Spike Lee Isn't "Boycotting" The Oscars, He's Just Going To The Knicks game Out Of Principle Instead

#OscarsSoWhite... Again. I Would Like To Thank President Cheryl Boone Isaacs And The Board Of Governors Of The Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts And Sciences For Awarding Me an Honorary Oscar This Past November. I Am Most Appreciative. However My Wife, Mrs. Tonya Lewis Lee And I Will Not Be Attending The Oscar Ceremony This Coming February. We Cannot Support It And Mean No Disrespect To My Friends, Host Chris Rock and Producer Reggie Hudlin, President Isaacs And The Academy. But, How Is It Possible For The 2nd Consecutive Year All 20 Contenders Under The Actor Category Are White? And Let's Not Even Get Into The Other Branches. 40 White Actors In 2 Years And No Flava At All. We Can't Act?! WTF!! It's No Coincidence I'm Writing This As We Celebrate The 30th Anniversary Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday. Dr. King Said "There Comes A Time When One Must Take A Position That Is Neither Safe, Nor Politic, Nor Popular But He Must Take It Because Conscience Tells Him It's Right". For Too Many Years When The Oscars Nominations Are Revealed, My Office Phone Rings Off The Hook With The Media Asking Me My Opinion About The Lack Of African-Americans And This Year Was No Different. For Once, (Maybe) I Would Like The Media To Ask All The White Nominees And Studio Heads How They Feel About Another All White Ballot. If Someone Has Addressed This And I Missed It Then I Stand Mistaken. As I See It, The Academy Awards Is Not Where The "Real" Battle Is. It's In The Executive Office Of The Hollywood Studios And TV And Cable Networks. This Is Where The Gate Keepers Decide What Gets Made And What Gets Jettisoned To "Turnaround" Or Scrap Heap. This Is What's Important. The Gate Keepers. Those With "The Green Light" Vote. As The Great Actor Leslie Odom Jr. Sings And Dances In The Game Changing Broadway Musical HAMILTON, "I WANNA BE IN THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS". People, The Truth Is We Ain't In Those Rooms And Until Minorities Are, The Oscar Nominees Will Remain Lilly White. (Cont'd)

A photo posted by Spike Lee (@officialspikelee) on Jan 18, 2016 at 5:03am PST

Yardbarker- Film director Spike Lee has decided that he will not attend the Academy Awards next month, but anyone who is looking for him on Feb. 28 can find him in a very familiar place — Madison Square Garden.

During an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America” Wednesday, Lee said he will be in his usual courtside seat when the Knicks host the Heat the night of the Oscars.

“(On) Feb. 28th, we’ll be at the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden,” Lee said, per David K. Li of Page Six. “I’m going to a Knicks game.”

Like actress Jada Pinkett Smith, Lee made it very clear recently that he is not attending the Oscars in protest after the Academy did not nominate an African-American actor or actress for a major award for the second consecutive year. However, he insisted he is not trying to organize a boycott.

“I have never used the word ‘boycott,'” Lee explained. “All I said was my beautiful wife Tonya, we’re not coming. That’s it, and I gave the reasons. I never used the word ‘boycott.’

“I’m not going. My wife’s not going. Everyone else can do what they want to do.”



You guys think Spike's asshole hurts from sitting on that fence? I have no problem with him going to the Knicks game instead of a celebration of caucasian accomplishments in film, but he didn't have to run away from his own words to do so. Let's be real, this whole "I didn't say boycott" spiel was just his way of waving the white flag and distancing himself from the fight. A way to avoid stepping on any toes in the movie industry while also not publicly supporting an award show that  -I guess we just realized- marginalizes the achievements of African Americans. For shame Spike Lee. Al Sharpton is out there sharpening his tongue for battle, and you are cowering in the foxhole in a blatant attempt to go unnoticed. One day it's "#OscarsSoWhite", and the next day you are arguing semantics and faulting a Knicks game for your absence? Spike Lee, don't you even think about blaming this on Kristaps Porzingis. Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher are more than capable of motivating the troops without you screaming on the sidelines. If you don't want to support the Oscars then don't, who I am to judge? However, if you are going to stand on top of the wall don't only ask for a ladder down once people start hurling criticism your way. If you agree so wholeheartedly with the cause, then the effect it could potentially have on your career shouldn't be considered.