In writing about this year’s Oscars, it would probably make the most sense to just focus on my clients. I dressed seven women, and they all felt amazing, and I could happily tell you about the process behind each one.
But instead, I’m going to talk about what I saw at the Oscars this year.
It’s hard to imagine a more, 2022 Oscars. There was chaos, and scandal, and a few mentions of the pandemic and a war going on in Ukraine.
I mean, just think about what we witnessed on stage. We saw, so clearly, that actors are not our heroes. They never have been. They’re humans, just like us, who make mistakes, and get judged. And we judge them, even though we’re just humans making mistakes as well.
Despite all the chaos, and the judging, I saw a crack that night. A crack in this age-old system that awards the same sort of people, year after year.
It’s no small feat that for the second year in a row, a woman won the Oscar for best director. Her name is Jane Campion.
It’s no small feat that for the first time ever, a Deaf man won an Acting Oscar. His name is Troy Kotsur.
One of my favorite moments was when Youn Yuh-jung saw Troy Kotsur’s name on her card and signed it first, so he would understand that he won. And then the audience followed, signing their applause for Troy. So he could feel their support.
At another point in the night, Questlove won his first Oscar for Summer of Soul, a documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. It was his first time directing, and he honored his parents, and the community of Harlem in his speech. Later, he admitted he’d been meditating before they announced his name. He was so, so happy. And we could all feel it.
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein accept their Oscar for Summer of Soul (Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
When “Drive my Car” won the Oscar for Best International Feature, I was thrilled. I loved that film, a three-hour Japanese adaptation of a Murakami short story. I loved it because it was all about love, and loss, and the mistakes we make by being human. And it won an Oscar.
Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi accepts his Oscar for Drive my Car.
Then later, CODA won Best Pictures. A small film, by a company known for making computers, won. And we got to watch a deaf cast win the biggest award of the night.
Director Sian Heder and the cast and crew of CODA accept their Oscar.
Alongside all these wins, were the hosts. Three, amazing, female hosts, who were each hilarious in their own way and kept the show going.
So yes, I’m still pissed about some of my girls being snubbed. And no, I am not going to go anywhere near the slap.
But as Leonard Cohen says, “There a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.”
And if you were paying attention to the art that night, there was something new and exciting happening right in front of us, on that stage. We’re in crisis, but the Oscars showed us that we’re ready to move forward into a new world of new stories, new ideas, and new energies.
I saw new light.
I’ve felt this for a long time. But Sunday showed me that it’s time. We’re ready for something new.
x Karla
