LOS ANGELES: American film director Spike Lee has slammed Hollywood for practising skin colour discrimination.

“Everybody in here probably voted for (Barack) Obama but when I go to offices, I see no black folks except for the brother man at the security who checks my name off the list as I go into the studio,” Lee said while receiving an honorary Oscar at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ seventh annual Governors Awards, here reports eonline.com.

“So we can talk ‘yabba yabba yabba’ but we need to have some serious discussion about diversity and get some flavour up in this. This industry is so behind sports it’s ridiculous.

“Honestly, it’s easier to be president of the United States than the head of a studio or head of network,” he added.

Lee urged Hollywood executives to take a closer look at the people around them.

“I don’t know if you noticed but the United States census bureau says by the year 2043, white Americans are going to be the minority in this country. And all you people out there in the position of hiring, you better get smart because you’ll work for us. Reflect what this country looks like,” he added.

Denzel Washington, Samuel L Jackson and Wesley Snipes presented the She’s Gotta Have It director with his award. — IANS