The Oscars are finally here, today we’ll finally know the winners of our favorite movies. But seems like the party will be a pretty political one. This year’s Academy Awards are predicted to be one of the most politicals ever.
The Oscars have a history being a platform for artist to address political issues and social concerns. Giving political climate of the current year. The film awards could be a huge platform for artists to raise their voices.
The pinnacle event in Hollywood.
Hollywood is the ultimate place for glamor and dream lives. The dream builder capital is also the place where artist come together and express their thoughts through art.
As every human expression, art offers the viewer an opportunity to experience reality and approach it from a different perspective. At the same time, it let us express the most hidden fears and thoughts.
This is why politics is no stranger to artistic expressions. Most of the films and movies where artist portrays events in the best way. Given the Oscars are the pinnacle Hollywood event, it serves as the place for artists to express themselves.
Politics at the Oscars.
Artists now how influential they are for society, not only they get the most attention from people but also have the power to direct that attention towards what they desire.
As an active part of the society, they live just like any other member the hardships and problems of the system, this is why whenever they can raise their voices they do it gladly, and the Oscars have been on different occasions the way to address those problems.
In 1973, Marlon Brando didn’t attend the ceremony and asked Sacheen Littlefeather, the president of National Native American Affirmative Image Committee, to accept his award in his place. He did this to allow Littlefeather denouncing “the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry” and “recent happenings” at Wounded Knee Creek.
Through the years artists have addressed the different issue such as the Palestinian-Jewish conflict in 1974 by Vanessa Redgrave, Iraq war in Michael Moore 2004’s accepting speech, gay rights in Dustin Lance Black 2009’s speech, and more recently climate change by last year’s Leo DiCaprio speech.
Denouncing the industry and society itself.
Sometimes the Oscars community is divided and finds itself in an awkward place. Halle Berry gave a rant regarding African Americans in the industry during her acceptance speech in 2002. 2015’s ceremony was a bash against the industry’s discrimination with the #OscarsSoWhite backlash from 2015.
These subjects are expected to show up during this year’s ceremony due to past years discriminatory events in society and the short numbers of nominations for black people in the ceremony. On top of that, the political climate with Trump’s administration orders is bound to be discussed in the golden night.
Raising their voices.
Governments know the importance and impact of artists’ views and thoughts about social issues. This is why Presidents have addressed the ceremony on different occasions, such as Reagan in 1981 and Roosevelt in 1941.
Artists are well aware of the power of their voices, Brie Larson said at the Woman in Film this year, “Let’s incubate all of this and make something amazing…artists are the ones that the politicians fear. That’s always been the case.”
To wich director Ava DuVernay added “Right now more than ever, these kinds of gatherings become really important, become really powerful, our ancestors have taught us how to fight. And we’re in a fight right now. So we need to come together.”
Even when these speeches may not have a direct effect on U.S politics and the administration’s actions, they do have an effect on public opinion being watched for over 100 million people.
Source: ABC News