
PMP#216: Oscars So Black?
From Pretty Much Pop: A Culture Podcast by Mark Linsenmayer
March 5, 2026 · 60 min · Season 6 · Episode 216
About this episode
The episode discusses the implications of the 'Oscars So White' issue and explores the significance of black creators in Oscar-nominated films.
In light of the now-completed black history month and the upcoming Oscars, we consider the "Oscars So White" issue that was a hot topic about a decade ago. We all tried to watch some of the Oscar-nominated films by black creators, like Twelve Years a Slave , Moonlight , Judas and the Black Messiah , Boyz in Da Hood , et al. What makes for a critically lauded drama in this genre? Does a film have to have black creators (not just stars) to be an authentically black film? Are such films destined for a niche audience? Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al discuss. Get more at prettymuchpop.com . Get an ad-free experience, plus bonus talking for nearly every episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop for only the tiniest per-month financial pledge, or you can sign up directly with Apple Podcasts for a subscription for ad-free and bonus material for three of Mark's podcasts together on the Mark Lintertainment Podcasts Channel . Sponsors : Get started with Claude AI at claude.ai/pmp . Visit squarespace.com/PRETTY (code PRETTY) for a free trial and 10% off your first website or domain.
People in this episode
Host: Mark
Topics covered
- Oscars
- Black History
- Film
- Diversity in Cinema
Keywords
- Oscars So Black
- black creators
- critically lauded drama
- niche audience
Sponsors
Claude AI, Squarespace
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Twelve Years a Slave, Moonlight, Judas and the Black Messiah, Boyz in Da Hood
Books & works: Oscars So Black, Oscars, Oscars So White, Oscar, Twelve Years a Slave, Moonlight, Judas and the Black Messiah, Boyz in Da Hood
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- PMP#218: All the “Scream”-ing · April 1, 2026 · 56 min
- PMP#217: Mel Brooks’ Old Comedy · March 18, 2026 · 57 min
- PMP#215: Hamnet Dramatizes Shakespeare · February 17, 2026 · 1h 5m
- PMP#214: South Park Resurgence · February 3, 2026 · 54 min
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