"Perhaps it is possible for someone who works for an organization that creates or promotes G.M.O.'s to be objective, however, that would be hard to do," Carole Bartolotto, a registered dietitian in California, wrote in a Feb. 6 e-mail to an academy executive.
The irony of legislating rectitude in a business built on hype and showmanship is not lost on academy executives.
To counter that impression, Neil R. Portnow, president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which administers the Grammys, and other academy executives have gone on the road to meet with members of the academy's 12 regional chapters.
Reportedly, her excuse was not taken well, with academy executives calling it a "bullshit story".
But Dr. E. William Colglazier, the academy's executive officer, said the academy stands behind the study.
Boone Isaacs' conservative style appeals to many of the academy's longtime members but stands in contrast to academy chief executive Dawn Hudson, an independent film world figure who oversees the day-to-day operations of the group and has a more casual, chatty approach.
But Dr. Joe M. Sanders, the academy's executive director, said Dr. Gartner's request was not feasible because the academy could not pay for all the educational materials it wants to produce without corporate support.
Ms. Hopkins would not specify the artists the academy was considering for the Barclays Center, except to say that they would be culled by the academy's executive producer, Joseph V. Melillo, from around the globe.
The academy's executive branch is 98% white, as is its writers branch.
"There are always oddities," said Bruce Davis, the academy's executive director.
