In 1978, Paddy Chayefsky took to the stage at the Oscars and condemned the use of the ceremony as a political platform. What made him so mad? Vanessa Redgrave, wherein she called out the “Zionist hoodlums” who were trying to have her documentary The Palestinian silenced and destroyed: [video at link]
The brilliant screenwriter of Network did not hold back: [video at link]
48 million people watched that episode. This year, the Oscars will be lucky to get 20 million. What might help is that a popular movie is in play: Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which made waves for breaking the record for nominations (16) and for having two of the stars, Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, called the N-Word at the BAFTAs by a poor man who suffered from Tourette's Syndrome.
No writer today could ever come up with satire that good. The very people who try their hardest not to offend end up offending, and yet, it’s no one’s fault. Either way, it put Sinners in the spotlight, leading to a surprise win at the SAG Awards. Now, an Oscar race that seemed locked and loaded feels surprising.
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