Controversies Ignite: Why You Can’t Miss This Year’s Oscars!

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In the 1990s, my passion for the Academy Awards waned, yet this year’s award season, marked by numerous controversies, has piqued my interest once more, and I may just watch it on Sunday.

1995 marked the year I broke my loyalty to the Oscars. Prior to this, I had been a dedicated viewer, watching all the movies that were nominated and eagerly awaiting the announcement of the winners at the grandest event in Hollywood.

1995 stood out as particularly thrilling, not only due to the British film Four Weddings and a Funeral being among the contenders, but primarily because of Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. This film ignited an explosion reminiscent of Vincent Vega’s Smith & Wesson, captivating my adolescent mind and causing quite a stir within the movie industry as well.

This movie stood out from others with its unique storytelling technique, innovative dialogue, and distinctive style. Despite some similarities to other works, it managed to be incredibly original and was hailed as the best film of the year. However, when Robert Zemeckis won the Best Director award instead of Tarantino, and Forrest Gump was chosen as Best Picture, I came to the conclusion that the awards were meaningless.

Why I broke up with the Oscars

Over the course of the following ten years, I observed inconsistencies that challenged the foundations of movie awards. The notion of Harvey Weinstein purchasing nominations was shocking, regardless of Pulp Fiction’s merit. The idea that a particular year belonged to someone, regardless of their work’s quality, seemed absurd. Furthermore, it was unfair that the ‘Best Picture’ was almost always American and predominantly in English, which I found to be unjustified.

Everywhere I turned, I saw unfairness and contradictions. This led me to understand that comparing art to sports is not appropriate, especially when evaluating films, as we already have sports for such competition.

Therefore, I chose to distance myself and feel awkward whenever I overheard someone expressing gratitude towards Weinstein, or weeping because their self-esteem hinged on the judgment of numerous spectators, or the event where Crash was awarded. Unfortunately, this led me to overlook Will Smith slapping Chris Rock, an unforgettable moment at the Oscars since David Niven’s witty remark towards a streaker (as seen in the video above), a mistake I vow not to repeat.

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Although it’s improbable that violence will occur during the 2025 ceremony, various issues are simmering from multiple angles. As the event nears in less than a week, these troubles seem far from resolving.

Emilia Pérez and those tweets 

The main controversy revolves around Emilia Pérez, a Netflix musical that sparked varying opinions among critics. This was before it was discovered that nominated actress Karla Sofia Gascón had posted numerous offensive tweets. These tweets included derogatory comments about Muslims, George Floyd, and ironically, diversity at the Oscars.

In response, Gascón offered uneasy statements that seemed to worsen the situation further. This led Netflix to take the actress out of advertising campaigns, cast members distancing themselves from the comments, and the actress conspicuously absent at the Critics Choice Awards, BAFTAs, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

It appeared that an Oscar appearance was unlikely for her, but surprisingly, Variety reported recently that Netflix will cover Gascón’s attendance costs. They are now deciding whether she will walk the red carpet or sit alongside her fellow stars. I, along with many others, am eagerly anticipating what she might say and the discussions about her.

During the award season, it wasn’t just Gascón who offered apologies. Similarly, Fernanda Torres, who was nominated for Best Actress in I’m Still Here, apologized for her past use of blackface in a television sketch back in 2008. She clarified that such a practice is never appropriate.

There’s a dispute between Gascón and Torres, as Gascón alleges that Torres’ social media team was attempting to undermine his campaign by criticizing her work during the Oscars. Perhaps you should focus on your own affairs before casting stones at others, Karla!

The Brutalist and Anora controversies explained

It has been alleged that The Brutalist, a company or system, employed voice-generation technology to create a more authentic Hungarian accent for the actors Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones in their roles.

In an attempt to assure that artificial intelligence wouldn’t impact the potential Oscar success of his film, Director Brady Corbet issued a statement clarifying that AI was employed merely to enhance the precision of specific vowel sounds and letters, while maintaining deep reverence for the artistry involved.

In the discussion, simulated sexual acts were brought up, with Sean Baker facing criticism for not employing an intimacy coach during steamy scenes in Anora. The film’s main actress, Mikey Madison, along with her co-star Mark Eydelshteyn, opted to handle it discretely, choosing to keep the number of people involved minimal.

In response, Lauren Kieli DeLeon, the intimacy coordinator, explained to Variety that such roles are essential not only for the director and main actors but for everyone involved in a movie production. As she put it, “Those with the most power on set are speaking up, but they can’t represent how every background artist experienced the film.

Why I can’t wait for these Academy Awards

This year’s Academy Awards are offering a mix of topics such as racism, robotics, and personal relationships (rumpy-pumpy), providing several intriguing reasons for me to watch, beyond the movies themselves.

Will the red-carpet interviews provide more engaging conversations than just asking “What are you wearing?”? Will the acceptance speeches address any of these ongoing issues? And how forcefully will host Conan O’Brien confront those involved in these controversies, considering they’ll be seated within his immediate proximity?

If any of these questions elicit a yes response, the 2025 Oscars might be more thrilling than the films vying for awards, marking a significant change in my anticipation over the past few decades. To discover who’s been nominated for this year’s awards, check out the complete list here, and to find where you can watch the Best Picture nominees like Conclave, Dune Part Two, A Complete Unknown, The Nickel Boys, and Wicked, including streaming details, click here.

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2025-02-26 19:53