Dwayne Barnes: Inclusion Will Stamp 93rd Oscars’ Place In History, No Matter Its TV Ratings – Guest Column

deadline.com:

Editor’s note: Dwayne Barnes wrote a touching column on his portrayal as a desperate crack addict in Menace II Society, when a recent controversy reared up over an agent sending that clip from the film to a manager.

Today, he brings a journeyman actor’s perspective to why the 93rd Academy Award cannot be dismissed even if prognosticators prove right and TV ratings suffer in the recognition of films that bowed when theaters were closed by a global pandemic. – MFAs voters fill out their final Oscar ballots, there seems to be less suspense about who will win than on how low the TV ratings will be for the 93rd Academy Awards.