Juan Cole: In New Gilded Age, Social Protest dominates Academy Awards Ceremony

[marmar]

Last edited Mon Feb 23, 2015, 02:44 PM - Edit history (1)

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) –

If social and economic inequality were a mine, and if America were deep in this mine with a canary in tow, the canary would long since have expired. Some 400 billionaires have more wealth than the bottom half of Americans. We lived through a year of dramatic incidents underscoring the continued second-class citizenship of African-Americans. Women still don’t make as much for the same work as their male counterparts and their right to choice and control over their own bodies has been de facto curtailed by theocratic state legislatures. Gay people still face prejudice and resistance to same sex marriage rights.

The committed artists honored at the 87th Academy Awards took advantage of their bully pulpits to make an amazing series of eloquent statements on behalf of minorities and the discriminated-against. Referring to the controversy over the all-white nominees in acting categories, host Neil Patrick Harris quipped at the opening, ““Tonight we honor Hollywood’s best and whitest — I mean brightest.” For all this hoopla about the overwhelmingly white, elderly and male character of the Academy voting members, however, the stage they provided to honorees was the scene of many poignant pleas for equality and decency.

Graham Moore won for his screenplay for “Imitation Game” (the story of how Alan Turing broke the Nazis’ communication code during World War II, saving countless Allied lives). Turing was later arrested for being gay and sentenced to two years of hormone treatment, which probably led to his suicide. Moore in his acceptance speech spoke of having been treated as the weird kid when young, and revealed that he had tried to commit suicide at age 16. He said:

“Here’s the thing. Alan Turing never got to stand on a stage like this and look out at all of these disconcertingly attractive faces. I do! And that’s the most unfair thing I’ve ever heard. So in this brief time here, what I wanted to do was say this: When I was 16 years old, I tried to kill myself because I felt weird and I felt different , and I felt like I did not belong. And now I’m standing here… and so I would like this moment to be for this kid out there who feels like she’s weird or she’s different or she doesn’t fit in anywhere. Yes, you do. I promise you do. Stay weird, stay different and then, when it’s your turn, and you are standing on this stage, please pass the same message to the next person who comes along. Thank you so much!”

...................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.juancole.com/2015/02/dominates-academy-ceremony.html

[merrily]

1. "Dominates" Okay.

What there was was welcome, though.

[bemildred]

2. Turing was a fair peer for Einstein, and a great loss that he died so young.

I get pissed off every time I think about it.

[malaise]

3. The best part was that they actually stopped the music and let people talk

That was great

[navarth]

4. 'Stay weird, stay different'

...sounds like a really great guy.

[YOHABLO]

17. Conservatives hate those who have imaginations. They want a world of Mediocracy.

[marym625]

5. It was a great speech

So great that he said it. I hope that the kids feeling hopeless and alone looked at the stage and saw what life could bring for them.

[HomerRamone]

6. um, it's Neil Patrick HARRIS nt

[MarianJack]

7. Neil Patrick Harris, who is...

...a proud, out and happy gay man!

PEACE!

[fasttense]

8. I wonder if Ancient Roman art was filled with social protest as they watched their

wealthy reach levels of excess never seen before. As they watched the Colosseum fill with the blood of slaves, criminals and rare animals did they scream for justice in their art and entertainment? As the barbarians were attacking Rome, did the few remaining citizens realize how unjust and sick their society had become? Did the huge number of Roman slaves applaud the barbarian's attacks or shudder as their society founded on slavery fell apart?

Too often we know way too much about the uber rich of fallen civilizations but hardly anything of the weakest among them.

[Aristus]

14. Despite the popularity of gladiatorial games, wild animal hunts, and prisoner execution by wild

animals, these events were publicly denounced in their own day. Seneca, foremost, expressed disgust for them. He was a widely known and respected figure.

[fasttense]

24. Hmm, I didn't know that

Thanks for the info. The title of this article kind of implied that all failing empires displayed social justice in their art and entertainment.

[appalachiablue]

22. Spartacus (111-71 BC)

[angrychair]

9. for what its worth

I appreciate the messages, I do. I appreciate the world stage they were spoke on. I do. Listening to a bunch of millionaires, that make more in one movie than most in a lifetime, for a movie that most can never afford to see in a theater, paying lip service while up on a stage, its hard to take serious.

[Moonwalk]

12. For what it's worth...

...many of those speakers were not millionaires, they were movie-makers on a tight budget, making independent films or documentaries, and those involved were hardly paid enormous salaries if they were paid at all. I remember one winner from a few years back remarking that the dress she was wearing (thousands of dollars) was worth more than the budget of the film she worked so hard and long to make. So, clearly, she wasn't one of those bunch of millionaires playing lip service while up on that stage.

Note: I'm not contradicting that the ceremony is dominated by the outrageously famous and wealthy. But I am saying that it DOES offer little people with important words and causes a chance to get their message out to a huge number of listeners. This thanks to smaller categories like short documentary and best adapted screenplay. In the case of adapted screenplay, I seriously doubt the writer was or is a millionaire or was paid a huge salary.

It is fortunate that this was the year of independent films. And just to add, there are those who become wealthy who do not forget their lean-and-hungry days or where they came from. Their speeches regarding such are hardly made moot by the fact of their current wealth. If that was so, then there's be no reason to listen to President Obama or Michelle Obama. They're wealthy now...but they weren't, once, and we know we can trust their words on important matters thanks to that past. That it's not just lip-service.

So. Academy awards grossly lopsided with a lot of lip-service? Absolutely. But entirely? Not so much.

[shaayecanaan]

13. That was Breathing Lessons, the documentary winner from 1996...

so a long time ago, and in one of the less favoured categories.

[Moonwalk]

18. I guess her statement really stuck with me if I thought it was recent....

[shaayecanaan]

20. it stuck with me as well

because it was in such sharp contrast to what was otherwise a backslapping celebration of schamltzy self congratulation by a bunch of overly monied shit eaters.

[appalachiablue]

23. Not hard to take serious, but truly inspiring & effective. And it reached millions of happy people.

[sabrina 1]

10. Graham Moore's speech was amazing, it brought tears to my eyes.

And I agree with Juan Cole, the Oscar's this year were worth watching though before they began I didn't expect them to be.

[awoke_in_2003]

16. I never watch them, but the wife does...

I was in the living room surfing, and heard this and Arquette's acceptance. I was glad I did.

[Doctor_J]

11. liberals and activists have almost no access to media these days

This is an annual opportunity to make a little statement

[appalachiablue]

15. So true, excellent point.

[YOHABLO]

19. Always hating the 'other'. Have we not come very far? Sometimes yes, many times no.

[Myrina]

21. plethora of knuckledraggers pissed Sniper didn't win

"It should have won to honor our veterans".

WTH? Isn't every sporting event, every holiday, every newscast about "honoring our veterans" nowadays? Why should a celebration of film and artistry be made into another military propaganda event?

SMDH.