It was hailed as a win for diversity, and last night’s Academy Awards ceremony was refreshingly diverse, but once again the Oscars highlighted the gender gap in Hollywood with not a single woman nominated in the Best Director category and few females among the best Original or Adapted Screenplay nominees.
Thankfully, there were still plenty of memorable moments for women (and not a single song and dance number about boobs in sight). The awards were hosted by funny woman Ellen Degeneres, who made social media history when the powerhouse group shot she snapped during the ceremony took out the award for the world’s most retweeted selfie — and subsequently broke twitter.
Ellen also dedicated her opening monologue almost exclusively to the nominated women. “One of the nominees is Her. And by her, I mean Meryl Streep.”
If only Bradley’s arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscars pic.twitter.com/C9U5NOtGap
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) March 3, 2014
One of the greatest speeches of the night was delivered by Cate Blanchett, winner of the best Actress Award. Under the glare of media spotlight thanks to the controversy surrounding her Blue Jasmine director Woody Allen, she professionally sidestepped the controversy by thanking Allen for casting her in the film, acknowledged the other women in her category, and reminded us all of the power of films starring women.
“And thank you to… those of us in the industry who are still foolishly clinging to the idea that female films, with women at the centre, are niche experiences. They are not — audiences want to see them and, in fact, they earn money. The world is round, people!”
Another Australian woman to take home an award was Catherine Martin for her costume design work on the Great Gatsby. Martin, who is a regular collaborator with her director-husband Baz Luhrman, pulled her speech out of her bra and quipped, “I do have a few words tapped to my bra”.
Husband and wife duo Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who together won Best Original Song for Let It Go from Disney’s Frozen also took out the award for most adorable rhyming double act, and dedicated the win to their daughters while reminding them to, “Never let fear or shame stop you from celebrating the unique people that you are”
Newcomer Lupita Nyong’o, who has been hailed as a breakout sensation following a number of awards for her role in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, won the award for Best Supporting Actress and delivered a stunning speech which concluded with a significant message: “When I look down at this golden statue may it remind me, and every little child, that no matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid. Thank you.”