Only one "woke" at a time

by Deborah Lipp

One of Oscar's best moments. Iranian-American engineer Anousheh Ansari accepting on behalf of protesting Asghar Farhadi

If I may use this year’s vernacular, Oscars are woke. Except, well, they can only be woke about one thing at a time. Last year after the Oscars, I wrote about the powerful “spotlight” (see what I did there?) the Oscars brought to the issue of rape and sexual violence. And I’m going to acknowledge, that yes, that was amazing. 

But rape is so last year.

This year was all about diversity and inclusion. Those are wonderful topics, those are topics that matter to me. The diversity was beautiful to see. The powerful immigrant voices—from Iran, Mexico, and Italy, among other nations—moved me. It was important that people of color were not merely supporting characters—even though the winners were in the Supporting categories, they supported other people of color...

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Tweetweek: The Oscars are Coming! The Oscars are Coming!

People get soooo crazy this time of year when Oscar anticipation (and predictable backlashes) reaches its peak. Seriously, people have lost their minds in the countdown to La La Land's triumph. One article this week even proclaimed it a fascist film. HAHAHA. Oh Oscar season. Never stop bringing the insanity.

So The Film Experience has no choice but to endorses this Tweet as TWEET OF THE WEEK -- it's such a perfect satirical jab at the madness. (More of the best tweets of the week, most of them Oscar focused, are after the jump...) 

Just saw La La Land mugging an old lady in an alleyway.

— Tom Reagan's Hat (@andymannion777) February 25, 2017

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Joint Statement from Best Foreign Language Film Directors

The nominated directors from this year's Best Foreign Language Film nominees (Land of Mine, A Man Called Ove, The Salesman, Toni Erdmann, and Tanna) have released a joint statement about the Oscars, human rights, and the growing climate of nationalism around the world. It's a must read.

They write...

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Director Richard Linklater Fights Against Anti-Transgender Bathroom Bills With PSA

If you thought the gorgeous cadre of jocks in Everybody Wants Some!! was the extent of what Texan ally Richard Linklater had to offer in all things LGBT this past year, be sure to take a look at his recent PSA: "Taking A Seat, Making A Stand." Acting in solidarity with the transgender community, he steps up his game with his most recent project in a major way. Linklater teamed up with the I Pee With LGBT campaign to produce this bright and sharp comic short in response to the anti-transgender bathroom bill that’s currently awaiting a vote in the Texas legislature – S.B. 6, for those keeping track of the insidious discrimination measures spreading across America’s statehouses. As President Trump reverses course on establishing federal protections for transgender minors, this urgent, inclusively common sense message speaks to our shared humanity in the face of hate, and deserves to be loudly repeated more and more by the day.

What role do you think players in the motion picture industry should take within the climate of today’s increasingly omnipresent political landscape?

Tweetweek

In awards season, if an A- beats an A+, the A- is automatically an F

— Sam Coffey (@SamRS72) February 13, 2017

Five days left of Oscar voting. pic.twitter.com/OpJcQjGiMS

— Rebecca Keegan (@ThatRebecca) February 16, 2017

More truths and amusements and curiousities after the jump including Viola Davis, La La Land, Isabelle & Viggo, Kate McKinnon, and the perfect deployment of Tilda Swinton...

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