Y’all. We need to talk about John Legend (and Common) SLAYED at the Oscars. I have been waiting for this performance for a month. After watching Selma I knew that this performance would be everything- Glory is such a powerful song.
I would recommend that you see Selma if you haven’t. David Oyelowo became Dr. King. The last line of the movie when he says “Thine eyes have seen the GLORY!” WHEW- I thought I was listening to an actual Dr. King speech. Obviously, you should keep in mind that this is historical fiction- if you go to see Selma and expect a history lesson, you are going to be very disappointed. Heck, if you’re expecting a Dr. King speech, you can’t even get that. Spielberg owns the rights to Dr. King’s speeches and is yet to make a MLK movie (I personally think that Spielberg would slay such a movie. I’m not mad at him, at the end of the day King’s kids sold their dad’s legacy to the highest bidder so…)
I think movies like Selma, that are based on actual events are so important especially in a time where students aren’t getting the education they deserve (especially in U.S. History). You should watch movies like this, then go home and read about the people that were depicted in the movie, see how these events were covered in the news at the time and see how our history books recall these events. We are lucky that these events happens not so long ago that we have videos of the events and people that are still alive to tell their stories.
Also at the Oscars
I slacked last year and didn’t see many of the movies that were nominated at the Oscars this year, so I won’t comment on the awards. I thought Neil Patrick Harris was an alright host.
Lady Gaga SLAYED the songs from the Sound of Music. I think that if most artists strip away all the gimmicks and drama, people would appreciate them more. Stephanie is classically trained, and it showed in the performance. And Queen Julie Andrews is EVERYTHING. It’s so sad that she no longer has her singing voice.
The Sony hacks revealed that, SURPRISE, even among in the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, women still get paid less than women. Former chairwoman of Sony pictures acknowledge that while the wage gap is real, people should know their worth (which I think is 1000% true).
The Oscars can be a great time for winners to highlight a cause that is close to their heart. This year, John Legend and Common highlighted the need for prison reform in America. Julianne Moore highlighted Alzheimer’s. Graham Moore highlighted depression and suicide. Patricia Arquette highlighted the gender income inequality issue- which she kind of muddled up backstage.
On my list of Oscar movies to see: Imitation Game, American Sniper, Birdman, The Theory of Everything, Into the Woods and The Lego Movie (Everything is Awesome is a great song, no?).
Farewell awards season, see you next year!
hello, ENI-body home? 