ed Herrera—ABC/Getty Images ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3715903/oscars-2015-male-geniuses-hollywood-diversity/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3715903/oscars-2015-male-geniuses-hollywood-diversity/"},"headline":"Blame Male Geniuses for Hollywood's Diversity Problem","datePublished":"2015-02-20T20:12:25.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:05:32.012Z","description":"Science has shown that \"genius\" obsession is bad for women and minorities","url":"https://time.com/3715903/oscars-2015-male-geniuses-hollywood-diversity/","keywords":["movies","Hollywood","Wes Anderson","Foxcatcher","Boyhood","Richard Linklater","birdman","the imitation game","selma","ava duvernay","oscars 2015"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt08480e7180d1c65b/69877d93e53aba178e4d7665/theory-of-everything.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Charlotte Alter","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/charlotte-alter/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt08480e7180d1c65b/69877d93e53aba178e4d7665/theory-of-everything.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking, 2014. ph: Liam Daniel/©Focus","caption":"THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking, 2014. ph: Liam Daniel/©Focus","creditText":"Focus Features","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3715903/oscars-2015-male-geniuses-hollywood-diversity/","name":"Blame Male Geniuses for Hollywood's Diversity Problem"}}]}] ```