Many consider the 2018 Oscars significantly more successful than the year prior, though not just because the winner of the best picture award was not incorrectly announced this year. The 2018 Academy Awards were already that much more of a success than the 2017 Academy Awards for this reason, but the real reason this year’s award ceremony stood out was because of the social issues addressed at the Oscars.
The 2018 Oscars went along with the plethora of other award shows this year, where celebrities used the power of their voices and national television to discuss many controversial, political topics.
In Jimmy Kimmel‘s opening monologue, the late night talk show host touched on sexual harassment in Hollywood.
Kimmel made light of a serious situation by adding some sarcastic humor to the matter.
“We need to set an example,” Kimmel said, “And the truth is if we are successful here, if we can work together to stop sexual harassment in the workplace, if we can do that, women will only have to deal with harassment all the time at every other place they go.”
Jamie Wurtenberg, an early education and special education major at Cabrini University, was especially impacted by Kimmel’s opening monologue.
“We have seen a lot of females in Hollywood stand up and speak out against sexual harassment in the work place,” Wurtenberg said. “It was nice to see a male in Hollywood use the power of the Oscars to touch on the subject.”
Before the award for best actress in a supporting role was presented, a medley of classic film moments where women characters felt extreme fury was played.
The montage of movie clips represented the outrage that women, both in and out of Hollywood, feel towards the rest of the world right now.
Allison Janney ended up winning the award for best actress in a supporting role for her role as LaVona Harding in “I, Tonya.”
Janney, with irony but also with impact, began her acceptance speech with: “I did it all by myself.”
Additionally, there was Frances McDormand’s iconic acceptance speech after she was awarded best actress in a leading role for her role as Mildred Hayes in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.“
McDormand’s acceptance speech pumped up the rest of the audience, as she invited all of the evening’s female nominees to stand up with her.
After all of the female nominees in the room were standing, McDormand said, “Look around, ladies and gentlemen, because we all have stories to tell and projects we need financed. Don’t talk to us about it at the parties tonight; invite us into your office in a couple days— or you can come to ours, whichever suits you best— and we’ll tell you all about them.”
Allison Risell, an early education and special education major at Cabrini, was extremely moved by McDormand’s acceptance speech.
“Her acceptance speech was so incredibly inspirational to me,” Risell said. “The time has come in our society for women to start standing up for themselves and what they believe in. McDormand did just that.”
Nick Louis, an exercise science major at Cabrini, did not watch the Academy Awards this year; although, Louis was pleased after hearing about the issues discussed at this years Oscars.
“I did not have the opportunity to watch the Oscars this year,” Louis said. “I do admire the fact that celebrities are using events like the Oscars to bring awareness to different controversial subject matters.”
