2. "We Wuz Robbed" - Spike Lee
Spike Lee has never been afraid to speak his mind. Even early on his career, after he had 'paid his dues' so to speak, he was sounding off on everything and everyone. When Spike's not happy about something, you will hear about it. A great deal of Spike's frustration has to do with the representation of African Americans in the media and the perceived 'white-washing' of the Oscars. Lee himself has never received a Best Director nomination. Many assumed that he would receive one for his work on Malcolm X, but it never came. Spike wasn't happy about it, nor was he happy about Denzel Washington losing out on Best Actor to Al Pacino for Scent Of A Woman. But the biggest injustice to Lee, also one of the biggest Oscar injustices of all time, was the ignoring of his incredible 1989 film Do The Right Thing. It's a powerful, uncompromising depiction of racial tension in the area of Bed-Stuy, New York. Any yet, come Oscar night, it wasn't in the running. Instead a more conservative film, Driving Miss Daisy, took home the gold. Spike was furious and offered the famous "we wuz robbed" response when asked about his feelings. Those feelings haven't subsided in the years since; Speaking in January 2015, Spike said that:
Nobodys talking about mother*****n Driving Miss Daisy. That film is not being taught in film schools all across the world like Do the Right Thing is. Nobodys discussing Driving Miss Mother*****n Daisy.
Lee has claimed that Do The Right Thing scared white voters and that they were threatened by the film. Whatever the reason, the fact that Do The Right Thing wasn't even nominated is a disgrace.