According to industry insiders, Winfrey and Perry are disqualified from receiving any Academy Awards consideration for the following reasons:
“Up to three producers can get statuettes,” a studio representative told the Los Angeles Times. “The producers are Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness.”
Winfrey and Perry were not involved in the creation of the film. They signed on as executive producers to give the film star power in order for Precious to get distribution in theaters nationwide.
Furthermore, the chairman of the New York Film Critics Circle ripped into Winfrey and Perry for their involvement in the film.
“Shame on Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey for signing on as air-quote executive producers of Precious. After this post-hip-hop freak show wowed Sundance last January, it now slouches toward Oscar ratification thanks to its powerful friends. Winfrey and Perry had no hand in the actual production of Precious, yet the movie must have touched some sore spot in their demagogue psyches. They’ve piggybacked their reps as black success stories hoping to camouflage [the] Precious con job — even though it’s more scandalous than their own upliftment trade,” said Armond White.
–terry shropshire
