Keep in mind several of the Academy members who voted for it admitted they didn’t even see the film.
Via Hollywood Reporter:
12 Years a Slave was the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ pick for best picture, but what does the rest of the country think about the selection?
A new study from North Carolina-based national polling firm Public Policy Polling provides insight into what registered voters think about the pick, broken down by their political beliefs, who they voted for in 2012, gender, race, age and the mode in which they completed the survey (80 percent of those polled were surveyed by phone; 20 percent weighed in online).
Overall, of the 1,152 people polled between March 6 and March 9, when asked, “Do you agree or disagree with the selection of 12 Years a Slave as best picture in this year’s Oscars?,” 32 percent said they agreed, 16 percent said they disagreed, and 52 percent were not sure.
But while a majority of respondents who agreed with the pick identified themselves as Democrats, the majority of those who disagreed identified themselves as Republicans. Among those who agreed, 53 percent identified themselves as Democrats, with 15 percent saying they’re Republicans and 20 percent describing themselves as Independents or belonging to some other party. Among those who disagreed, 10 percent said they’re Democrats, 23 percent said Republicans and 17 percent said Independents or members of another party. The breakdown among those who weren’t sure about 12 Years a Slave’s win was: 37 percent (Democrats), 61 percent (Republicans) and 63 percent (Independent/Other).
Among ideology, the majority of those who agreed said they were liberal, and the majority of those who disagreed said they were conservative. Among those who agreed with 12 Years a Slave‘s win, 65 percent identified themselves as very liberal, 47 percent identified themselves as somewhat liberal, 36 percent said they’re moderate, 14 percent called themselves conservative and 8 percent called themselves very conservative.
The breakdown among those who disagreed was: 8 percent (very liberal), 14 percent (somewhat liberal), 11 percent (moderate), 23 percent (somewhat conservative), 25 percent (very conservative). The breakdown among those who weren’t sure was: 27 percent (very liberal), 39 percent (somewhat liberal), 53 percent (moderate), 63 percent (somewhat conservative), 68 percent (very conservative).