Evaluation of News Magazine Stories

My stories were featured in Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair. It was difficult to find recent controversial stories that didn't involve diversity in the Oscars, so it may be a recurring theme. The Rolling Stone story was on English actress Charlotte Rampling's comments on the divisiveness being "racist to whites," while the Vanity Fair story is about the contrast in diversity between the Oscars and the SAG Awards.

1. What is the debate, disagreement or argument in the story about?
Charlotte Rampling, who is a nominee for Best Actress in her film 45 Years, stated that the boycott against the Oscars is "racist to whites" and argues that people shouldn't be classified, and combatting racism doesn't mean there "should be lots of minorities everywhere." The other article points out the presence of more diverse actors winning awards at the SAG's after being snubbed by the Academy, including the likes of Idris Elba and Viola Davis.

2. Who is the most sympathetic character in the story?
Rampling herself deserves sympathy due to the fact that her potential achievement is being boycotted, and her comments will likely be reviled because of a few choice words. In the other story, the black actors are seen as sympathetic in the sense that they have gained recognition for their brilliant performances in a situation that some see as unfair.

3. Who is the least sympathetic character in the story?
It is hard to say for the first story, but one could argue that detractors of Rampling's comments are the least sympathetic since a counterargument to her quotes is likely to be biased or closed-minded. For the second story, the least sympathetic character is the voting team at the Academy, as the diversity at another major awards program makes them appear to be behind in that aspect.

lukeford.net "Idris Elba at a 2007 American Music Awards after-party" 19 November 2007 via Wikimedia Commons Creative Commons Attribution license