The politicization of the Oscars
The Oscars, held this week, should be about the winners thanking family, friends, and co-workers, and maybe advocate a worthy cause – breast cancer awareness or famine relief – but not about politics.
It began in 1973 when Marlon Brando, Best Actor winner for “The Godfather,” sent Nativeamerican activist Sasheen Littlefeather to accept his Oscar. She told the audience Brando was absent because “of the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry.”
At the 2003 Oscars, Michael Moore, winner of Best Documentary, “Bowling for Columbine,” said of President Bush’s invasion of Iraq, “We live in a time where we have a man sending us to war for fictitious reasons … Shame on you, Mr. Bush!”
At the 2009 Oscars, after California voters approved “Proposition 8” banning same-sex marriages, Sean Penn, who won Best Actor for portraying the gay elected official Harvey Milk, said, “I think it’s a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to reflect and anticipate their great shame … ”
At the 2015 Oscars, the increased violence between police and black protestors prompted singer John Legend, who, with the rapper Common, won Best Original Song for “Glory” from the movie “Selma,” to say, “We wrote this song for a film based on events that were 50 years ago, but we say that ‘Selma is now’ because the struggle for justice is right now.”
And the debate continues. Why didn’t Michael Moore “shame” the countless Democrats, including Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, who supported the Iraq war? Should devout Christians feel “great shame” because their faith says marriage is between a man and woman? And the “struggle for justice” that took place every one of the 53 years since Selma, by whites and blacks, has made America a very different place with respect to justice for African-americans.
Yes, there have been worthy “political” Oscar moments. In 1968 Gregory Peck eulogized the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., and in 2002, Tom Cruise eloquently defended “the joy and magic movies bring,” after the 9/11 attacks. Still, it has gone too far, as the writer Stephanie Mansfield cleverly parodied, while also cleverly parodying the Hollywood lifestyle, in her advice to Oscar winners:
“When you give your acceptance speeches, thank your publicist, limo driver, manicurist, masseuse, day nanny, night nanny and weekend nanny. Thank your attorney for killing that salacious National Enquirer story. Thank your spouse, children, middle-school drama teacher. Thank your astrologist and psychologist. Thank your pool boy and gardener, accountants, assistants, Pilates teacher, hot yoga instructor, teeth-whitening dentist and, most of all, Bosley and Botox. You can even thank Wolfgang Puck for naming a pizza after you. But please, stay off politics. We’re exhausted.” Bruce G. Kauffmann Email author Bruce G. Kauffmann at bruce@history lessons.net.
DEAR ABBY: I have a crush on a guy I work with. I’m 19, and he’s 26. He has a kid, which actually doesn’t bother me. I love kids and have taken care of them most of my life. My problem is he has this ex who wants to get back together with him. They broke up because she was staying out all night and cheating.
He used to flirt with me and text me all the time and offer me his hoodie. Now she’s sort of back in the picture and he ignores me and doesn’t return my texts. But when we see each other he starts flirting again, and we just click. We make sense.
I guess my question is, should I tell him how I feel before it’s too late or just keep it to myself? Should I risk everything and go for it? – UNCERTAIN IN NEW YORK
DEAR UNCERTAIN: Announce your feelings for the guy if you wish, but do not expect him to drop everything and rush to you. If he were interested in more than a workplace flirtation, he would be paying the same kind of attention to you that he did before. Because he isn’t, you need to understand that he and his ex obviously have some unfinished business together, regardless of her history of infidelity. Set your sights on someone else.
** All my mom does is talk about work. If we are having a conversation, she links every topic to her work and her co-workers. It is alienating my sister and me. When we tell her things about our kids – her grandkids – she still relates it to work.
Another thing: She’s constantly on her tablet for work or on Facebook. I live seven hours away from her. When we make the drive down, I don’t want to watch her on her tablet. If we try to confront her on anything, all she does is cry.
Mom and I had a good relationship before she took that job. Now she’s so negative that it’s difficult to want to talk to her. Where do I even start? – MISSING HER WHILE SHE’S HERE
DEAR MISSING: Rather than “confront” your mother, ask her what may have changed in her life since she took that job. Her focus may have shifted because that’s the center of her activity. Conversations are two-way, and this may be all she feels she has to contribute on her end. As to her “hiding” behind Facebook rather than carry on a conversation with you, like many people, she may have become addicted to it and unable to tear herself away. However, you will never know unless you ask her calmly. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips.