The gowns were flowing, the tuxedos were tailored, and the spray tans were shimmering. In case you missed it, last night marked the 86th Annual Academy Awards—an evening full of golden statues, emotional acceptance speeches and shameless Hollywood self-flattery. By no means a newcomer to the Oscar gig, Ellen DeGeneres once again returned to host Hollywood’s biggest night where she previously made Academy history by becoming the first openly gay host at the 79th annual awards in 2006. From donning a fairy costume to doling out pizza to Marty Scorsese, Ellen added that familiar charm—and refreshing queer presence—to the awards ceremony. However, even one of the most recognizable members of the LGBTQ community can end up unintentionally offending fellow queer comrades, which is precisely what happened when the comedian gave a shout-out to Liza Minnelli during her opening monologue. Joking about how the icon has become a popular subject for impersonators and drag artists, DeGeneres remarked “Hello to the best Liza Minnelli impersonator I’ve ever seen. Good job sir.” Was the comment a bit crass and careless? Perhaps. In fact, it’s understandable that Minnelli would be personally offended by the roast-worthy remark. However, to claim that DeGeneres’ comment was transphobic is a bit of a hyperbolic stretch. I’m sure she quickly bit her tongue after, but who hasn’t found themselves in a similar situation where a joke or comment sounded worse than initially intended? Instead of quickly going on the offensive, we should take a step back and ask ourselves: do we really believe that Ellen is transphobic?
Ellen and her dapper choice of wardrobe weren’t the only things making the awards ceremony memorably queer. Nominated for several awards including Best Picture, Jean Marc-Vallee’s groundbreaking film Dallas Buyer’s Club got the recognition it deserved when both Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto won for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively. With his long locks and beautiful white suit/red bowtie combination, it wasn’t just Leto’s physical presence or fashion choices that made Leto stand out. Playing a transgender woman with an effortless intensity, Leto’s acceptance speech eloquently reflected the social struggles, AIDS suffering and political oppression that his character embodied. However, while his message was indeed eloquent and empowering, it was a bit alarming to hear him reference 30 Seconds to Mars and Venezuela without directly mentioning transgendered individuals.
It’s always great whenever the indie underdogs that don’t usually win for the flashy technical categories like Best Picture, Cinematography, or Directing end up sweeping up all the acting awards. We saw the same thing happen at the 2005 Academy Awards with Patty Jenkins’ thriller Monster, in which Charlize Theron took home the film’s sole golden statue for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Except for exceptions like The Hurt Locker, the Academy has a pattern of rarely crowning indie films with awards outside of the performance categories. Yet despite being snubbed a Best Director nom or Best Picture and Best Editing wins, the electrifying onscreen chemistry between McConaughey and Leto were rightfully acknowledged. Not to mention how the film also snagged an award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, which just goes to show how incredible the physical transformations were for both stars—even more impressive when you consider how it was done on a mere $250 budget!
As we find ourselves in politically troubled waters regarding elevated global LGBTQI discrimination, films provide an escape and give a voice to the underrepresented victims of cultural strife. I’m thrilled that the Academy recognized the artistic value and social importance of Dallas Buyers Club, and hopefully this leads to even bigger, better, and queerer Oscars to come.
