After last year’s ceremony deeply influenced by the Trump era, and this year’s awards circuit being completely characterised by Time’s Up and MeToo, the run up to the Oscars has prompted the usual ‘I don’t want your politics’, ‘awards shows shouldn’t be political’, and the general notion that those in the film industry shouldn’t be allowed political views, and definitely shouldn’t bring them up in acceptance speeches.

I completely disagree with those cries. Yes, awards shows are there as a celebration of cinema, and thus a focus on film should be the main part of it. The thing is, most films are made because people have something to say. Art is often a reflection and/or comment on the world that we live in, designed to make you think, or to inform you about certain issues and perspectives. Ergo, if filmmakers have used their voice for a cause in their films, they are likely going to, and have every right to, use an event highlighting their work to further put across their message.

The Oscars is also such a huge platform. 2017’s ceremony brought in about 33 million viewers (and more probably view clips online afterwards). If there is something a winner or presenter has is passionate about and wishes to raise awareness for, the moment they are given to address quite possibly the biggest audience they will ever have, seems like a good time to bring it up. People can come away from watching a ceremony with something to look into, or feel reinvigorated about a cause they were already aware of. Prime examples came from the Golden Globes earlier this year; just look at Oprah’s speech, or Natalie Portman’s presenting quip, both of which went viral and prompted strong reactions from those with whom their points resonated.

Furthermore, purely because someone happens to work in the entertainment industry does not mean they don’t have the right to an opinion or the ability to express that opinion. Those who dismiss them as ‘the elite’ who have no understanding of any ‘real world’ issues, place superficial importance on the impact of their finances. Firstly, these people, a lot of the time, have come from humble means, or had to struggle for a long time whilst trying to break into their fields. Whilst you may perceive them to be living cushy, luxurious lifestyles now, that doesn’t mean they have always been exempt from hardship, nor does it mean that they can’t read and digest the news. Especially with issues such as this year’s sexual assault revolution, which began within the entertainment industry itself, those actors and filmmakers may actually be more qualified to speak on the topic than those commenting that they shouldn’t be allowed to. Undoubtedly there will be those in the ‘Hollywood elite’ who are out of touch with the realities of the majority, and the problems highlighted in the news, however there are people like that in every pay bracket from every walk of life. Don’t dismiss people’s opinions on the basis that they perhaps (and not all of them do) earn a substantial amount of money, we all have the right to an opinion, and the right for it to be heard.

I, for one, hope that the Oscars is political. I hope it addresses the issues of the moment and presses their importance, rather than sweeping them under the rug (part of the whole issue). Of course, this should be balanced with a celebration of the films and cinema too (that is the foundation of the Oscars after all), but as the politics and the films are often intrinsically entwined with one another, even if they do ‘just focus on the films’ as some of these agitated voices have demanded, the politics will still come through. Such is the way of art.