He quipped: “Not even they would say that!”
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The movie was honored two more times in the category production design and again for best makeup and hair styling. Something a little more significant?
But it was the issue of diversity that dominated the proceedings, popping up in moments both earnest and humorous. The video was shot at the Governors Ball, held just upstairs from the Oscar Ceremony, which is where Oscar winners have their statuettes engraved. It became a rally for change. Or to keep slipping in digs at Oscar-related racial issues pretty much every time he appeared. “It’s sorority racist. It’s like, ‘We like you, Wanda [Sykes], but you’re not a Kappa.’ That’s how Hollywood is”. But it ain’t that racist that you’ve grown accustomed to. No. Is Hollywood racist? “They’re basically saying, ‘Yep, we look at you guys as a joke'”. That’s how Hollywood is’. This is about making sure that actors and actresses from all different kinds of backgrounds get equal opportunities. In one of the best of several comic bits sprinkled through the show, actress Angela Bassett offered a “Black History Month Minute” paying tribute to a “black” actor – the very white Jack Black.
But, what was surprising was that Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, who started the boycott, were the tagline of a lot of the jokes.
“I’m like, isn’t she on a TV show?”
Director Alejandro González Iñárritu invoked the diversity controversy when accepting his best director award for The Revenant.
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio used his Oscars acceptance speech to sound an urgent alarm on the need to take action against climate change. “It is happening right now”, DiCaprio said.
The Onion didn’t let it go though. (It was also, according to overnight numbers, the least-watched ceremony in eight years.) Not surprisingly, the fact that the entire show wasn’t as boring or disastrous as the last few years was thanks nearly exclusively to Chris Rock, who once again proved that there are few people as amusing, open, and audacious as the beloved comedian. This is the first Academy Award for Vikander, who was presented with the Rising Star Award at the 27 Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Another of the film’s prodcuers, who also took to the stage to collect the award, drew attention to the important work done by investigative journalists.
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Later in the show, the hosts welcomed Deadline.com’s Dominic Patten to give his take on the big moments of Oscar night.
