Everyone loves the Oscars. Here in India, we may be over 13,000 kilometers away from the Academy Awards stage, but it’s amazing how the things that unfold on that lit up dais can affect our lives.
There was a time when the Oscars was just about giving you a brand new ‘Movies To Watch’ list every February-March. Today, it is about a lot more than that.
The Oscars marked the end of a year that saw Hollywood deal with harsh truths about its seedy underbelly, via that #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. It was expected, then, that the Oscars would see strong representation and themes on the movements.
In a powerful movement, Ashley Judd, Salma Hayek and Annabella Sciorra — three women who alleged sexual misconduct at the hands of Harvey Weinstein — addressed the audience. Ashley Judd said she hoped that the coming 90 years of the Academy Awards will "empower these limitless possibilities of equality, diversity inclusivity, intersectionality — that's what this year has promised us."
In a fitting move, the Best Actor (male) category was announced first this year – in a break from Academy Awards tradition.
Frances McDormand won the award for the Best Actor (female) for her performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The house rose in standing ovation when she ended her speech.
And now I want to get some perspective. If I may be so honoured to have all the female nominees in every category stand with me in this room tonight, the actors – Meryl, if you do it, everybody else will, c’mon – the filmmakers, the producers, the directors, the writers, the cinematographer, the composers, the songwriters, the designers. C’mon! Okay, look around everybody. 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, whatever suits you best, and we’ll tell you all about them.Frances McDormand
“I have two words to leave with you tonight, ladies and gentlemen: inclusion rider,” she concluded.
What Is ‘Inclusion Rider’?
The New York Times, quotes Stacy Smith, who researches gender equality in film and television at the University of Southern California, as saying that inclusion rider is “the idea that A-list actors have the ability to stipulate in their contracts that diversity be reflected both onscreen and in “below the line” positions, where women, people of color, and members of LGBT communities are traditionally underrepresented”.
This doesn’t just mean more lead roles, but a conscious push towards reflecting the reality of the world on screen. Fifty percent of the world’s population comprises women, so why shouldn’t the movies reflect the same?
(Hey there, lady! What makes you laugh? Do you laugh at sexism, patriarchy, and misogyny? Do 'sanskaari' stereotypes crack you up? This Women's Day, join The Quint's Ab Laugh Naari campaign. Pick up that beer, say cheers, and send us photographs or videos of you laughing out loud at buriladki@thequint.com.)