Suicide, Immigration, Gender Pay Gap & More: 5 Important Issues Oscar Winners Addressed In Speeches

Hollywood has never been shy about expressing its sentiments on politically charged issues, and the Academy Awards was certainly no exception. In fact, one might say this was one of the most political Oscars ever, with numerous celebrities taking stands on a wide number of issues. Below are the important issues covered on Sunday night’s Oscar Award Speeches.

Civil Rights and Incarceration Rates:
John Legend and Common won the Oscar for Best Original Song for “Glory,” written for the movie “Selma.” They used the opportunity to highlight the fact that we are still fighting to establish a more equitable and just society.

Common and Legend’s comments couldn't have been more pertinent, particularly given the events of the past year surrounding Ferguson and Eric Garner. Everything Legend said is absolutely true. Thus, it’s apparent that, while we've come a long way as a society, we still have a long way to go.

Gender Pay Gap:
Patricia Arquette won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Boyhood.” She used her acceptance speech to highlight the fact that women still don’t receive equal pay or treatment in the United States. On average, women make about 78 percent of what men make when working similar jobs; the gender pay gap is very real, and it’s still a big problem.

Government Surveillance:
“Citizenfour” won the award for Best Documentary Feature. It focuses on the revelations surrounding the NSA and government surveillance brought forth by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

While accepting the award, director Laura Poitras thanked Snowden for his courage. She also acknowledged the bravery of the journalists who take great risks to reveal the government’s arguably dubious practices.

In a world where threats are ostensibly invisible and technology dictates much of our existence, government surveillance will undoubtedly continue to be a major issue.

Suicide:
Graham Moore won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for “The Imitation Game.” During his acceptance speech, Moore spoke of a suicide attempt during his teen years and offered words of encouragement to anyone out there who feels ostracized for being different. It was an incredibly brave and inspiring moment.

According to the Center for Disease Control, suicide is the third leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10 and 24.

Immigration:
“Birdman” won the award for Best Picture last night. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu, who is from Mexico, touched on immigration during his acceptance speech. Immigration has always been a hotbed issue in the United States.

This has been particularly true in recent months following an executive order from President Obama that protects millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation.

Source: http://elitedaily.com/