Oscars Get Political With Donald Trump Jokes, Times Up And Me Too Movements At Academy Awards

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The 2018 Oscars had political undertones on Sunday. The Academy Awards included jokes about Donald Trump, as well references to the Times Up and Me Too movements. Gossip Cop has a recap below.

The politically-charged atmosphere began on the red carpet, where Ashley Judd, Salma Hayek and more stars spoke about #TimesUp and #MeToo. Judd brought Mira Sorvino as her date, several months after both women went public with allegations against disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein. “Finally, the world is able to hear,” Judd said in an interview with ABC.

In host Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue, he called Weinstein out by name, and stressed, “We can’t let bad behavior slide anymore. The world is watching us. We need to set an example.” In addition to #TimesUp and #MeToo, he specifically referenced the #NeverAgain campaign that arose in the wake of the Parkland shooting. Kimmel also made mention of the upcoming March For Our Lives, welcoming winners to use their acceptance speeches to encourage participation in the event.

The opening also included direct jabs at President Trump and even Vice President Mike Pence. When discussing Get Out, Kimmel cracked “no other than President Trump called Get Out the best first three-quarters of a movie this year.” And then in regards to Call Me By Your Name, Kimmel said the film was an example of a “movie made to upset Mike Pence.” A short time later in the broadcast, the emcee alluded to the “reality” of the last two years, and said there should always be hope in times of darkness. “Except at the White House. Hope quit on Wednesday,” Kimmel quipped, referring to communicators director Hope Hicks.

Immediately after, Greta Gerwig came out to present Documentary Feature, and seemed to be taking a stand against fake news as she emphasized the importance of “what is real, what is authentic and what is fake.” When Icarus, which is about a Russian-involved doping scandal then won, Kimmel declared, “At least we now know Putin didn’t rig this competition.” Before presenting Production Design, Lupita Nyong’o noted that “dreams are the foundation of America.” That led co-presenter Kumail Nanjiani declare, “To all the Dreamers out there, we stand with you.” Keep checking back as Gossip Cop will be updating this post throughout the ceremony.