During the Oscars this year, politics took center stage which was a great way for celebrities to bring attention to topics that are in need of awareness. The acceptance speeches of these award-winners touched upon certain issues that may not have been on the minds of people in the United States. Because these celebrities took the opportunity to comment on societal issues, I became more aware of some problems that face us today that I was oblivious to before.
Some of the main concerns that were addressed were women’s equality, racial prejudice and suicide awareness. When Patricia Arquette won an award for her supporting role in the movie “Boyhood,” she focused her speech on equality for women, particularly referring to equal wages. As a woman who will be entering employment in a few years, I am happy that she spoke about this issue as I believe that men and women should have equal pay.
Since the Oscars reach a large audience, it is a great opportunity for celebrities to raise awareness about certain issues in our country. After John Legend and Common won the award for Best Original Track for “Glory” in the movie “Selma,” their speech focused on past racial movements and current racial incarceration. Legend said, “There are more black men under correctional control today than were under slavery in 1850.” After hearing this statistic, I was shocked. I was completely unaware of the prejudice present within the correctional system. Neil Patrick Harris made a comment regarding the racial prejudice present within Hollywood. In his opening comments he said, “Today we honor America’s best and whitest. Sorry, brightest.” His comment highlighted the lack of actors and actresses of color. How is it possible that in the 21st century there is not more variety among characters we see in movies? It is essential in today’s society for the public to be conscious of the predominantly white nominees and award-winners at the Oscars and to call for more diversity on screen.
LGBT rights and suicide awareness were also topics that were emphasized. After receiving an award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the “Imitation Game,” which tells the story of Alan Turing, the heroic mathematician who cracked the German Enigma during World War II and was later prosecuted under anti-gay laws in Britain, Graham Moore encouraged everyone to “stay weird” and to “stay different.” He discussed his suicide attempt and encouraged those who are suicidal to be themselves because there is hope. This shed light on teenage depression and suicide. The words of Moore especially pertained to those people who were in the same situation as him when he was suffering with depression. Moore’s words were an attempt to create positivity among those who were depressed and give them the support they may need.
These celebrities saw an opportunity to spread positive vibes and used their popular influence to reach the public. Even though the Oscars is meant to honor actors, actresses, filmmakers, costume designers and digital designers, the awards show proved to be more than that. It didn’t affect the entertainment of the awards show but rather caused people to become more engrossed in a program that otherwise could have been a four-hour special simply celebrating the achievements of Hollywood’s finest.
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