The Oscars, the Academy Awards — whatever you like to call them — almost since their inception have been an opportunity for the greatest stars of the silver screen to share their socio-political views, offer a glimpse into their hearts, and possibly their souls. But not this year. Not at the 83rd annual Academy Awards, where there was little, if any mention of the political struggles in Wisconsin, Libya, Tunisia, or Egypt, the life and death struggles after New Zealand’s earthquake, or the civil rights struggles for equality in LGBT households across the country.
Who can forget Michael Moore’s 2003 anti-Bush Oscar acceptance speech that culminated with the highly critical — and highly criticized — “we live in a time when a man is sending us to war for fictitious reasons!” Was Moore’s statement the last, greatest political commentary at the Oscars? Has the Oscar activism prevalent in the ’60s and the ’70s passed forever?
Perhaps not, but this year’s Academy Awards were unacceptably bereft of loud shout-outs to the people giving their lives for liberty in the Middle East, unacceptably devoid of any mention of climate change, and contained just two hints each of union solidarity and same-sex spousal support.
Wally Pfister, who won “best cinematography” for “Inception,” staged a tiny though solid show of support to his union friends. “Much thanks to Emma Nolan, to Warner Brothers, to my fantastic union crew, and my family, Anna, Nick, Claire, and Mia and to my Mom and Dad. Thanks so much!â€
Did you catch it? There, wedged in-between “Warner Brothers” and “family.”
Does anyone know how many of the attendees and winners were union-workers at this year’s Oscars? Yup. Almost all. So much for solidarity.
Another “Inception” Oscar-winner, Gary Rizzo, (photo, right, in the center,) thanked “all the hard working boom operators and utility sound people that worked on the production crew. Union, of course.”
Rizzo’s Oscar co-winner, Lora Hirschberg (above, left, and left, left,) at least had the good sense to kiss her wife as she stood up to go on stage.
The only other same-sex mention came late in the show. “The King’s Speech” producer Iain Canning thanked his boyfriend, Ben.
One of the few other political statements at this year’s Oscars was Charles Ferguson’s impassioned statement: “Forgive me, I must start by pointing out that three years after our horrific financial crisis caused by financial fraud, not a single financial executive has gone to jail, and that’s wrong.”
Ferguson, director of “Inside Job,” won the Academy Award for “Best Documentary Feature,” along with Audrey Marrs.
And, yes, so what about gay rights?
Before you suggest that perhaps there weren’t many gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender winners this year as reason for scant mention of same-sex spouses or the fight for marriage equality, last year’s winner of the “Best Actress” award, Sandra Bullock, said upon receiving her Oscar, “There’s no race, no religion, no class system, no color, nothing, no sexual orientation, that makes us better than anyone else.â€
This year, there was no grand mention of marriage equality, the fight for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), the fight against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), or the win against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT). None.
Were last September’s anti-gay bullying teen suicides so far away from Hollywood that they’ve been forgotten?
Two years ago, thanks to the film “Milk” winning two Oscars, there were many mentions of marriage equality and much hope spoken to same-sex couples.
“To all of the gay and lesbian kids out there who have been told that they are less-than by their families or by the government or by their churches, you are beautiful and wonderful creatures,” said Dustin Lance Black, as he accepted the Oscar for “Best Original Screenplay” for “Milk.” “And very soon I promise you that you will have equal rights across this great nation of ours.”
That same year, Black’s co-star, Sean Penn, in his acceptance speech — commenting on California’s vote for Prop 8 — added, “I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way of support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone. And there are, and there are, these last two things. I’m very, very proud to live in a country that is willing to elect an elegant man president and a country who, for all its toughness, creates courageous artists.”
Maybe it was because “The Kids Are All Right” was nominated for four Oscars but won none, (there was no “gay gold,”) that there were no great, impassioned speeches for gay rights at this year’s Academy Awards.
Or maybe it was because, for the most part, this year’s winners, much like this year’s show, just didn’t have any passion in them.