Tonight more than a billion people are expected to tune in and watch Hollywood honor itself yet again at the 89th Academy Awards ceremony.
The Oscars is an occasion when the world’s pre-eminent artists and showmen all congregate together in designer dresses and diamonds to celebrate their ability to provide some escapism for the rest of us.
Unfortunately it is also a night when a group of thin, good-looking and unelected public figures will endeavor to inform and educate us about what we ought to think about our President.
Let me be clear. When Meryl Streep’s Golden Globe acceptance speech showed up on my Facebook feed, I was one of many to silently applaud every word. Elegant and erudite, she was charm personified, and the passion and poignancy with which this legendary actress spoke was electrifying.
Having said that, I believe she was completely in the wrong.
Regardless of what your personal opinions are – the Academy Awards is not the place for political ranting. Or to put if more succinctly: Listen Up Hollywood – We Don’t Care What You Think.
This was made abundantly clear in the recent election, when celebrities came out of the woodwork to campaign for Hillary Clinton and were met with a resounding yawn. The Fix’s Aaron Blake examined historical polling and determined that there are two camps in the world: Those who think Meryl Streep’s speech criticizing President Trump was fantastic, and those who think that unsolicited advice from Hollywood elites is basically why he won.
What’s unique about 2017 is that in year’s past it’s been rants about issues – global warming, HIV, human rights in China – but now, as we’ve seen in the run up of pre-Oscar award shows, it’s about one individual. It’s like all of Hollywood is still in shock that their candidate didn’t win. As the NY Post’s Ian Mohr wrote: “Before arriving in LA, showbiz insiders told us the town’s been devastated by Trump’s win. A source said, “You go to lunch in New York and people talk about it — but in LA, it’s the entire conversation for the entire lunch.”
Maybe it’s the fact that most of the time someone writes their words for them – and they are now presented with a live, unscripted moment to use their own voices in a room full of like-minded people that are cheering them on – but it seems to me that their sheer ego is getting the best of many stars right now.
Imagine with me, if you will, a businessman being honored with salesman of the year at his annual corporate convention somewhere in middle America and choosing the occasion to stand up at the podium and instead of graciously thanking his colleagues, instead he rants about the need for transgender bathrooms.
It would be completely inappropriate and bizarre. Which begs the question: why do actors think that their opinions are relevant to anything other than acting?
Celebrities have held a longstanding belief that because they are celebrated, overpaid, and worshipped for their success and talent, they are there to instruct and inform the rest of us on how to live yet all the while their own lifestyles remain completely out of touch.
In point of fact, a multi-millionaire like Beyonce telling me how to vote is the equivalent of Gwyneth Paltrow advising me that I need to spend $22,000 on my capsule wardrobe for fall. These individuals live incredible lives that have absolutely no bearing on my daily routine, or opinions.
For the record it’s not that I don’t agree with them on occasion– it’s just that I object to their unsolicited guidance, particularly on a night that has nothing to do with politics.
It’s depressing enough on my Facebook feed- please don’t bring it to the Oscars. I want to see beautiful people with great hair that have starved themselves for months.
I want to argue about their selection of gowns and critique their choice of accessories. I want to see nominees pretend to be happy when someone else wins. I want to watch them give a side eye to Ryan Seacrest. I want to celebrate when a favorite actor wins and yell at the TV when a performance I loved is shut out. I want this to feel like a great party I get to watch from the sidelines, not like a bad episode of The McLaughlin Group.
For sure, I am no Trump apologist. He was not my candidate. But, whatever you think, I implore you Hollywood: leave your politics out of my show business.
This year I am starting a new Twitter Hashtag in advance of tonight: #justsaythankyou.
