As dangerous wildfires have devastated neighborhoods across Los Angeles, an incendiary debate has raged on the edge of the firefighting lines: Should the Oscars be canceled this year?
While celebrities like Stephen King, Jean Smart and Rosanna Arquette have expressed concerns about whether and how the ceremony should move forward with fires still burning, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has taken a strong stance: the show should continue.
Earlier this week, the organization said that despite some calls to roll out the red carpet, it was determined to keep the Oscars on track on Sunday, March 2 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.
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“After consultation with ABC, our board and other key stakeholders in the Los Angeles and film communities, we have made the carefully considered decision to proceed with the 97th Academy Awards as scheduled on March 2,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer. Los Angeles Times in a statement published on January 15.
So far, thousands of structures have been destroyed and at least 27 people have died as a result of fires in Altadena, Malibu and Pacific Palisades. Focusing on a ceremony that puts the spotlight on wealthy stars and the “glitter” of the red carpet could potentially be seen as tone deaf, some celebrities have argued.
On Bluesky, King posted that he is “not voting for the Oscars this year. [In my honest opinion] they should cancel them. No glitter now that Los Angeles is on fire.”
In this case, however, those fires have affected many of the people the ceremony is meant to celebrate – and not just the wealthy.
Recognizing this, Kramer added, “We believe we must move forward to support our filmmaking community and use our global platform to draw attention to these critical moments in our history.”
Considering the economic hit Hollywood has taken over the past five years — from a global pandemic that saw theaters close to a double strike by writers and actors and halted production on countless films and TV shows — everyone from A-listers to production assistants and “gig” workers have felt the financial strain.
Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times argued that going ahead with the ceremony would not only show support for blockbuster and indie films being recognized, but would also provide an economic boost to those who are essential to Hollywood, but who typically also none in the spotlight – think Carolina from the craft services who got a shout-out The penguin actor Colin Farrell in his Golden Globes acceptance speech.
“The fires are just the latest blow for many who are already struggling to find work, pay the rent and feed the children,” she wrote, noting that around 1,000 people are needed “not including presenters and guests.” to make the Academy Awards happen.
Not only that, but the Oscars have never missed a year — not even during World War II or after September 11 — although they have been postponed or rescheduled at various points in their 94-year history.
That does not mean that everything will be ‘business as usual’ during the festivities.
Kramer also noted that, like the Grammy Awards, which are still going ahead with the ceremony on February 2 at the Crypto.com Arena in LA, this year’s awards show will honor first responders and “will feature special moments honoring those who fought so bravely against the forest fires.”
While planning for the event is still in the works, with the academy “closely monitoring the situation” and Conan O’Brien still set to host, celebrities like Arquette and Hacking star Smart is asking organizers to donate or raise money for those displaced by the fires, with Smart going a step further.
Smart called on the academy (which includes a board of directors, four of whom and a former CEO lost their homes to the fires) to halt broadcasting altogether, saying in an Instagram post: “I hope that all networks that broadcasting the upcoming awards will seriously consider NOT airing them on television and donating the revenue they would have collected to the victims of the fires and the firefighters.
Some commentators pointed out that televising the ceremony would generate crucial advertising dollars that could go to the victims. Others noted how people who rely on these ceremonies to make a living could suffer.
“Awards season provides essential work for so many: makeup artists, drivers, stylists, riggers and countless others behind the scenes. Instead of canceling these events, perhaps we can find ways to both raise money and awareness while keeping the industry going,” makeup artist Benjamin Puckey wrote in a comment on the post.
Similarly, Arquette wrote on Instagram that the Oscars should be turned into the “world’s largest telethon,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The Recording Academy has already committed to raising money during the Grammy telecast, in addition to its initial $1 million donation to fire relief.
Although the academy has already postponed the announcement of the Oscar nominations and canceled the annual nominee luncheon (with those funds instead being donated to wildfire relief), the show itself is reportedly moving forward, with multiple fundraising appeals in Los Angeles and beyond.
What Hollywood is often criticized for – its glamorous celebration of movies and TV – is probably part of what this city is enduring right now. Celebrating an industry that will pump about $43 billion into California’s economy by 2023, some argue, shows the continued commitment to a vital local resource.
For Kramer and many others, it is also about steadfastness. The “spirit of Los Angeles and our film community has always been one of resilience,” he said in the statement, “and the Oscars represent not only a celebration of film, but the strength and unity of the industry in the face of adversity .”