Did you catch the recent Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars? Did you tune in because you love movies, or did you want to see what everyone was wearing?
Were you disappointed that the red carpet was replaced by a champagne carpet, or did you notice? As a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), I love awards show season and try to catch all of them. By the time the Oscars rolled around, I almost forgot to turn in. Once I remembered to change the channel, I felt like I missed everything, or that there was really nothing to miss. After all, you can just watch people’s comments on Facebook or check the Internet to catch up. What caught my attention was how many people thought that Angela Bassett was robbed. Truth be told, I did not see Wakanda Forever or Everything Everywhere All at Once. Therefore, I’m not sure if she was robbed or not. I did notice a look of disappointment on Bassett’s face when her name was not called. Since she won The Golden Globe Award and the Critic’s Choice Award for her role in Wakanda, I’m sure she expected to win the Oscar as well; that is sometimes how it works.
What I want to talk about is the Black woman who did win an Oscar for costume design, and that is Ruth E. Carter. What a historic win! I think this is the only Oscar winner that I have met in person, interviewed, and taken a selfie with. Thanks to the tenacity of Demeatria Boccella, I met Carter when she was in Pittsburgh. Did you know that the costumes for many of her films were on display in 2018 at the John Heinz History Center? And did you know that we were the first city to have that display, and it was largely because Boccella had the vision to reach out to Carter? It was an amazing display, and to see her win a second Oscar for costume design was enough for me. Frankly, I think Basset should have won for “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” but it didn’t happen. Let’s hope Bassett continues to crank out award-winning performances. In my best Scarlet O’Hara voice, “There is always tomorrow,” and clap for everyone else until it’s your turn.
Email the columnist at debbienorrell@aol.com
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