Actor, writer, and, Straight Out of Compton producer Ice Cube called the “Oscars So White” controversy “ridiculous,” and said not getting approval from the Academy “is not something you should dwell on.”
The Ride Along 2 star started by making it clear that “You can’t boycott something that you never went to anyway,” he said as the crowd laughed.
“We don’t do movies for the industry. We do movies for the fans, for the people,” Ice Cube said Friday.
The industry,” Cube continued, “if they give you a trophy or not or a pat on the back or not, it’s nice but it’s not something that you should dwell on.”
“We got accolades from all levels,” Cube said about the film Straight Out of Compton, a movie depicting the rise of the infamous rap group N.W.A, of which Cube is a founding member. “The older generation got an understanding of why we did that kind of music and the younger generation got a history lesson. And we got so much praise for the movie.”
Indeed, the biodrama’s budget was a reported $28 million. It ended up grossing more than $160 million.
“How could you be mad because one academy or guild didn’t say it’s the number one,” Cube added. “It’s like crying about not having enough icing on your cake. It’s just ridiculous.”
Fellow panelist and House star Hugh Laurie agreed with Ice Cube’s remarks.
“I think, by the way, that’s the sanest description of this whole process of awards that I’ve ever heard,” Laurie said.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson.