Oscars Will Be Held Despite Possibility of War

Broadcast: Mar¹ 12, 2003

 

The producer of the Oscars says the Hollywood award show will go ahead as planned March 23, regardless of whether war breaks out in the Middle East. Some worry that world events will overshadow the celebration.

This is known as the silly season in Hollywood, when the business of making movies and running studios gives way to a round of parties and questions about the designer gowns the stars will wear to the Oscars.

But there is a serious note this year, spurred by a small number of Hollywood personalities² who have spoken out about possible war in Iraq, most arguing against war without United Nations' backing. The question of Iraq came up again before the annual ¹⁾luncheon for Oscar nominees⁴ on Monday - what will happen if conflict breaks out? Will the show go on as usual?

It has been postponed⁶ several times in the past, for example, for the funeral of civil rights leader Martin Luther King in 1968, and again in 1981, after the failed assassination⁷ attempt on former President Reagan. More recently, television's Emmy awards were postponed after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

But this year, says Gil Cates, who produces the Oscar telecast at Hollywood's Kodak Theater, neither the threat of war nor the threat of terrorism will postpone⁵ the film awards.

" I think the Oscars absolutely will go ahead on the 23rd, as scheduled," he said. "The Kodak is a very safe environment. I'm bringing my family there, and yeah, the show will go on."

The actor Daniel Day Lewis admitted to some discomfort⁸ at the thought of a Hollywood celebration if there is fighting elsewhere. The soft-spoken actor is competing for an Oscar for his leading role as the villainous Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York.

"They would seem ²⁾obscene if we were kind of prancing⁹ up a red carpet grinning and waving and there are people dying somewhere in the world, and we as citizens of this county, in my case of England and Ireland, we're responsible for what's going on," he said. "I think it's going to be very, very difficult to find a way to do that."

Nicole Kidman, a best-actress nominee³ for her role as the writer Virginia Woolf in the film The Hours, says she is of two minds on the question of whether to celebrate in wartime.

"There are two arguments, aren't there, where they say you need to continue on with things and not be stopped, and then there's the other thing where you just say, of course, it would feel very strange to show up," she said.

Queen Latifah, a supporting-actress nominee for the musical Chicago, believes the Oscar show will lift the spirits of those whose family members are in the military.

"There are people here with family who have had to say goodbye, and possibly send their husbands and wives, their daughters and sons off into another country to perhaps lose their lives for this country," she said. "So do I think the Oscars are more important than those people's families? No, I don't. But at the same time, I know that we as Americans, we don't want to sit here and cry all day."

The musical Chicago is the film to beat this year, possibly, says its director, because it is escapist entertainment. The Screen Actors Guild¹⁰ honored two Chicago stars over the weekend, Renee Zellweger as best actress and Catherine Zeta-Jones as best supporting actress. The movie was also honored for its ensemble¹¹ cast. Chicago director Rob Marshall earlier earned top honors from the Directors Guild, and says his film is successful partly because it's a musical.

"Part of it is probably where we are as a society right now, I would think. I mean, I certainly would like to go to the theater to be lifted at the moment. I think we all do," he said. "So even though Chicago is a cynical¹², dark ³⁾satire¹³, I do think there's a great deal of joy in the piece as well. It's funny, and musicals can lift you in ways that non-musicals can't."

If there is a war, some worry that Oscar presenters¹⁴ and winners will take advantage of the award show to express their views on the subject. Telecast producer Gil Cates says presenters promise to follow a script, but he won't stop the winners from speaking out, if they want to.

"It's their 45 seconds. I mean, I would prefer that they spent their time talking about the award that they've won; obviously," he said. "That's what we're doing. We're celebrating excellence¹⁵. But if they want to say anything else, hey, it's their time and it's a free country."

Oscar officials note that the award show has weathered World War II and the wars in Korea and Vietnam, without the conflicts causing postponements. They say that whatever happens in Iraq, the show will go on.

Mike O'Sullivan VOA news, Los Angeles.

 

1) luncheon[5lQntFEn]n.午宴, 正式的午餐

2) obscene [Cb5si:n]adj.淫秽的, 猥亵的

3) satire [5sAtaiE]n.讽刺文学, 讽刺

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

3 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

4 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

5 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

6 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

7 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

8 discomfort   

n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便

参考例句：

• One has to bear a little discomfort while travelling.旅行中总要忍受一点不便。
• She turned red with discomfort when the teacher spoke.老师讲话时她不好意思地红着脸。

9 prancing   

v.（马）腾跃( prance的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The lead singer was prancing around with the microphone. 首席歌手手执麦克风，神气地走来走去。
• The King lifted Gretel on to his prancing horse and they rode to his palace. 国王把格雷特尔扶上腾跃着的马，他们骑马向天宫走去。 来自辞典例句

10 guild   

n.行会，同业公会，协会

参考例句：

• He used to be a member of the Writers' Guild of America.他曾是美国作家协会的一员。
• You had better incorporate the firm into your guild.你最好把这个公司并入你的行业协会。

11 ensemble   

n.合奏(唱)组；全套服装；整体，总效果

参考例句：

• We should consider the buildings as an ensemble.我们应把那些建筑物视作一个整体。
• It is ensemble music for up to about ten players,with one player to a part.它是最多十人演奏的合奏音乐，每人担任一部分。

12 cynical   

adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的

参考例句：

• The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
• He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。

13 satire   

n.讽刺，讽刺文学，讽刺作品

参考例句：

• The movie is a clever satire on the advertising industry.那部影片是关于广告业的一部巧妙的讽刺作品。
• Satire is often a form of protest against injustice.讽刺往往是一种对不公正的抗议形式。

14 presenters   

n.节目主持人，演播员( presenter的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Each week presenters would put the case for their favourite candidate. 每个星期主持人推出他们最喜欢的候选人。 来自互联网
• Karaoke was set up to allowed presenters to sing on the stage. 宴会设有歌唱舞台，可让出席者大演唱功。 来自互联网

15 excellence   

n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德

参考例句：

• His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
• My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。