By Gianna Porcek ’20, Arts and Entertainment Editor

After watching the Oscars with my family, I immediately looked at my phone after the awards show was finished and found a slew of notifications with titles like, “The Best and Worst Dressed at the Oscars” or “These Oscar Nominees Should Have Kept These Outfits in the Closet.” After seeing a beautiful display of films awarded for their technical brilliance, outstanding acting, and artistic beauty, groups of articles slap me in the face telling me that money can’t always buy taste. Regardless of the talent of the many directors, actors, and actresses present at the show, I should focus on the fact that if Sandrah Oh’s sleeves were trying to say something, it may have been something like “Help! We’re too much!” according to Cosmopolitan. But to be honest, I don’t really care about Sandrah Oh’s sleeves, I care about the ways in which Sandra Oh utilized her talent and position as a prominent actress to send an important message or tell a story that hasn’t yet been told. 

The Oscars is an award ceremony where the best motion pictures are awarded and praised for their technical complexities and artistic merit. However, time and time again, articles focused on fashion sense, or lack thereof, continue to be published. It seems that for a progressive event focused on highlighting groundbreaking films where directors continue to find new ways to send a message artistically to an audience, articles like these shift the focus from the art that should be celebrated in the film industry to how these celebrities may have talent, but no awareness of what’s “in,” fashion wise. While there will inevitably be articles regarding fashion, as it is an integral part of awards shows like these, the intense focus of these articles on fashion without any recognition of talent is what I take issue with. 

Let’s take Olivia Coleman, the winner of Best Actress in the movie, The Favourite, for example. The Favourite, which takes those watching back to the beginning of the eighteenth century, requires those acting to maintain a serious eighteenth-century persona, all the while creating a convincing story during a time period with which actors and actresses have no personal experience. To become Queen Anne, who is a serious, yet dim-witted person, according to Reuter’s Magazine, takes an actress who knows how to flip the switch between these two characteristics cleverly yet quickly. Yet, another article published by Cosmopolitan, only acknowledges the fact that her dress looked “a little bit like that adorable Star Wars creature we all know.” But this doesn’t just occur for women either. 

Timothée Chalamet experienced the same criticism when another news source, The Los Angeles Times, mocked his appearance: “But was this red-carpet attire? Nah. Someone could easily mistake him for a parking attendant!” But nothing regarding his talent or why he was invited to the Award Show is to be seen. Timothée Chalamet, an Oscar and Golden Globe winner for best actor in the movie Call Me By My Name, was not recognized for his achievements in the film industry within the past year, but was solely criticized for his style. 

Molly Lindstrom ‘21 provides a thought-provoking insight on the balance of fashion and ability: “The show should mainly be focused on their ability and talent and I think that is what we the viewers should be talking about rather than just what they are wearing. However, nowadays, there is so much hype surrounding fashion choices and who is wearing what designer or brand that it is somewhat inevitable to critique fashion. We can comment on these choices, but the takeaways from these shows shouldn’t be solely about fashion.”

While I don’t think fashion articles should be abolished, I do think that the lines between fashion and talent are blurred; we simply shouldn’t let the purpose of these awards shows or the hard work it takes to be a part of film production be clouded by a person’s appearance. So where do we draw the line? We should draw the line when a person’s appearance is overshadowing their unique abilities, talent, or visions that helped make an impact in the world of film.