The Ukraine war is certainly in the spotlight almost all these days – but, for some reason, the Oscars have apparently decided to shed some light on the matter. We are almost two hours into the broadcast and so far … there has been little mention of the conflict in Europe, except for a brief moment when Mila Kunis introduced Reba McEntire, who performed “Somehow You Do”, which is a candidate for the best original song. Before throwing it at Reba, Mila said … “Recent world events have left many of us feeling frustrated. However, when you see the strength and dignity of those facing such a disaster, it is impossible not to be moved by their resilience. “ He added, “One can only feel awe towards those who find the strength to continue fighting through the unimaginable darkness.” MK then said that Reba’s song was proof of that, but strangely … she and no one else on stage ever said the words “Ukraine” or “Russia”. This is a bit strange … especially considering that Mila herself is Ukrainian and has raised a lot of money lately for the purpose. After the show, the Oscars observed a minute’s silence with a few title cards that spoke directly to Ukraine. Their message read, in part, “While the film is on an important road to expressing our humanity in times of conflict, the reality is that millions of families in Ukraine need food, medical care, clean water and emergency services,” calling for the world to do more. Soon after, he played an encryption ad, which gave people a website to chip in – but avoided displaying any images of war or disaster. This is an interesting choice … remember, Amy Sumer actually had the idea for Volodymyr Zelensky to say a few words – but it does not sound like they followed her idea. Instead of leaning completely as he suggested … it seems, so far, that they are doing just the opposite … abstaining from discussions about Ukraine. Of course, there is still a long way to go – so they may have a stronger show of support later in the broadcast. Or maybe not. 🤷🏽♂️
