Hollywood seized the microphone at Sunday’s Oscars and wasn’t shy about its passions, sprinkling political moments throughout a show that included anti-gun and pro-immigration references, as well as mocking the president’s Twitter habits.
Hollywood seized the microphone at Sunday’s Oscars and wasn’t shy about its passions, sprinkling political moments throughout a show that included anti-gun and pro-immigration references, as well as mocking the president’s Twitter habits.
Rapper Common singled out the National Rifle Association, immigrants, women’s rights and the movement to prevent gun violence during a performance of his Oscar-nominated song.
His rap led into Andra Day’s singing of « Stand Up for Something, » co-written with Diane Warren for the movie « Marshall. »
Common, an Oscar winner in 2015, also took aim at President Donald Trump.
« These days we dance between love and hate, » he rapped on Sunday night. « A president that chose with hate, he don’t control our fate. Because God is great, when they go low we stay in the heights. I stand for peace, love and women’s rights. »
The performance began with Common, dressed entirely in black, in the spotlight speaking lyrics before giving way to Day.
« Tell the NRA they in God’s way, and to the people of Parkland we say Ase, » Common rapped, referencing the recent mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida. Ase is a West African philosophy that means to make things happen and produce change.
He also offered up « sentiments of love for the people from « Africa, Haiti to Puerto Rico. »
Common and Day were joined onstage by 10 men and women, including Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors; #MeToo movement founder Tarana Burke; 8-year-old Syrian refugee Bana Alabed; 87-year-old Delores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America; and Nicole Hockley, mother of Dylan Hockley, who was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting.
The song later lost in the original song category to « Remember Me » from « Coco. »
During his show-opening monologue, host Jimmy Kimmel aimed some barbs toward the nation’s capital.
Noting the big box office returns for the African-American actor-led « Black Panther, » Kimmel cited the smaller best-picture nominee « Call Me By Your Name, » a gay coming-of-age film.
« We don’t make films like ‘Call Me By Your Name’ to make money, » he said. « We make them to upset Mike Pence. »
He also noted that Lupita Nyong’o was born in Mexico and raised in Kenya. « Let the tweetstorm from the president’s toilet begin! » Kimmel said.
Kimmel kept up the political jabs before introducing the presenters for documentary feature.
« Tonight’s nominated documentaries show us that where there is darkness, there is also hope, » he said. « Except at the White House. Hope quit on Wednesday. »
White House communications director Hope Hicks, a close confidante of Trump, abruptly resigned.
After « Icarus, » the documentary that explored doping in sports, especially in Russia, won the Oscar, Kimmel quipped: « Now at least we know Putin didn’t rig this competition, right? »
