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THE MASSIVE MISTAKE that saw La La Land being named best film by mistake will dominate the headlines, but there was a political edge to last night’s Oscars ceremony.
Last year, several black screen stars boycotted the ceremony, citing a lack of diversity after minorities weren’t represented among the nominations in the best actor and actress, and best supporting actor and actress categories.
This year, from the host’s opening monologue to some of the victory speeches, issues of diversity and current political events got a wide airing at the awards ceremony.
Ruth Negga
Irish actress Ruth Negga, who missed out on the best actress gong to Emma Stone, sported a blue ribbon on her dress in support of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The ACLU represented the woman that Negga portrayed in the film, Loving, in the landmark 1967 Supreme Court Case that saw Mildred Loving fight against her incarceration for marrying a white man.
Jimmy Kimmel
The host of the Oscars used his platform to make a string of pointed political statements in his opening speech.
I want to say thank you to President Trump. I mean, remember last year when it seemed like the Oscars were racist?
Mel Gibson’s film Hacksaw Ridge was nominated for a few awards, and Kimmel referenced one of Gibson’s most famous roles in another section of his monologue, when he said that people had been telling him that he needs to unite people with his speech.
Let’s just get something straight off the top: I can’t do that. There’s only one Braveheart in this room and he’s not going to unite us either.
He added that the Oscars were being broadcast in “225 countries that now hate us”, and expressed his relief that French Oscar nominee Isabelle Huppert was allowed into the country by Homeland Security.
He also said that he was surprised that Trump hadn’t tweeted about the Oscars yet, so sent him one of his own.
He then added a reference to Meryl Streep’s recent criticism of Trump, by complimenting her dress and asking “Is that an Ivanka?”
Using the platform
Several stars used the platform of the Oscars stage to issue messages embracing diversity and rejecting any form of division.
Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal came on stage to introduce the nominees for best animated feature, but instead chose to make a statement on current relations between his home country and the US.
I’m against any form of wall that wants to separate us.
The President of the Academy, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, echoed this speech saying that films aren’t for any single person, and are meant for all, in a clear reference to the furore over a lack of diversity in recent years.
She said that “art has no borders” and that it “does not belong to a single faith”.
Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, who won an award for “The Salesman”, did not attend the ceremony.
He didn’t even travel to the United States because of the travel ban, but sent a speech to be read out on his behalf.
Dividing the world into the us and our enemies categories creates fear. [Filmmakers] create empathy between us and others, an empathy we need today more than ever.
Director Ava DuVernay, whose film 13 was nominated for best documentary, tweeted a message of support for Trayvon Martin, the teenager shot in a Florida neighbourhood on the same day five years ago.
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A this is getting a little bit tiring at this stage. The American people right or wrongly made their decision so the rest of us just have to get on with it and keep the finger crossed he’s kept well clear of the codes.
@mickmc: I think that Americans are entitled to express their displeasure over the result.
The result of the US election was procured by voter manipulation, using social media and artificial intelligence techniques to implement psychological manipulation of the electorate.
@Tony Daly:
“The result of the US election was procured by voter manipulation, using social media and artificial intelligence techniques to implement psychological manipulation of the electorate.”
In other words, he won the election.
@Tony Daly: And I am entitled to express my displeasure at your displeasure
@Jason Culligan: Some of the leftie ISIS sympathizers on here could do with a bit on an artificial intelligence boost. I am a coal delivery man, this is the busiest time of year as I deliver coal to customers, Some want to ban coal to save the planet, they would buy it from the North but it too dirty and too heavy for them
I love the Team America bit where all the stars like Sean Penn talk about Iraq then get their heads blown off and the end of the film while stupidly supporting Kim Jong. Suzanne Surandan bit it’s the best when she’s tied to a chair and Gary doesn’t by it saying “your acting skills have faded with age miss Surandan”. she response “you shall die a peasants death” haha. I believe due to that film. Film actors guild(FAG) was changed to screen actors guild.
Haha great movie, hilarious.
@mickme You clearly don’t understand how the American presidency works. This petulant hot-headed delusional narcissistic man HAS the nuclear codes and can use them at anytime he is irked. That is what is so frightening.
@Jane Aelst: Jane’s off her meds…. he rats are running around the room, the monsters are coming.. Trump can go nuclear anytime he’s irked aaaaaaaggh!!!
And the winner is…………Hillary Clinton! Oh wait! hang on.
@Simeon: Not long to wait:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5pjZXOU0AA7Yyo.jpg
@Simeon: She was too busy hanging around with Celebs instead of farmers while threatening to nuke Russia and Iran?
I would suggest that egotistical virtue signalling millionaire movie stars attacking Trump actually helps rather than hinders him
@Awkward Seal: spot on
@Awkward Seal:
Don’t forget that this virtue signalling isn’t based on some deep-seated emotional worry for illegal workers in the US. It’s entirely self-serving.
California’s economy relies on illegal migrants for manual labour within the state and Hollywood is no exception to this. Imagine how much it would eat into the multi-million dollar contracts for actors and actresses in Hollywood if they needed to pay all of the manual labourers in Hollywood a fair wage.
Wow !!!!
I bet Trump is on the ropes this morning!!!
Two anti Trump article’s already into the day. It’s getting quite annoying now these Trump stories.
Stick to Sheitbart.
Still a lot of self loathing folks around here with post US election stress disorder.
The loves are at it again.
They love “diversity” except of course for diversity of opinion, in that, they prefer enforced homogeneity.
Elitist celebs moralising to the commoners from high upon their pedestals.
@Jamie Lyons: And the state of their undies were?
Establishment luvvies as frothy and irrelevant as ever, stick to the day jobs of pretending to be other people.
Thank you celebrities for always telling us how to think
Give me a break, a bunch of foreigners giving out about another country’s laws. Even the Iranian took the high ground. Look at the oppressive laws that country has and he is praised for his stance on trump. Where is is criticism of the Iranian government?
Yawn
It was these talentless millionaire morons mouthing off that got trump elected.
Sorry don’t take political advice from immoral narcissistic elitists who would sooner give a standing ovation to Roman Polanski. Trump may be awful, but he is nowhere bear as awful as these creeps.
Gees guys, was TRump not presenting the ceremony, he loves attention! Well done Ruth a great actress whom we all knew from the Love/Hate series! You’ve done great for yourself!
Great thing about Hollywood is the political diversity all opinions tolerated and celebrated …Example to us all
Oscars are for films. Reality TV hosts stick to the Emmys.
@Liam John Bradshaw: I thought he was up for best Comedy!
@Liam John Bradshaw: Trump is the first one coming to mind when you hear about all that Oskar farse. He got his attention without showing on.
Historically, those in the arts, including the performing arts, tend to be more flexible, liberal, enlightened and progressive.
Trump’s forte is the exercise of privilege, the brokering of power and the manipulation of the populace by prejudice.
Sometimes, film and related arts can have a certain amount of cant and hyprocisy but largely these arts encourage the better angels of our better nature. In contrast Trump seeks to unify by appealing to the worst common denominators, the bad and unworthy aspects of our characters.
Making America greatagaun is just a meaningless catch phrase for greed and authoritarianism.
Likes, disturbing? Puzzy generation alive and well in Ireland also it seems.
Poor trump been bullied leave him alone
The White Helmets are Al Nusra, a propaganda piece. Pallywood at its worst.
I’m not a trump fan at all but Jimmy’s jibes were simply not good and seem a little pathetic.
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