The incident that led Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars ceremony it marked an embarrassing milestone in the history of the event. But it wasn’t the only low point of a celebration that showed the show’s format is beginning to look worn.
Whether due to the fact that apparently the Oscar award lost the ability to captivate the audience, or because your target audience has become more demanding. The truth is that the award ceremony has become a series of errors in structure, logistics and an increasingly confusing approach. Also, a measure of the inability of the great guilds to attract a captive public to their different celebrations.
If a few months ago the Golden Globe was a failure on several levels, the Oscar ended up showing that the industry loses power. It does so in the important and significant aspect of its influence over younger generations, new technologies and more powerful platforms. With its antiquated air and regulations unable to adapt to new demands and complex limits, the Academy must face the future.
All this was evident during his Oscar award ceremony, which should demonstrate the strength of the industry after the pandemic break. But not only was he not able to create a celebration to match, but he collapsed in the middle of all kinds of problems. Some more obvious than others, the most visible, already part of the history of cinema.
For better or for worse, the most recent Academy Awards ceremony marks a path. one in which the institution must rectify or simply disappear in the long journey of transformation of cinema.
What were the most questionable and hard points of the ceremony? Certainly the following:
The ignoring of the technical area of the film industry
In the interest of saving time and making the ceremony shorter, several of the award’s technical categories were handed out off-camera. But also, before the ceremony, in a kind of prologue outside the show and without much importance. The eight categories included everything from editing, makeup and hair, to animated short film.
The decision caused unrest in several talent teams. Criticism included a statement from the influential International Alliance of Theatrical Stage, Moving Image Technicians, Artists and Allied Trades Employees (IATSE). “Due to the nature of our work, we receive little recognition despite being the backbone of each production,” he explained. IATSE in a declaration.
The protest reached its highest and most complicated point with the absence of Hans Zimmer. The legendary composer, author of several of the historical film soundtracks, did not attend the event. In the end, the artist thanked the recognition through his official Twitter account.
The other joke in bad taste at the Oscars
If the altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock captured all eyes, it was not the most serious of the night. Amy Schumer, one of the presenters, starred an embarrassing moment that included two nominees.
During one of her brief humorous monologues, the actress and comedian approached the couple formed by Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst. In a mocking tone, she began to explain about the attendees at the ceremony “who are only there to fill seats.”
Then he took Dunst by the hand and pulled her to her feet, settling down next to Plemons. The latter, surprised, ended up reminding him out loud that the actress from the power of the dog it was his wife. Undeterred, Schummer responded, “Are you married to a seat stuffer? That’s weird”. The tense moment was reported by influencer Greg Prince on official Twitter account.
Beyoncé’s pre-recorded show
For the 2022 Oscars ceremony, one of the producers’ goals was to “bring the audience closer to the show.” However, the opening show of the night included a pre-recorded video with one of the songs nominated for the award.
It was about be alive by Beyonce, who performed the song on a complicated set that imitated a tennis court. A discordant note with the rest of the presentations, live and in fact, as part of the central show.
Humor, disorganization and chaos
This year, despite the producers’ attempts to make a fresher, shorter and more fun gala, the ceremony was uncomfortable and full of tense moments. Hosts Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall kicked off the event, with a quick joke about Hollywood pay inequality.
The darkly humorous moment was well received, if not as well received, with some of the direct poking fun at celebrities, their private lives, and the contending movies. Also, there were technical problems in the presentation of the song “No Se Habla de Bruno” performed by Becky G, Luis Fonsi and Megan Thee Stallion.
In the end, what might seem to be the result of spontaneity seemed closer to improvisation.
The discussion between Chris Rock and Will Smith, the icing on the Oscars
The hardest moment of the night was the altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock, when the comedian joked about Jada Pinkett’s appearance. It was an uncontrollable situation, which also showed that the Oscar ceremony lacks the means to control unforeseeable situations.
Later, the Academy issued a terse and inconclusive statement “condemning the violence” but without naming those involved. However, he did not explain if he will take action about what happened or there will be significant changes in the security of the event.