The Oscars! 2018

The Academy Awards. The Oscars. Such pomp and circumstance. A swinging Hollywood party. A night stars will never forget.

Especially this year. With all the political and social chaos that’s gone on the within the last year, award season has been interesting to say the least.

On Hollywood’s biggest night, what will happen? Last year, the Oscar had a major snafu with the Best Picture Award mixup between LaLaLand and Moonlight.  That was well before the sexual misconduct scandals raged through Tinseltown.

Harvey, Kevin, Matt, a few of the big offenders in the upset.  It seemed week after week more names were revealed, more and more women shared their stories in the simply put, MeToo stance.

Just as recent as last week, Ryan Seacrest was among the men accused of sexual harassment. How will his appearance on E!’s Red carpet play out?

Debra Messing called out E! On their own red carpet coverage, earlier in the award season, after the veteran reporter Catt Sandler’s salary was discovered to be way lower than her partner’s, Jason Kennedy. Mind you I love them both and it was difficult for me to digest that.

At the Golden Globes, most of Hollywood wore black to show their solidarity with the victims of sexual harassment. ​

The women of Hollywood are correct when they say this isn’t just a Hollywood issue. Across every industry there are cases of sexual harassment--and not just women victims, and the obvious issue of pay inequality. Some people feel that Hollywood is just complaining about 1st world problems or their 1% problems or ... well they’re celebrities blah, blah, blah… That’s wrong.

Since these types of issues are happening in Hollywood where there is so much exposure, money, and scrutiny, image how the conditions are for the average woman--and especially the underprivileged woman!

On Sunday night, I’ll be watching the red carpet arrivals, picking the gowns I adore, looking at the style choices, hoping that my top picks win big, laughing along to Jimmy Kimmel’s jokes. I’ll also be watching for something more. I’m sure the topics above will be mentioned throughout the night. Hollywood is more than just movies, glamour, and tv shows. When used correctly it can be about change. It can be about cultural growth, tolerance, and hospitality and I don’t mean the Ritz. I mean welcoming those people who need their voice heard. Helping raise awareness to those in need. There’s a reason celebrites create the trends. People care about them, listen to them, and idolize them in teenage cases. Their influence should be used respectfully. This is a heavy responsibility and should be handled with care that’s made to look effortless.
That way while those anti-hollywood skeptics criticize them, it’s not big deal because the people they mean to reach, their fans, acknowledge their power and are in awe of the great art they create and the positive work they do for the world.

That’s how I see Hollywood anyway. That’s what it means to me. And that is why I want to be part of that community.

So until then, I’ll be working at my craft and watching the movies, shows, and red carpets, dreaming of the place where the stars shine brighter than the night sky.

​Holly xo

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HOLLY WILLIAMS

Holly Williams is Executive Producer and owner of Pixie Chick Productions. She loves Disney movies (still), Tina Fey (of course), and feeling cultured…(think Fraiser Crane) all things art, film, music, and food! Holly has been writing screenplays since she was 13, has her MFA in creative writing, and is still perfecting her Oscar speech. She is thankful to be surrounded by such loyal, talented, and fabulous friends and family...who really are one in the same. Follow Holly on instagram @hollawilliams55 and twitter @hollawilliams ​​​​​​​​​​​​