By now, if you live in America, you know Brad Pitt took his 45-seconds afforded him for his Best Supporting Actor win for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” and got political by taking a jab at Republican senators who voted against Democrats’ requests to call new witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Trump, specifically former National Security Adviser John Bolton.
“They told me I only have 45 seconds up here, which is 45 seconds more than the Senate gave John Bolton this week,” Pitt said. “I’m thinking maybe Quentin [Tarantino] does a movie about it. In the end, the adults do the right thing.”
This was after winning his first-ever Oscar for acting. What a shame that on the occasion of his first ever Oscar, he made a political comment that probably won’t make sense to at least 95% of the viewers. And that wasn’t all of the political fare either.
Riley Moore, of the Daily Iowan, watched last Sunday’s Academy Awards so we didn’t have to. And like us, Riley laments the constant lecturing and virtue signaling of the Hollywood elite while they clap for each other.
Comedian Steve Martin made the first political remark after reminding the audience of the Best Picture mishap two years prior. It struck close to home: “They have guaranteed this will not happen this year because the Academy has switched to the new Iowa caucus app.”
After winning Best Actor, Joaquin Phoenix built bridges. “Sometimes we feel or are made to feel that we champion different causes, but for me I see commonality,” he said.
Political statements distract viewers from the ceremony’s aim: the appreciation of entertainment and storytelling.
By way of example, Natalie Portman donned a Dior gown combined with a cape displaying female directors who were “snubbed” from nomination. Considering her perfume could probably pay for a semester at the University of Iowa, I’m not really impressed.
A similar gripe can be made after American Factory co-director Julia Reichert spoke about unionization. “Working people have it harder and harder these days,” she said. “We believe that things will get better when workers of the world unite.”
Reichert’s statement is a paraphrased quote from The Communist Manifesto. I doubt anything truly revolutionary can be communicated in 45 seconds.
And from cultural commentator Itchy Bacca:
Two years ago I wrote about how the politically charged Oscars resulted in a historic low viewership. But Tinseltown has outdone itself and achieved a new historic low.
From FOX News:
Politically charged Oscars hit all-time low rating, plummet almost 6 million viewers from 2019
ABC’s politically charged Oscar telecast averaged 23.6 million viewers on Sunday night, the smallest audience ever, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
THR noted that total was “well below the 29.56 million and 7.7 for last year’s awards,” and down 20 percent in year-to-year viewers. The Oscars managed a 5.3 rating in the key demographic of adults age 18-49, down 31 percent from last year’s 7.7 demo rating.
The lengthy, host-less broadcast fell almost 2 million viewers short of the previous all-time low, when the Oscars averaged 26.54 million viewers back in 2018.
Surprise! No doubt next year will see the limbo game go even lower.
Thanks to Odin for the tip who comments:
John Talks comments:
