Do the Oscars care who won the presidency?
As the country recovers from the emotional rollercoaster of the 2024 presidential election, Hollywood will be coping with this charged political atmosphere at events throughout awards season. And that could determine the movies that the Oscars choose to elevate. After all, the Academy Awards have a long history of reflecting or commenting on the nation’s political zeitgeist, sometimes defiant, other times conciliatory.
In 2016, the Academy’s selection of “Moonlight” over the presumed frontrunner, “La La Land,” was widely seen as a symbolic rejection of the divisive rhetoric that defined Donald Trump’s win. “Moonlight,” a poignant exploration of a young Black man’s sexuality, stood in stark contrast to Trump’s controversial policies. His “Muslim ban” would be rebutted by two other honors bestowed in that…
