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Oscar Voter Slams Selma, Jennifer Aniston’s Cake As Artless, Ridiculous

David Oyelowo in "Selma" and Jennifer Aniston in "Cake"
David Oyelowo in "Selma" and Jennifer Aniston in "Cake"

Not holding back! An anonymous member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences spoke to The Hollywood Reporter in a revealing new interview, and made no apologies for the Oscar voting committee's controversial decisions.

The woman, whom THR described as "a longtime member of the Academy's 378-member public relations branch," sounded off on the civil rights drama Selma and Jennifer Aniston's Cake. The former was nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Song, but nothing else — a move some saw as racially motivated — while the latter received zero nominations, even after aggressive campaigning. 

"What no one wants to say out loud is that Selma is a well-crafted movie, but there's no art to it," the Academy member asserted to THR. "If the movie had been directed by a 60-year-old white male, I don't think that people would have been carrying on about it to the level that they were." 

PHOTOS: Oscar Snubs: Most Overlooked Films, Stars and Shocking Losses in Academy History

"As far as the accusations about the Academy being racist? Yes, most members are white males, but they are not the cast of Deliverance — they had to get into the Academy to begin with, so they're not cretinous, snaggletoothed hillbillies," she continued. "When a movie about black people is good, members vote for it. But if the movie isn't that good, am I supposed to vote for it just because it has black people in it?" 

Lest she leave any doubt as to her feelings about director Ava DuVernay's film, the voter went on to target the stars of Selma for their public stance on the highly publicized death of New York resident Eric Garner.

"I've got to tell you, having the cast show up in T-shirts saying 'I can't breathe' [at their New York premiere] — I thought that stuff was offensive," she said to THR. "Did they want to be known for making the best movie of the year or for stirring up s–t?"

Selma wasn't alone in the unnamed member's criticism, however. She went on to discuss the chronic pain drama Cake and its star Aniston, who was nominated for Best Actress Golden Globe for the role. 

"I'm not sorry that Jennifer Aniston isn't nominated," the woman said. "She was fine, but I thought her movie was ridiculous." 

Aniston and Selma star David Oyelowo both commented on their snubs after the nominees for the 87th Annual Academy Awards were announced.

Related: PHOTOS: Us Weekly's Best Pictures of 2014

"I'm the number one snubbed!" Aniston told Ellen DeGeneres last month. "That's the silver lining, right?"

"It bothers me," Oyelowo told Esquire of his snub. "It bothers me because it’s the best reviewed film of the year. It’s a film that doesn’t direct or act itself. It bothers me because it’s Dr. King — one of the most significant human beings in American life, and I want him celebrated. Whether we like it or not, these accolades feed into that legacy." 

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