By Kelyn Struiksma
As always the Academy Awards is filled with designer gowns, breathtaking performances and the recognition of the year’s best films. My favorite moment of the night was when Eddie Redmayne, winner of Best Actor for his role in “The Imitation Game,” welcomed the Oscar or as he likes to call it, “another fella” into his apartment.
Along with the cute moments like Redmayne’s, other acceptance speeches brought attention to major issues.
Feminism
Patricia Arquette, winner of Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Boyhood,” discussed the issue of equal pay for women during her acceptance speech and said: “To every woman who gave birth to every taxpayer and citizen of this equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America.”
With Arquette’s announcement, Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lopez were instantly two of her biggest supporters.
Also focusing on the idea of feminism was Reese Witherspoon. Witherspoon unknowingly created the Twitter hashtag #AskHerMore on the red carpet with her comment focusing media attention on the value of women and their accomplishments, rather than what designer they are wearing.
Racial injustice
John Legend and Common stood up for the racial injustice that still exists in America today decades after the Selma movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. Both Legend and Common emphasized racial issues within the prisons as there are still voting discrepancies. The two won Best Original Song for their song “Glory” featured in Ava DuVernay’s “Selma.”
“We know that the Voting Rights Act that they fought for 50 years ago is being compromised right now in this country today,” said Legend in his speech upon winning the Oscar. “We know that right now, the struggle for freedom and justice is real. We live in the most incarcerated country in the world. There are more black men under correctional control today then were under slavery in 1850.”
Immigration
In announcing the award for the Best Picture, Sean Penn made a spur of the moment “joke” about Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu, director of “Birdman,” questioning the status of his green card. As this definitely crossed the line, Penn’s comment received instant criticism, primarily through Twitter, and now is an issue which is increasingly attracting the attention of Americans.
Iñarritu, responded: “I want to dedicate this award for my fellow Mexicans, the ones who live in Mexico. I pray that we can build the government that we deserve. And the ones living in this country who are part of the latest generation of immigrants in this country, I just pray that they can be treated with the same dignity and respect of the ones who come before and built this incredible nation.”
Suicide
The Best Documentary Short Award went to “Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1” which brought attention to the veterans who commit suicide after their service.
Dana Perry, who accepted the Oscar on behalf of the film, said: “I want to dedicate this to my son Evan Perry, we lost him to suicide, we should talk about suicide out loud.”
Along with Perry, Graham Moore, winner of Best Adapted Screenplay for “The Imitation Game,” announced in his acceptance speech how he struggled with the idea of suicide as a young teenager and encouraged for kids to “stay weird, stay different.”
Moore stated: “I would like this moment to be for that kid out there who feels like she is weird, or she is different or that she doesn’t fit in anywhere. Yes you do. I promise you do. You do. Stay weird, stay different and then when it is your turn and you are standing on this stage please pass the same message along.”
The Oscars are meant to be a night that gives attention to stories, individuals and their accomplishments over the past year in the film industry. The minute of recognition of an individual is not necessarily an invitation to promote one’s own political agenda. The night is supposed to be meant to reward, rather than challenge American policies.
However, more so than the time and place of the statements, I commend the men and women who stood up and started these difficult conversations at the Oscars. Twitter engaged the younger generation to respond and consider their own responses to these different topics. Although I don’t believe it is necessary for the Academy Awards to be the platform for personal opinion, it is okay that the it becomes something more meaningful than than awards and designer clothes.