By: Keilany Ligons
If you watched the 94th Academy Awards over the weekend – or even if you didn’t – you know that there was a lot going on. History was made, reunions occurred, and faces were slapped. With all the good, bad, and just plain weird, this was definitely a show that will be remembered for a long time.
Red Carpet Looks
The Oscars Red Carpet has seen some of the best style moments in history, and this year the looks definitely delivered. Reds, pastels, sequins, and ruffles were some of the many trends followed on the Red Carpet this year. Many celebrities were seen wearing big brand designs, and while the taste of each outfit can be debated, everyone who walked the carpet stood out with their looks.
Historical Wins
From Ariana Debose being the first Afro-Latina to “CODA”, several people and films made their mark in Oscar history. This year’s show also saw the third woman to win Best Directing, the first Japanese film to be nominated for Best Picture, the first deaf actor to win Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and the fifth Black actor to win Best Actor in a Leading Role.
We Don’t Talk About Bruno Performance
The cast of Disney’s “Encanto” performed the film’s hit song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”. The performance was introduced by John Leguizamo, who voiced Bruno in the movie. The performance consisted of bright colors and several dancers on stage with unique and detailed outfits. The cast was joined in their performance by Megan Thee Stallion, Becky G, and Luis Fonsi as the song’s lyrics changed up a bit after the first verse. The performance got many mixed reviews. While many people really enjoyed the small change of style in the performance, others found the change odd and messy.
Rachel Zegler Made It!
Days before the Oscars, Rachel Zegler, who played Maria in the new “West Side Story” adaptation, announced on Twitter that she was not invited to the ceremony despite the film being nominated for seven categories. This most likely was due to the reduced seating this year to promote social distancing. Since the first people to get invites are individual nominees, Zegler was most likely not a top priority since she had no individual nominations. However, her lack of a ticket caused some shock on the internet as people were angry with the Academy for not inviting her. About a day later, Rachel received a last-minute invite to the ceremony as a presenter.
Zendaya Was There
Her presence alone is a highlight.
Beyoncé’s Opening Performance
Venus and Serena Williams started up the show by introducing Beyoncé’s performance of the nominated song “Be Alive” from the movie “King Richard”, which was also up for nomination. The performance consisted of several dancers with braided and beaded hair – a reference to the movie – and beautiful bright colored dresses reminiscent of a tennis ball. The performance gave different shots from different angles to give the audience a view of everything that is going on around Beyoncé as she performs. Her oldest daughter, Blue Ivy, made an appearance in the performance as well.
The Slap Heard Around The World
What kind of article would this be if this wasn’t mentioned? Chris Rock came onto the stage to present an award and, as most comedians do at the ceremony, made some jokes about the people in the front row. During this, he made a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s shaved head, referencing it to a G.I. Jane sequel. While the joke may have seemed completely harmless, Jada has been publicly open about her alopecia, so the joke seemed insensitive to some people. The camera then panned to Will and Jada. While Jada didn’t look happy about the joke, Will was laughing. The camera went back onto Rock as he tried to continue, and that’s when Will walked onto the stage, slapped him, and went back to his seat.
In the American broadcast, the sound got cut off after this, but broadcasts from other countries showed Will yelling “keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth”. After the initial shock, Chris continued to announce the nominees. There was lots of discourse over the altercation. Some people think the joke was wrong and the slap was deserved, some thought the slap was unnecessary or that the joke could have been handled off-camera, and others are somewhat in between. Since then, the Academy has discussed taking the award Will won that night, but he later admitted that his actions took away from the other winners that night, and announced that he would be resigning his membership from the academy.
beniciapaw.com 