With One Slap, a Carefully Constructed Oscars Fell Spectacularly to Pieces: TV Review
variety.comCaroline Framke Chief TV CriticIt says everything that not even Will Smith slapping Chris Rock in the face could keep the Oscars ceremony from stubbornly chugging along its predetermined track, until Smith’s speech for winning best actor forced it to stop.
In that jaw-dropping moment, what had been a self-consciously smooth night — the Academy Awards, as seen through some poreless filter — immediately and irrevocably shattered.
No matter how desperately ABC and the Academy wanted the ceremony to be a well-oiled machine, this year’s Oscars proved the power of live TV, for better and for deeply uncomfortable worse.For weeks, the network and Academy’s governing body had been weathering fierce criticism about their handling of the ceremony, which would pre-tape eight technical category wins in order to make more room for, it seems, ample comedic bits from three hosts, new “Fan Favorite” winners as awarded by Twitter votes, and Chris Evans’ introduction to an extended trailer for “Lightyear,” his “Toy Story” spinoff.
Hosts Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer, and Regina Hall did their best to keep the show moving at a brisk pace with jokes pointed at the nominated films, the Academy, and themselves.
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