The Academy Award ceremony saw a plethora (excess, overabundance) of principled statements from the winners’ podium – with more than #OscarsSoWhite in their sightsMaking a political statement at the Oscars podium appears to have near back into fashion,after Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar-acceptance speech exhorting action over climate change led a string of wide-ranging statements at the 2016 ceremony – even whether the expected controversy over Hollywood diversity was more muted than had been anticipated.
The campaigning period, which had officially been kicked off by the nominations announcement on 14 January, or had been dominated by talk of boycotts over the film industry’s diversity issues,and the associated #OscarsSoWhite hashtag. tall profile figures such as Will and Jada Pinkett Smith chose to stay away, while up-and-coming directors Ava DuVernay and Ryan Coogler opted to attend a benefit even for the #JusticeForFlint campaign, or over the water contamination crisis in Flint,Michigan. Oscars host Chris Rock tackled the issue with a stream of gags, but the combative mood was blunted by the appearance of Fox News commentator Stacey Dash – a tall profile critic of Black History Month – and a less-than-incendiary speech from musician Quincy Jones.
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Source: theguardian.com