Well ladies and gentlemen, it’s finally happened. All of the glad-handing and campaigning has paid-off for one Leonardo DiCaprio, because he is the proud owner of one shiny new Oscar!
In case you’ve been living under a rock somewhere, DiCaprio was awarded Hollywood’s top prize for the film The Revenant, which was directed by Alejandro Innaritu, and widely predicted to be the favourite; a point on which The Academy did not disappoint.
The fact that DiCaprio shilled hard for this win is such a well-known fact in Hollywood that the event’s organisers didn’t hesitate to poke a little fun at the situation by cutting-away to a shot of a bear sitting in the audience after one of the performance segments. The audience loved it, although both DiCaprio and Innaritu were wound-up so tight with anticipation of the announcement of the winner they didn’t even make an effort to look amused, which somehow made it even funnier.
In his acceptance speech, DiCaprio carried-on a long tradition of Hollywood starts who have used their win on such a public stage to speak out for a cause that is close to them.
I just want to say this – making “The Revenant”, was about man’s relationship to the natural world, a world that we collectively felt in 2015 as the hottest year in recorded history. Climate change is real, and it’s happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating. We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters or the big corporations, but who speak for all of humanity, for the indigenous people of the world…and for those people out there whose voices have been drowned out by the politics of greed.
While DiCaprio is certainly not the first celebrity to use his fame to advance a cause, he certainly did not pull any punches when it came to laying it on the line. Backstage after the ceremony, he had this to say.
I feel there is a ticking clock out there. There’s a sense of urgency that we all must do something proactive about this issue, and certainly with this upcoming election, the truth is this: If you do not believe in climate change, you do not believe in modern science or empirical truths, you will be on the wrong side of history. And we need to all join together and vote for leaders who care about the future of this civilization and the world as we know it.
Not much grey area there. But I have to give DiCaprio credit where credit is due. Many people lash-out at celebrities when they take a stand on something political or environmental, and I think that this is an unfair stance to take. Celebrities are tax-paying citizens just like you and me, and are therefore as entitled to an opinion on such matters as that local guy who holds-up the barstool in the local pub and grumbles about the government all day. DiCaprio’s speech did ruffle a few feathers here and there.
Leonardo Dicaprio is d classic example of never giving up!!! Congratulations to you!! But Climate change!? Seriously?
Well there you have it liberals. You are full of it.
However, what makes DiCaprio different from a lot of celebrities is that he is actually putting his money where his mouth is. In 1988, he founded the Leonardo DiCaprio foundations in support of environmental and sustainability issues. The foundation has granted more than 30 million to projects to more than 44 countries, and there is very little bad that you an say about that.
So who were some of the other notable winners at the Oscars? I’m glad you asked…
Best Picture – Spotlight
Best Actor – Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
Best Actress – Brie Larsen – Room
Best Supporting Actor – Mark Rylance – Bridge of Spies
Best Supporting Actress – Brie Larsen – The Danish Girl
Best Director – Alejandro Inarritu – The Revenant
There was one more winner of the evening, albeit in an unofficial capacity. Lady Gaga, who was introduced by none other than Vice President Joe Biden, put on a spectacular performance in support of standing up to sexual assault. She was joined onstage by sexual abuse victims, creating a powerful performance piece that brought down the house.
One celeb in particular appreciated Lady Gaga’s performance so much, she Tweeted about it later. Kesha, who as most of us know has just lost a legal battle with Sony for breech of contract after wanting to be free from her recording contract for personal reasons – she was once raped by her producer.
