In a much-tweeted and upsetting turn of events, the Oscars have failed to give both Selma and The Lego Movie the recognition they deserved when this year’s nominations were released. The reason, and quite an obvious one at that, is that the Academy is overwhelmingly white, incredibly male, and staggeringly old.

In a report published in 2012, the Los Angeles Times found that Oscar voters are 94% white and 77% male. On top of that, the median voter age is 62, with people younger than 50 making up 14% of voters. Making matters worse, black people make up 2% of voters, and Latinos are at less than 2%.

How can the most prestigious awards show of the year be this biased? The filmmaking industry has already proven itself to be fundamentally flawed, highlighted in a new report from BuzzFeed that shows that gender equality in Hollywood is far off, with only 17% of leadership positions filled by women.

Nonwhite people have it tough in Hollywood, too. A black woman has never been nominated for best director at the Academy Awards, making Ava Duvernay’s snub for Selma all the more upsetting.

The Oscars website claims “As the world marches forward, so has The Oscars.” This statement is far from the truth.

Selma, directed by Ava DuVernay, tells the story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and of the grunt work that goes into orchestrating a peaceful revolution. The film is powerful, moving, and, above all, a great movie.

The Lego Movie is much less serious. It’s an adventure story directed by comedy writing dynamic duo Chris Miller and Phil Lord with an ensemble cast that includes Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Ferrell, and Morgan Freeman. Another great movie, Lego is a step in the right direction for comedy and animation.

These snubs matter (Selma’s in particular) because they show just how out-of-touch the academy has gotten. A black female director is already at a huge disadvantage in a whitewashed industry, but when she directs a masterpiece about one of the most important movements in American history, garners critical acclaim, and makes headlines, her movie is important no matter who you are.

The Academy can’t make good decisions anymore and probably isn’t interested in doing that. Imagine hundreds of old white guys sitting around. Are they going to want to watch American Sniper or Selma? Or The Lego Movie? Selma garnered a token nomination from the academy, something to show “Hey, we watched this, but not closely.” Instead of going the route of the Golden Globes – nominate outsiders and underdogs, the Oscars have proven the ineptitude of speaking for America and for critics.

They also can’t be trusted to pick winners in younger movies. To deny the genius of Miller and Lord is ludicrous. The two can make a winner out of a toy franchise and a forgotten ‘80s show. Why deprive them of what’s due?

On the 22nd, I’ll cheer for the winners (I’m very excited for Emma Stone), but there’s going to be a nagging feeling that I hope everyone who watches feels. We, and the Academy, need to change how we give movies their due credit. To the makers of Selma and The Lego Movie, I hope you clean up at every other awards show.