An Inclusive Alternative To Gender Neutral Acting Awards

 

I have spent the last several months vehemently in opposition to the idea of gender-neutral awards, mainly because I consider them a cosmetic change to this form of discrimination in Hollywood rather than a systemic one. However, in doing so I have not distinguished myself from so many of those people who I criticize in these columns by telling them they are wrong with their opinion rather than propose a viable alternative.

Well, just a few days ago I was looking online at yet another article about this very issue – but unlike so many of these columnists, this writer actually pointed out the flaws in the awards shows that have made these kinds of changes – and proposed a viable alternative that is such an elegant solution, it would be hard for anyone, those who believe in equality and those who don’t want to change the system alike, to argue with it.

This article, like the one I mentioned last week, pointed out Liv Hewson, the non-binary performer in Yellowjackets, decision to take their name out of consideration for an Emmy this year, saying: “There was no place for them.” The article acknowledged the reality that more and more performers are in this scenario these days.

Then they pointed out the awards shows that had made the most recent changes – the Gotham Awards and the Independent Spirit awards. However, the writer also acknowledged that this solution had not solved anything. Only one non-binary performer had been nominated for the Gotham awards (they lost) and there had been no non-binary performers nominated in the Independent Spirit Awards in any category. They also acknowledged that this process had mainly acknowledged female nominees over male ones, which subtly suggested the problems that might be to come.

Then the writer made an argument that few who have watched Peak TV over the last twenty years could have denied the truth of, certainly not me. The majority of television shows over the last twenty years have undeniably focused on white-male antiheros. Not stated was that fact that much of this had led to most of the great television of the era being male-centric and eventually tiresome, but this didn’t have to be stated outright – ever since Ozark debuted, many critics have pointed out how tiresome the White Male Protagonist has become in television over the years. This is an underlying truth that has made more than a fair amount of TV the past decade tiresome.

The writer than put forth a viable alternative which in my opinion is far better than trying to remove gender from acting. Rather they suggestion that going forward with the Emmys, performances be divided this way:

Best Performer in a Male Role.

Best Performer in a Female Role.

Best Performer in a Non-Binary Role.

Like the HCA’s decision when they formed their Television awards two years ago to divide their awards into broadcast, cable and streaming categories, this is a solution so simple and elegant that I’m honestly shocked no one – myself included – ever considered it before. Because this can’t be considered a compromise as no one has to give up anything, this is inclusive because it acknowledges the performers and not the characters they play, and most of all, it is far closer to a systemic change than the cosmetic one that have illustrated.

Though the writer does not say so directly, I am assuming that these divisions would be done in both lead and supporting categories. (There may be a problem when it comes to the Non-Binary roles, but I actually think there’s a way to handle that which I’ll get to in a minute.) If this method were to be adopted, then I don’t think there’d be any conflict at all, or if there was it certainly wouldn’t be coming from anyone in Hollywood who might benefit or suffer from it.

By doing this, there is no possibility of anyone being excluded in a category as they almost certainly would be if gender-neutral awards were negating. Furthermore, it resolves the very issue I have been considering might be a problem with so many of the performers who I argued might not be entirely unbiased from this because its fits every solution to their needs.

In this scenario Asia Kate Dillon, who plays the non-binary Taylor, would not have to compromise themselves but rather accept a nomination for playing a non-binary role. Similarly Emma Corrin would have been able to take a nomination in a Best Performer in a female role category for their role in The Crown and not have to compromise because they are being nominated for playing a female character. This would be a solution that work for other performers this cycle – Emma D’Arcy for House of the Dragon and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us  - could accept nominations for Best Performer in a Female role and not feel compromised the way that they would if they were nominated for Best Actress. This would also take a real bite out of the inevitable backlash – and hate speech – because no one could argue they were taking roles away “from real actresses.” (Well, some bigots would, but it would be even harder to make the argument.)

I’d also that this would have a better effect on awards as a whole because it acknowledges the character as much as it does the actor. I’m not saying there would be changes when it came to sentimentality when it came to giving awards (this is Hollywood after all) but at the very least, it would be acknowledging the character played as much as the actor who played them.

Now there is the argument that some would make that, at this point in Hollywood, there is still a shortage of roles for non-binary characters and that by creating this separate category it still makes the performers seem less than as if it got rid of gender altogether. I would argue that while that might true as the present date, that does not mean we can make this category involving non-binary roles meaningless. Quite the contrary there is an existing model that would help us going forward.

As those of you who have read my columns this far are aware, for years I have raged against the Golden Globes decision until just this past year to put all of its Supporting Awards in TV – whether in comedy, drama or limited series – in the same category. I thought that this had never been a fair competition. That said, I think it is a good model going forward for how we initially handle all non-binary roles for the present.

I propose that every performer who appears as a non-binary character – whether they are in a drama, comedy, or limited series – submit themselves for nomination in such a category. In doing so, they would not have to feel like there is no place for them in the system. (Hewson, however, would be completely in Best Supporting Performance in a Female Role. A category like this would be more the place for Asia Kate Dillon, for example.)

I realize this might only seem like a cosmetic change. But on the contrary, this kind of category would be a systemic change. By acknowledging that there are roles for non-binary characters in Hollywood, these performers would see there was a place for them in Hollywood. Roles for performers like these would begin to increase – probably just as a trickle at first, but they would become more and more prominent. And as the number of series with non-binary characters increased, awards shows like the Emmys would eventually move from a single category for these kinds of roles to – ideally – one for drama, comedy and limited series.

There might very well be a flaw in this argument that I am not aware of. But honestly, this is a solution that would cut the Gordian Knot that has entangled the new Guard, who wants equality and the Old Guard, who is resistant to change. The only flaw I can truly see is that it would make some of these awards shows a bit longer, but since the critics seem to complain that they’re too long no matter how quickly they get finished, I think that’s a small price to pay for this kind of systemic change.

I will admit that when it comes to awards shows I have always been a traditionalist, which may have clouded my judgment on this issue. However I am a proponent for both equality and acknowledging more performers in TV who would otherwise receive no recognition. For all of the blasting I have done towards many of the performers in the last column, I have always been in awe of their talent and their struggles and I will admit that I do feel empathy for the fact that they still don’t feel like they belong.

I think this solution is one that everyone can get behind, especially those non-binary performers. Perhaps I can sum it up like this. I sympathize with your struggle, but the solution for gender-neutral awards would be far more exclusive than inclusive. This solution would be entirely inclusive and exclude nobody. If you believe in equality, this is the drummer to hear.