AMERICANS are sick of A-list celebrities telling them what to do and there has never been as much toxicity heading into an Oscars season as there is this year, a PR expert has warned.
Eric Schiffer, the chair of Reputation Management Consultants and former film director, described the toxicity levels before Tinseltown's biggest night as “nuclear.”
This year's Academy Award season has been mired in controversies - ranging from inflammatory comments to the use of technology in movies.
Golden Globes winner and Best Actress nominee Fernanda Torres has been forced to apologize after a blackface skit from a Brazilian TV show from around 20 years ago resurfaced.
Zoe Saldana’s blackface controversy resurfaced – years after she apologized. But, the controversy did not end there.
Karla Sofia Gascón, who has been nominated for Best Actress for her role in Emilia Perez, sparked fury over a series of social media posts about Islam, George Floyd, and diversity.
Adding to the controversy is the use of artificial intelligence, with critics suggesting Best Picture nominee The Brutalist should be disqualified entirely.
Brady Corbet vehemently denied any suggestions that AI was used to enhance performances, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Schiffer said he’s never seen as much toxicity in a decade, and he explained the reasons behind the vitriol.
“This season is the most toxic in a nuclear way,” he said.
“It’s inflaming, inciting and overwhelming many various audiences.
“I can’t recall where the level of toxicity has been so much in this septic muck where you have missiles being fired by various camps."
Schiffer revealed that Academy Award bosses face a question that could plunge the future of the ceremony into jeopardy.
“The question will be ‘Will the Oscars ratings get destroyed, or will it attract in ways that people had never imagined?’” he said.
He believes bosses will be worried about the impact of ratings at a time when there is great political upheaval.
Schiffer delved into the factors that he believes have contributed to the arguably unprecedented level of toxicity.
“Various players have entered into either racial commentary and comments that have upset large swaths of the US and other countries,” he said.
He alluded to how Gascón had insulted different communities, claiming she had been “diverse” in her jibes.
And the Academy Awards have not been immune from the apparent change in attitude to diversity, equity and inclusion.
“You have a country that is moving toward, largely, being told how to behave socially and how to act,” he said.
“There is a perception that there was too much emphasis put on diversity to what is now the Oscars having racial challenges and questions are they diverse enough.”
OSCARS UNDER FIRE
The litany of controversies has raised questions about whether the Oscars, which will be in its 97th edition on Sunday, are still fit for purpose and relevant.
Journalist Raymond Arroyo told Fox News that many voters had already “jumped the shark.”
“They feel this is the end of Oscars in some ways,” he said.
Controversy surrounding social media comments, AI, and the timing of particular movies have thrown the Best Picture race wide open.
Emilia Perez, which revolves around a storyline of a former drug cartel boss undergoing gender reassignment surgery, was nominated in 13 categories.
It appeared to be on track to pick up a flurry of awards.
This was because its 13 nominations were just one behind the record number heading into the ceremony.
But Sofia Gascón now appears to be out of the running for Best Actress.
Earlier this week, she failed to attend an Oscar nominees dinner, but sources told Variety she intends to show up at the Oscars ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
But, it's not known if she will walk the red carpet.
Demi Moore, who stars in The Substance, is the frontrunner with Mikey Madison and Torres behind in the betting odds, according to Oddschecker.
Gascón is the first openly trans actor to be nominated for an Academy Award.
But, her chances seemed to vanish when the journalist Sarah Hagi exposed a slew of social media posts.
The posts were made on X between 2016 and the early 2020s.
She made baseless claims about the Covid-19 vaccine and sparked fury with her posts about Islam and George Floyd, who was killed in Minneapolis by white cop Derek Chauvin in 2020.
Gascón slammed the 2021 Oscars ceremony, claiming it focused more on so-called protest films.
She labeled the star-studded event an “ugly, ugly, gala.”
Gascón apologized after the social media posts came to light.
“I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt,” she said in a statement.
“As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well, and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain.
“All my life, I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness."
The pot shots hurled at Best Picture nominees has brought back memories of smear campaigns of previous years.
It has sparked conversation about whether this year's season is the most toxic in history.
"It gets worse and worse every year, but I think this is probably the most toxic season,” Megan McLachlan, the co-founder of the awards site The Contending, told USA Today.
She claimed that the Oscars could be rivaling events like the Super Bowl regarding the most contentious.
The U.S. Sun has approached The Academy for comment.
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