Oscars So Inclusive

Regina King's Best Supporting Actress win, Black Panther's multiple technical wins including two black women for Best Costume Design and Production Design, Mahershala Ali's Best Supporting Actor win and Spike Lee's Oscar triumph, receiving his first competitive award after so many years was satisfying to witness. Then there was Roma and Rami Malek's win. From beginning to end the show appeared to proceed historically for blacks, progressively for women, Latinos, immigrants and LGBT at a swift pace without a host and without a hitch. I don't know what went on behind the scenes. Beginning with Queen's and Adam Lambert's "Rock You", diversity was the theme that ran through the show.

Despite having  no official host-Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Maya Rudolph did a humorous job as introductory hosts. It was a nice peripheral touch shining a light on  the band stand where Ricky Minor,  African American band director was briefly spotlighted.

Ruth Carter and Hannah Beachler made history as two of the first Black women to receive Oscars for Best Costume Design and Production Design. During Carter's speech she paid homage to her 97 year old mother and  also gave Spike Lee props for giving her a start in the industry.  Congressman John Lewis' introduction of the Green Book movie preview and Mahershala Ali's Best Supporting Actor win which forshadowed the film's surprising Best Picture win to Barbra Streisand's poignant introduction of Spike Lee's Klansman. Her acknowledgement that they were both from Brooklyn and his subsequent win for Best Adaptation of a Screenplay followed by a speech that exhorted folks to get to the polls in 2020 and "Do the Right Thing", was made in touching and exuberant homage to ancestors. Rami Malek's Best Actor win for Bohemian Rhapsody and portrayal of LGBT musician Freddie Mercury and his mention of his parents being Egyptian immigrants and Mexican director Alfoso Cuaron's win for Roma a tale about a woman who helped raise him were among a stream of highlights of last evening's inclusivity.

Rumblings of pre-show discord that filled the air concerning lack of a host for the show, Black Panther standing the risk of not being given its deserving accolades and other seeming diversions from the event, no host confirmed after controversy over #Kevin Hart and the lingering #Oscarssowhite matter initially concerning, were gently massaged and eventually resolved with a variety of brilliant performances, acceptance speeches and movie introductions by Jennifer Hudson, Barbra Streisand, Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Rami Malek, Mr. Key, Lady GaGa, Bradley Cooper and a host of others.

There were a few surprises as well. However, from the looks of things Glenn Close seemed to handle Olivia Colmans unexpected win for the Favourite with dignity and class.

Everybody's light seemed to be shining last night from the glitter,sparkles and shine of their fashions-Jennifer Lopez and Queen Latifah come immediately to mind- to the gleam in awardees eyes upon accepting their hard earned prizes. The brilliant 
speeches by Lady GaGa who gave a very  rousing message about her journey and the importance of not giving up on your dreams! That was very inspiring.

I enjoyed the show. This year was definitely an improvement over prior years in many respects. Evidence that people took concerns expressed to heart and worked behind the scenes to change perspectives and get good material I.e., scripts and stories into the hands of actors and producers. I was glad that the producers did not mess with the awards format and try and squeeze some of the awards in during commercial breaks.

Incidentally, the stage decoration was magnificent.

"This little light of mine. I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine."

Creative Social Action Triumphs Classic Oscar Style at Last Night’s Academy Awards

 

By all appeareances the pre-Oscar scuttlebutt about a lack of  diversity in the Academy Awards nominee voting process and choices, though it had gained substantial momentum in days leading up to the broadcast, was resoundingly negated and rendered moot on various levels and in several categories during the program. 

 First of all, it was a wise act to expand upon the telecast and include recipients of the Governors Awards, social activist Harry Belafonte the perfect choice being one of the most notable and consistent artist activists over his lifespan and career. It set the tone for the evening, did the Afro-American community proud and made me feel very much a part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences community, as in "inclusive".

 Two Mexicans, Latinos Hispanics Best Director awards shed a light on immigration issues without tackling them head-on or intentionally. It just worked out in its own way with Birdman directors' (of Mexican descent) tongue in cheek comments about immigration during his Oscar acceptance comments. John Legend and Common's win for Best song "Glory" was the perfect top off for the evening not just for "Selma's " social justice message and the hard fought right to vote, but broadened the victory to overlap into women's rights equal pay issues, age discrimination, immigration and the phlight of aging actors (Birdman) who often get looked over because of the value misplaced on youth in society. (Whiplash's actor @ 60 has been in the industry 40 yrs before winning an award).

Reese Witherspoon's interview on the red carpet about the role she played behind the scenes as a producer of two Oscar nominated movies,Wild and Gone Girl set the table so to speak for Patricia Arquette's big win for her performance in Boyhood and for women's rights in the motion picture industry across the board. Giving more insight and credit to technical aspects of filmmaking by presenting video on special affects designers, etc. was a nice touch.

The outcome was the perfect social consciousness palette, a racially diverse spread of Oscar winners list done with class. A beautifully done reminder that we can and must do this thing called "great society" together... 

See Wikipedia for a more detailed breakdown of the 87th Annual Academy Awards ceremony here.

Cynthia