Academy Awards ceremony controversies
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, have been a platform for controversy since their inception in 1927. While celebrated for honoring cinematic achievements, the ceremonies have often witnessed participants voicing political and social opinions, which have sparked significant public discourse. Notable instances include Marlon Brando's refusal to accept his award in 1973 to protest the treatment of Native Americans, and Vanessa Redgrave's inflammatory remarks regarding Zionism in 1978. Acceptance speeches, typically unscripted, have allowed winners to address pressing issues, resulting in mixed reactions from audiences and producers alike. Some presenters, such as Susan Sarandon and Richard Gere, have faced blacklisting for their political statements during the ceremonies. Furthermore, protests have occurred outside the events, targeting films or the Academy's decisions, as seen with Vietnam Veterans Against the War in 1979. Over the years, the Oscars have evolved into a forum where social justice issues can be highlighted, with many award recipients utilizing their moments in the spotlight to advocate for causes ranging from civil rights to gender equality. This intersection of cinema and activism continues to shape the legacy of the Academy Awards.
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Academy Awards ceremony controversies
Type of work: Annual stage production and television broadcast
First staged: 1927
Subject matter: Annual awards ceremony in which the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes achievement in filmmaking by awarding Oscars
Significance: The high visibility of this ceremony has made it an increasingly attractive public platform on which participants have expressed their political and social views
Established in 1927 and first broadcast on television in 1953, the annual Academy Awards presentation ceremonies is one of the most watched television programs in the world. The gold statuettes awarded in this event—picturing a knight plunging a two-edged sword into a reel of film and popularly known as “Oscars”—are perhaps the most widely recognized trophies in the world. Because of this visibility, the awards ceremonies themselves have prompted many of the ceremony’s participants to use this forum to express strongly held political and social sentiments.
In 1973, for example, Marlon Brando won the Academy’s best actor award for his performance in The Godfather, but he declined to attend the awards ceremony. Instead, upon announcement of his award, a woman dressed in Native American clothes who called herself Sacheen Littlefeather (Marie Cruz) read a prepared statement from Brando in which he refused the award on account of “the condition of the American Indian.” In 1975 Burt Schneider and Peter Davis were recognized for their anti-Vietnam War documentary Hearts of Mind . When Schneider included in his acceptance speech a wire from a Viet Cong leader, many viewers called the network to protest and Frank Sinatra—one of the program’s emcees—disavowed the political remarks on behalf of the Academy and apologized for their assertion. In 1978 Vanessa Redgrave created a furor in accepting the best-actress Oscar for her performance in Julia when she spoke disparagingly of “Zionist hoodlums”—an allusion to her support of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Because acceptance speeches of Oscar winners are delivered spontaneously, the producers of the annual Academy Awards ceremonies have had little control over their content. However, even award presenters whose remarks have been prepared in advance have sometimes interjected political asides. Producers have typically responded by essentially blacklisting such presenters from future ceremonies. In 1993 for example, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins appeared together as award presenters and appealed for better treatment of HIV-positive Haitian immigrants. That same year Richard Gere served as a presenter and made a statement about Tibetan human rights. None of these actors was invited to present awards in 1994.
Political controversies of other forms have also occasionally adorned the Oscar ceremony. In 1996 Iran announced that it was withdrawing its own entry for the Academy Award for best foreign-language film—the 1995 Cannes Film Festival winner The White Balloon —to protest moves in the U.S. Congress to fund covert action against its government. Occasionally protesters have gathered outside the location of the Academy Awards ceremony to demonstrate against particular films. In 1979 police arrested thirteen members of a group called Vietnam Veterans Against the War after they protested The Deer Hunter , a film about the Vietnam War that won five awards that year, including best picture and best director.
In other Oscar controversies, much of the audience refused to recognize Elia Kazan when he received his lifetime achievement award in 1999. Kazan had outed Communists in the film industry during a time when those with alleged Communist ties were blacklisted from working in Hollywood. In 2003, Michael Moore took the opportunity to chastise President George W. Bush, for his "fictitious" presidency, during his acceptance of the best documentary award for the film Bowling for Columbine. In the 2000s numerous award winners and presenters have used the Oscar ceremonies as a "bully pulpit" for their pet causes. In the 2015 ceremony alone, John Legend discussed civil rights, Patricia Arquette addressed gender inequality, and Laura Poitras highlighted the fight for privacy rights.
Bibliography
Cole, Juan. "In New Gilded Age, Social Protest Dominates Academy Awards Ceremony." Informed Comment, 23 Feb. 2015. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.
Kinn, Gail, and Jim Piazza. The Academy Awards: The Complete Unofficial History. Rev. ed. New York: Black Dog, 2014. Print.
Levy, Emanuel. All about Oscar: The History and Politics of the Academy Awards. New York: Continuum, 2003. Print.
Prentice, George. "The Award for Best Oscar Controversy Goes To . . . ." Boise Weekly. Boise Weekly, 12 Feb. 2014. Web. 10 Nov 2015.
Weinraub, Bernard. "Amid Protests, Elia Kazan Receives His Oscar." New York Times. New York Times. 22 Mar. 1999. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.