Oscars 2019 Showed Straight Actors Winning For Queer Roles! Green Book vs Spike Lee!

While this year’s Oscars did end up giving awards to a diverse group of talented individuals, it wasn’t without its fair share of controversy surrounding Bohemian Rhapsody, Green Book, and The Favourite.

I’m going to begin this quick Oscars 2019 recap by going over the many positives. I liked how this year’s ceremony didn’t have a host. It allowed more time to feature the nominated works and gave award presenters the chance to be funny without the fear of overshadowing the host. Also, Chris Evans is a real gentleman and we all love him!

Regina King won her well-deserved Oscar and so did Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Marvel’s Black Panther helped make Oscar history and pushed the needle forward for African American talent in the industry.

I’m okay with Black Panther not winning Best Picture because the backlash would have been too great and harmed its legacy.

Now coming to the controversy!

Rami Malek, Mahershala Ali, and Olivia Coleman won acting awards. While I’m happy for all three actors, the fact remains these wins serve as more examples of how the Academy is okay with awarding straight actors for playing queer while Hollywood still has a major problem of not even considering actual out and proud talent to audition for such roles.

No wonder Scarlett Johannson thought it was a good way to snag an Oscar for herself!

Green Book winning Best Picture showed how the Academy, while having grown diverse over the years, still finds itself salivating when it comes to feel-good white savior films addressing racism.

Spike Lee was visibly upset and you know what? I believe he has every right to be considering his body of work and what he brings to the table when talking about racism.

Asked about “Green Book,” Spike Lee decided it was time for more champagne.

Full #Oscars coverage: https://t.co/GrNpbW052c pic.twitter.com/lTaEaS6SPH

— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) February 25, 2019

And for certain people who are defending Green Book winning the top award, the fact Mahershala Ali was nominated for a supporting role should be enough to tell you how much this movie cared.

There was also the unnecessary shoutout to Carrie Fisher!

Did you watch the Oscars 2019 ceremony? Are you happy about the wins? Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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