The Oscars: Three times when real events challenged whether the show must go on
CNN
Like any awards show, the Oscars are built on the inherently self-absorbed notion that what happens in the room and who takes home the trophies matters, in what should be a welcome distraction from the outside world.
Occasionally, though, world events have cast such a large shadow that they can't be ignored. And while the Hollywood maxim is that the show must go on, in a few instances real-world concerns have intruded upon the ceremony in a way that forced organizers to alter its schedule, including last year's delay due to a global pandemic.
The war in Ukraine has dominated news cycles and prompted statements of solidarity from members of the film and TV industry in the run-up to the Oscars. Through the years, politics and the Oscars have gone hand in hand, and war has frequently been part of the backdrop, from World War II -- when the actual statuettes were made of plaster due to metal shortages -- to Vietnam, a tumultuous period that on various occasions spilled into the broadcast.
President Joe Biden on Sunday delivers his first commencement address of the 2024 season at Morehouse College, where the president may for the first time in months have to confront the angst that’s been percolating on college campuses nationwide toward his administration’s policies on the Israel-Hamas war.
Arab and Palestinian Americans left a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday night frustrated they did not have a clear understanding of how the Biden administration might act upon their concerns as the Israel-Hamas war devastates the civilian population in Gaza, participants told CNN.