Oscar festivities assault sense like a slap to the face
Everyone has heard more than enough about the Will Smith / Chris Rock slap heard around the world. What the world has not heard enough about is the celebration of representation, offensive jokes, and unique musical performances.
Some novel accomplishments occurred during the Oscars this year. The record changed for the better as Ariana Debose became the first queer woman of color to win an Oscar. In her acceptance speech for best-supporting actress for her role of Anita in West Side Story, Debose described her life as “an openly queer woman of color, an Afro‑Latina, who found her strength in life through art. And that’s what I believe we’re here to celebrate.” Not only did this transform the platform for her career, but also the rest of the openly queer women of color out in the world. In the past, avid-Oscar viewers have seen straight, white, and primarily male, winners, so it is delightful to see a change in the status quo. While members of the LGBTQ+ community are often stepped and dragged on in the media, it’s definitely worth celebrating when a queer woman wins.
She wasn’t the only winner that pulled at the heartstrings. Another recipient, Coda star Troy Kotsur, made history as the first deaf male actor to win an Academy Award. Serving as a role model to deaf people all over the world, many may now be inspired to make it big in the media world due to his example.
As influential speakers appeal to the audience, it’s not necessarily an entertaining awards show without so-called self-made comedians making questionable punchlines. After winning an Oscar last year, Daniel Kaluuya and singer H.E.R. took the stage to present an award. Shockingly, the Academy played Toto’s "Africa." How ironic is it to play a song titled “Africa” as two black actors walk on stage? After receiving much deserved backlash, it’s important that the Academy realize that a song’s timing matters.
Later in the evening, Amy Schumer, one out of the three hosts this year, went off the rails with one of her jokes. Schumer took a moment to shame actor Jennifer Lawrence for her increase in weight in her latest movie, Don’t Look Up. Schumer, without guilt, commented “Jennifer Lawrence was amazing in it, even though she did gain some weight this year." Not only was it blatantly disrespectful, but as a woman this sort of attack should not be happening during a professional awards show. Furthermore, Lawrence was undergoing changes as it turns out she was actually pregnant during the fat-shaming scandal.
Other jaw-dropping moments include the first five minutes of the show where Beyoncé did a tennis-themed performance to her song “Be Alive” where all her backup dancers dressed like tennis balls. Despite the eyebrow-raising theme, the performance was, nonetheless, worth watching. Another iconic performance arose from the award-winning Encanto. When it was first announced that the cast would be performing “We Don't Talk about Bruno,” fans were ecstatic, but, unlike Beyoncé, by the time the performance was over, it proved to be quite disappointing. With Megan Thee Stallion making her unique rap verse, it was just uncomfortable to watch. Stallion is truly talented, but that doesn’t mean she is the best fit to spit a verse in a Disney song. In a few words, many just say we don’t talk about this performance. Fortunately, the cast redeemed themselves with a spectacular performance of “Dos Oruguitas.” This performance was quite amusing and reminded fans why the soundtrack and movie was such a hit.
Would it truly be an article on the 2022 Oscars without covering the altercation between Chris Rock and Will Smith, though? The story went viral as Chris Rock made a joke about Will Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and her alopecia. Will Smith proceeded to stomp his way up the stage and slap Rock directly onstage in front of millions of viewers. While the world was quick to make memes and poke fun at the mouth-dropping event, the underlying serious tone was concerning. Shortly after the incident, stars spoke out expressing their shock, embarrassment, and concern. The world took sides, saying Smith had a right to clap Rock in the face while others sided with Rock after his public assault due to a fairly innocuous attempt at humor.. After video footage of Smith laughing and then turning 180 after seeing the reaction of his wife, there were rumors on whether the altercation was even real or stunted. Nonetheless, the real answer was seen after the Academy decided to place a 10-year ban against Smith. People are still trying to figure out if that was a punishment or a reward. Seriously, does anyone actually look forward to going to the Oscars? Sure, Smith definitely didn’t need to hit Rock but Rock didn’t need to make fun of his wife.
Overall this year's Oscars were eventful, to say the least. The musical performances were mostly enjoyable, and the jokes were mostly funny. And of course, it's great to appreciate the inclusion of others and their talents being recognized. In all honesty, the show was kind of a train-wreck and hard to watch despite some of those uplifting moments and performances.
By Erin Fox
Oshkosh West Index Volume 118 Issue 7
April 25th, 2022