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When Politics and Entertainment Collide…it can be interesting. This years Oscars proves that theory

By: Ala Hussain, Editor

             “And now, winner for best actress for this year’s 2003 Oscars… Nicole Kidman!” and the crowd goes wild! That wasn’t the only excitement during the Oscars. There was more behind them… more than you think. There might’ve been excitement in the fashion, rumours, and glamour over the multitude of actors and actresses, but that wasn’t the only interesting thing at the festivity that attracted everybody’s eye.

First of all, there were many actors and actresses who won awards they well deserved. Nicole Kidman won an award for best actress, for her fabulous role in ‘the Hours’. Adrien Brody, won the best actor award for his magnificent performance in ‘The Pianist’.

But even though many of the traditions were the same, some thing’s had been specifically changed to address the concerns over the then potential Iraq conflict.  There was no famous red carpet to walk on…and there was no real spotlight, meaning that the stars didn’t even walk around to show themselves off to the public. Right when they left their limousines, they immediately entered the Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre. Fears of terrorism and a retaliation from the Muslim world reduced the Oscars to being ‘just another show’.

All of this occurred only because of the war against Iraq. Many stars didn’t come to the Oscars because of their personal opinions about the war. Many stated that, in respect for the conflict, they would like to stay home. Actually, many famous stars like Will Smith, Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth Taylor, and Jim Carrey were just some of the more prominent actors who stayed away.

 Some of those in attendance wore peace pins on their suit coats, or dresses. Daniel Day-Lewis, Susan Sarandon, Adrien Brody, and Pedro Almodovar, a Spanish director, each wore a dove-shaped symbol. Even the dress code for some actresses was based on the war. But they still did look mighty glamorous. Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, and Jennifer Connelly all wore black dresses in respect of the conflict. Many of the stars also brought in posters and signs to represent their opinion on the war and their support of President Bush’s decision to invade Iraq.

Sadly, that wasn’t the only major difference during these Oscars. Many of the actors and actresses decided to use their ‘moment in the spotlight’ to share their personal views on the war. In his speech, Adrien Brody said, “Whether you believe in God or Allah, may He watch over you and let’s pray for a peaceful and swift resolution.” A quote many of us were inspired by.  

          Others said similar things to and gave their opinions on how we should have peace in the world, etc. But the most interesting, yet the one most outspoken against the war was the speech of Michael Moore, the award winning director of  ‘ Bowling for Columbine’. Surprisingly, many of the people in the audience agreed with him. This is how his speech went: 

“ We live in the time where we had fictitious election results that elect a fictitious president. We live in a time where we have a man who’s sending us to war for fictitious reasons, whether it’s the fiction of duct tape or the fiction of orange alerts.”

While he was saying his inspiring speech, an orchestra started playing to encourage him to stop, and yet he continued on as if nothing had happened. He continued: “ We are against this war, Mr. Bush. Shame on you, Mr. Bush. Shame on you.”  

Many in the audience, somewhat shocked and silent at first, began to boo. And while there was some applause, many stars, considerate of how their fans would interpret their actions, kept their reactions to Moore’s speech to themselves. Outside the theatre though, many Americans agreed with him. They liked his speech so much, that when he went to the airport, many people stopped where they were, and began to applaud.

Through the 75 years of Oscars, there have been many different highlights and memorable moments. This last show will go down in history as one of them. When politics and entertainment collide, it can make for an interesting show.  This years Oscars was an example of this, and it was an experience that will be hard to forget.