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Column: Amy Adams is long overdue for an Oscar

Arrival Amy Adams meme

When Leonardo DiCaprio won an Oscar last year for “The Revenant,” it felt like the entire world breathed a sigh of relief and thought, “Finally!” DiCaprio had been nominated and lost four times before, and his seemingly endless losing streak had spawned hundreds of internet memes.

Four losses in a row seemed like the ultimate injustice to DiCaprio fans, and a fifth would have possibly broken the internet. Thankfully, everyone’s favorite bear-fighter swept his way through the 2016 awards season and eventually took home the gold.

While the narrative surrounding DiCaprio’s losing streak was impossible to ignore, one equally talented leading lady has quietly lost five Oscars in a row.

That actress is Amy Adams, and the Academy has done her wrong.

If anyone deserves angry internet memes and a “long overdue” Oscars campaign, it’s Amy Adams. She has been nominated five times in 11 years, and should have been nominated this year for “Arrival.” A nomination and eventual loss this year would have put Adams at six in a row, but she already lost the 2017 race before it began.

So where are all her memes? Why isn’t Tumblr overrun with gifs of Adams reaching towards the glass wall in “Arrival,” only to see two huge, shadowy Oscars looming just out of reach? Why isn’t everyone outraged about yet another snub for such a talented actress?

Gender disparity aside, one major difference is that DiCaprio was nominated for a leading role three times and a supporting role only once as a child in “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.” Adams is the opposite, having been nominated four times for supporting roles and only once in a leading role for “American Hustle.”

Adams is clearly a leading lady by anyone’s standards, but she hasn’t been seen as such by the Academy. Because she is usually nominated for a supporting role, as in “Junebug,” “Doubt,” “The Fighter” and “The Master,” her nominations don’t take center stage. When you think of those films, you don’t think first of Amy Adams. 

Even in “American Hustle,” she didn’t carry the film. Jennifer Lawrence had a showier role, and Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale were bigger names. So once again, her performance was swept to the side.

This year in “Arrival,” Adams carries the entire movie on her back. While the Academy nominated “Arrival” for Best Picture, Adams, who arguably made the film what it is, was snubbed. Let’s face it, Meryl Streep took her spot, and while everyone loves Meryl, she did not need a 20th Oscar nomination. Spread the love, Academy!

Adams will star in HBO’s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s “Sharp Objects” next year, and let’s hope the Television Academy treats her better than the Oscars have. An Emmy may not have quite the value that an Oscar does, but it’ll fill up some of her far too empty shelf space.

While DiCaprio's losses were certainly disappointing, he was always recognized at least by the general public. Losing an Oscar must sting, but to have public outrage on his side must have been a small consolation prize. Adams doesn't even get that. Her losing streak may not be the longest in Oscar history by any means, but she is equally if not more deserving than Leo of stirring up some public outcry with every consecutive loss. 

Next time Adams makes an Oscar-worthy turn on the big screen - and don’t worry, it will happen again soon enough - Tumblr had better get going on those memes. She is long overdue for that Oscar, and god forbid she have to fight a bear and eat raw fish to get it.

Besides, both Adams and DiCaprio pale in comparison to “Hacksaw Ridge” sound-mixing nominee Kevin O’Connell, who looks to win his first Oscar this year after 21 nominations.

Now that’s a losing streak. 

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